'Search' function in Windows 7 & Vista won't work like in XP 2

[davegmail]

How do I get Search to work properly, like look for *.tmp files? I have to get PowerDesk 6 free version to clean up things or find files instead.

Thanks, Dave

 

[linney]

For machine wide searching you might have to look at extending your Indexing Options to cover all the folders otherwise searching may be slow.

You can also look at setting Search Options, Control Panel/ Folder Options/ View/ Search.

This is from Windows 7 Help and Support.

"If you can't find a file, you can expand your search to include different locations. For example, if you're searching for a file in the Documents library, but you're not sure where the file is stored, you can search across all of your libraries or your entire computer. Here's how:

Click the Start button , and then click Documents.

In the search box at the top of the open window, start typing.

Scroll to the bottom of the list of search results. Under Search again in, do one of the following:

Click Libraries to search across every library.

Click Computer to search across your entire computer. (This way you can search for files that aren't indexed, such as system or program files, but remember that the search will be slower.)

Click Custom to search specific locations.

Click Internet to search online using your default web browser and your default search provider."



This might or might be useful.

Tips for finding files

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/73106209-6df0-432a-8cb7-df5d8ce02ec61033.mspx

Windows Search.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/technicalresources/advquery.mspx

 

[whosrdaddy]

Hi,

I have problems with the "new" windows search.
I have text files without an extension.
In windows xp I can search the folder with those files and look for specific contents.

Now I have windows 7 and I'm lost. I read the links above and some more articles on technet but I am clueless.

suppose I want to search for files called "DUFQP" and I want to have only those files that contains the word "NOT"

Important to know:
-the folder is a network drive and the files don't have an extension
-the "." extension is associated with txtfile on my computer

I came up with these AQS querys:

nameUFPQ contents:"NOT"
"DUFQP" AND "NOT"

but I get no search results

any ideas?

/Daddy

-----------------------------------------------------
What You See Is What You Get
Never underestimate tha powah of tha google!

 

[linney]

Have you tried to practice your searching on an easier location than a Network drive.

Move a few files that you know contain the terms you are searching for to any one of your users folders. Create identical files if you have none that you can find at the moment.

Using the links above see if you can make search work for you.

"To match a specific string literally, without it being interpreted as a keyword, you can use double quotation marks. Words in a search query entered between quotation marks are matched exactly, in the order they were entered".

Windows Search Advanced Query Syntax

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/technicalresources/advquery.mspx

There is only one way to learn a procedure, that is to start with a known answer and work at it it until you are able to produce that answer consistently. So clear the clutter and search in a small area until you master the technique.


Look at setting Search Options, Control Panel/ Folder Options/ View/ Search

Make sure any Network location is added to your Indexing, OR you are set to search in NON-indexed locations.

After you can find your search string in files in any test location move on to searching your desired target and location.

 

[smah]

'contents' are really the default behavior and generally does not need to be specified. Open the folder that you want to search and use the Advanced Search query:
not nameUFPQ

 

[whosrdaddy]

is is simply not working, test it yourself!

I only get files if I type DUFQP or nameUFQP as syntax. but the moment I add not (quoted or not) to the query my files disappear.
Mind that I disabled the indexing service and that I set to search filename and contents in non-indexed locations.
This is just frustrating. This worked just fine in XP, why must MS$ break things every time (and reinvent the wheel...)

Oh well, time to install Total Commander on my pc...

/Daddy

-----------------------------------------------------
What You See Is What You Get
Never underestimate tha powah of tha google!

 

[smah]

I have tested it myself & it does work as expected. Perhaps disabling the indexing service is the cause.

 

[xwb]

Sounds very complicated. For stuff like that, I normally pop up the cmd prompt and type something like

findstr /s NOT *DUFQP*

Works from NT upwards (yes, I still use NT 4) and I don't have to worry which OS I'm on or learn yet another GUI. As long as the cmd prompt is still there, I'm happy with any OS.

 

[whosrdaddy]

@xwb: I need the Gui as I need to edit those files

@smah: The indexing service is disabled on my machine since I run on an SSD (searches are almost instant). I just want the good old search function back.

/Daddy

-----------------------------------------------------
What You See Is What You Get
Never underestimate tha powah of tha google!

 

[linney]

You could try Agent Ransack for your searching.

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

 

[whosrdaddy]

Thanks linney,

I ended up using agent ransack.

/frustrated Daddy

-----------------------------------------------------
What You See Is What You Get
Never underestimate tha powah of tha google!