Most posts in search results are now unopenable

And, FWIW, when you hit the home landing page when doing a search it usually means the post is most likely archived and no longer available.

Then what is the use of having inaccessible archived articles in the search index?

The problem is that the "bean-counters" decided to remove all posts older then 6 months when first posted. Not many here were happy about that. 

That means most searches will "fail", and return to home. The data no longer exists in any storage media.

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@MNtundraRET wrote: ... That means most searches will "fail", and return to home. The data no longer exists in any storage media.

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Actually, the situation is worse that that. For example, the search https://forums.xfinity.com/t5/forums/searchpage/tab/message?q=just%20a%20point%20about%20packet%20loss displays the first few lines of CajunTek's post. It isn't until you click on that preview to display the whole post that you get kicked back to https://forums.xfinity.com/.

So the Forum's Search function teases you. It shows you the beginning of these "Archived" articles and leads you to believe that you can access the entire post when, for an Archived post, you can't. Most frustrating.

Only Comcast would treat its customers this way.

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@andyross wrote: It may also be a bit of a bug or quirk in the software. This software is not exclusive to Comcast. Roku's forums appears to be the same general format, just a different "skin".

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Maybe, but Best Buy's forums are also "Powered by Khoros", yet if you wanted to know, for example, what https://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/Computers-Tablets/Motorola-SB5101U/m-p/625188#M38924 (posted in 2012!) was about, their forum will show you.

If a $50 billion company can afford to operate its forums in a sane manner, why can't a $100 billion company do likewise?

It may also be a bit of a bug or quirk in the software. This software is not exclusive to Comcast. Roku's forums appears to be the same general format, just a different "skin".

When data is permanently removed from data bases like this, the programer needs to recover failed searches similar to how they did it here or the program bombs. It might have helped to add a message like: "Search failed due to missing (removed) data." The people in charge  are not programmers and do not understand the "fall-out" from deleting old forum data.

We may see more of this from other forums. On those gaining posts the cost, or ability, to store old data is prohibative due to lost income from COVID19. 

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@MNtundraRET wrote: When data is permanently removed from data bases like this, ...

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If the data was "permanently removed", how do large chunks of it manage to show up in search results as described above?

Some more recent posts where someone quoted part of a removed post could still exist. That part may be a RE: "old title" that still exists.

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@MNtundraRET wrote:Some more recent posts where someone quoted part of a removed post could still exist. That part may be a RE: "old title" that still exists.

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In the "Just a point about packet loss" example I posted above, Search returns the first few lines of CajunTek's original post, not a "quoted part of a removed post". 

How can it find his OP if it was "permanently removed"?

And if it can find the first few lines, why can't it retrieve the whole post?

And if the whole post is not accessible, why present search results that suggest it is accessible?

Remember; a employee(s) handled deleting posts over 6 months old sometime last year. Some may have been missed. We were told of this a few days after it was done.

Those deleted can never be recovered. And like you stated, there were flaws in how the search field worked. The program code for the forum was outsorced, and that company was bought out by the current company listed.

Sorry folks.  There is no sense in debating this.  The decision rested with  PTB outside this forum so there isn't anything anyone here can do about how the search results show up or don't.  I hate to use the phrase, but it is what it is and it isn't going to be changed.

This thread is now locked.

It is very annoying that when you are trying to find an answer on this forum, most of what shows up in the search results cannot be viewed since it is archived. The whole point of a knowledge base is to have the information available. So, either get rid of the similar questions, that cannot be opened, showing up in the search results, or else bring back teh archives so we can once again find answesr to our questions.

No wonder I couldn't read any of the threads that came up in my search. I just found out on one of the FAQs that older posts have been archived and are not only non-repliable but non-readable too. I don't think this is a good idea. It is a step backwards. With all the technological advances being made in the area of cloud storage, this is like going back to the bullockcart age. As a point of reference, Microsoft Answers has many old threads which are closed to further discussion but they are still viewable.  Many of the older posts are still relevant. Besides, who is to judge whether it is relevant or not. What is not relevant to some may be relevant to others.