DOS was better than XP.... 1

[fischadler]

...at least for searching files.

When I needed a list of BMP files, for example, in a particular folder, I would enter the command:

DIR/S *.BMP

This operation usually took a few second (depending on the contents of the folder). Doing the same operation in XP using the search feature takes ages. Is it that "dog reading a book" animation that slows it down?

What I really need to know is, is there a more efficient way to search for files in Win XP?

Thanks

 

[micker377]

How big is your hard drive, and what speed is your CPU? I run a 60gig drive, with an AMD XP2200 CPU. It took 5 seconds to find 3860 bmp files. In search, I put in *.bmp. Is anything else slow in your system? You may have other problems. By the way, you can turn off the "search assistant" (dog).

 

[tf1]

Have you checked out the Google Desktop Search Tool?


Regards: tf1

 

[PAndersen]

From the CMD window, you can still use the DIR command.

 

[bcastner]

Get rid of the dog....

Old Style Search Engine On/Off (Line 49)

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Or...

Use TweakUI, Explorer section to set Classic Search:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Or you can make the change manually.

Click Start, Run and enter REGEDIT. Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Cabinet State

Right click in the right pane and select New, String value and name the value Use Search Asst. Double click the new value and enter "no", without the quotes.

Source: Kelly Theriot

 

[pweegar]

Do you ever defrag your hd? Ever run chkdsk on the drive to fix errors?? Ever delete tmp, bak and log files??? Ever clean your system's registry?

 

[qbasicking]

chkdsk? The standard for fixing your disk is Scandisk. Find a Windows 98 computer and take Scandisk off of it and load it onto XP.

 

[fischadler]

micker377 and pweegar, I don't think it's anything to do with the fragmentation of my hard disk, nor the speed of the CPU. Otherwise the DOS command would be slow too. It looks as though it's searching inside each file, even though I just look for a filename. Besides, I usually make these searches on mapped drives that are located on another system in the LAN.
PAndersen, I know I can use the CMD command but to do that I need to type in all the folder names and if they are long filename I have to write them in 8.3 format. Besides I can't click on one of the search results to open it.
Getting rid of the dog by using the old style search engine seemed to speed things up. So a star goes to bcastner.
My thanks go to you all, though.

 

[bcastner]

One thing I have noticed is that searches slow down considerably if there are a fair number of zipped or compressed folders. You can avoid this by a Start, Run, regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll

To restore the native compression utility, after a search session do a Start, Run, regsvr32 /i zipfldr.dll

Also, this site has some excellent advice about Windows Search and speedup tricks:

http://xpsearch.info/xpsearch.htm

 

[DTracy]

When you are searching over a LAN (mapped drives), the NIC is usually a bottleneck.


Best Regards,
David Tracy

 

[fischadler]

I can understand that the NIC can be a bottleneck but what really I can't understand is why the DOS command is so much faster (network or not). I think the Win XP search is doing much more than just listing files (maybe looking inside them - something that I don't always need). Also I agree about the Zip issue because Win XP seems to consider them as folders.
It also occured to me when I was looking for text string contained in some files, that it does not list files which I am sure contain the text string! But that is totally separate from the speed problem.

 

[bcastner]

fischader,

Your instincts are correct. The search has to deal with compressed folders, a set of tables that define what are allowable file extensions or not, not to mention the silly dog thingy.

All of this is overhead. In addition, the indexing service is questionable as to whether it helps or hurts the efficiency of any search.

A DOS DIR command has none of this overhead.

Personally:

. I turn off the indexing service
. Use the freeware utility "Agent Ransack"

http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/default.aspx

You will find Agent Ransack on a lot of computers used by the hard core XP support crowd.

 

[wolluf]

Bill,

fischader mentioned not finding files which definitely contain specified text string - I've had this a lot too, and wondered if you can shed any light?

 

[bcastner]

A text string search is restricted under a default XP installation.

Essentially Microsoft offered "handlers" for their own programs, set the specifications for an in text search handler, and left it to others to create handlers for non-Microsoft file extensions.

People have gone crazy over whether this is an assertion of Microsoft dominance and an attempt to assert Monopoly control, to a (I think) more reasonable argument that Microsoft does not want to be in the business of writing file handlers.

That is the background. Kelly Theriot, Doug Knox, and others have done what can be done to remove the restrictions under XP:

The terrific Kelly Theriot has been court recorder for the various ways to deal with this issue. The following is directly quoted from her site:

Go to Search/All Files and Folders/More Advanced Options/Change Indexing Service/Index unknown file types.

Search for All File Types (Line 136)

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

If this doesn't help...

Windows® XP has a known issue for not finding a number of File Types when you do a Search for Files "containing text" or using the "A word or phrase in the file" option. This can be remedied for many file types, but not all.

Download the VBS file below. Double click the file you just saved. You'll be prompted to enter a file extension. If the PersistentHandler value is correct, no changes will be made. If the PersistentHandler value exists, but is different, no changes will be made. If no PersistentHandler value exists, then it will be created.

Enable XP's Search to find text in files:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts/xp_persisthandler.vbs

Manual Edit:

To resolve this problem for other file types, install a program that registers a filter for the file type that you want to search. If no program that provides a filter is available, you can use the plain text filter for a file type.

Go to Start/Run/Regedit and add a PersistentHandler key under the file type key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and set its (Default) string value name to the following value: {5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}

For example, to use the text filter provider for .pas files, the following registry setting should exist:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.zzz\PersistentHandler\(Default) = {5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}

After you add this value to the registry, you must log off and then log back on to make the change take effect.

******** end Kelly Theriot quote

I do not think anyone is happy with the find text string feature of XP. Believe me when I tell you that it is not a technical issue at its core, but a legal one at its core. A text string search with certain file extensions required ridiculous licensing fees, or were in some cases absolutely denied.

Rather than go through the process of adding custom handlers, (albeit I do use the "all" registry patch from Kelly's site) I just use a different utility. In my case Agent Ransack, but I am very impressed with the Google Desktop freebie.

 

[linney]

Posted for information only.

ms-its:C:\WINDOWS\Help\ntcmds.chm::/findstr.htm

You do not receive the expected results when you use a text phrase to search for files

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;827205&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Using the "A word or phrase in the file" search criterion may not work

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309173&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[fischadler]

I just tried Agent Ransack and I think it's superb.