Server 2008r2 and windows 7 pro slow to no networkshare file searching and file access (green progress bar)

Question

we are running a windows server 2008r2 sp1 domain controller and a 3com gigabit switch to which 7 windows 7 pro computers are connected. We are only using the windows server to distribute a few printers and as a network share (z drive).
we are storing all files (word documents only) centrally on the server (z share), and files are accessed and written to the z share.
Problem is that file access from the z share on the windows 7 client computers is at best buggy. we are able to browse the z-share, but as soon as we want to search the z-share for files (f.i. use file explorer with "content: memorandum") the green
progress bar shows and no search is performed. something like alphabetically sorting a directory on map/file name on the z-share also shows a green bar with no sorting. manually going to the files works.
One thing i noticed, sometimes not all files that one user created and stored on the server is visible and can be found by another user. I prefer to disable all offline file caching setting, because that feature is not used. no files should be made accessible
offline. i don't know where to change that on the server side. 
I am reluctant to experiment on the server end (2008r2 sp1), so i tried a few suggested solutions on the client end (windows 7 client)
I tried disabling offline file caching
i tried properties (z share) ==> advanced and map optimizing and several options there
i tried disabling the smbv2 protocol and disabling the smbv1 protocol (using
sc.exe config lanmanworkstation depend= bowser/mrxsmb10/nsi command etc. posted by microsoft)
i tried disabling windows defender
i tried accessing the z share via ip and server name (the share is mapped via its servername, e.g. dennis-dc1\share). still the same
file searching on the clients c drive ('own harddrive') works much better, file searching on the server also works.
any suggestions or solutions that i can test on the client side, as mentioned i am reluctant to change something on the server side. if a solutions works, i prefer to change it on the server side.

Answer 1

Hi,
The issue could be due to windows indexing service taking long time in sorting and searching in mapped drives. Please try the steps belwo to disable windows indexing service or search service on the windows 7 client to resolve the issue.
You can click on Start and select Control Panel, click on
Programs and Features, go into the Turn Windows Features on or off section Scroll down the list and uncheck the box next to Indexing Service or Windows Search.
Best Regards,
Mandy
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