Windows Explorer Search Function

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gerry Cornell
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Gerry Cornell

Quote from Help!

Files that are not indexed include program files and system files.
The locations that contain those files are not indexed because you
rarely need to search those files, and so not including them in the
index makes your searches perform faster.

So how do you search for them?

Search for Cash.xls on my computer and it ignores after Cash! Tried
quotes and it found one and ignored others. How should I search for
"Cash.xls"?

TIA

Gerry
 
From the Start menu, click the 'Search' entry in the right-hand column to
open the 'Search Results' folder.

Click the drop-arrow labeled 'Advanced Search'

Location: Everywhere
Name: Cash.xls
Check the box labeled 'Include non-indexed, hidden and system files (may be
slow)
Click 'Search'
 
Thanks Keith for responding.

Your suggestion only works if you put cash.xls in quotes. Without
quotes you get variants like cash1206.xls!

However, searching on ntdll.dll doesn't even work with quotes and
the box for system files checked! You get variants included
regardless.

When you open Windows Explorer how can you easily access the
Advanced Search option and where is the Stop Search button?

Is there a list of Windows explorer bugs and poor design features
anywhere. It seems to me the Vista version of Windows Explorer is
not as good as that included with Windows XP or Windows 98 for that
matter. Lots of useless features where it is not obvious how to opt
out! Like hundreds of column options where only 4 or 5 are needed
and no tree view.

Is there a way to limit multiple copies of previous versions of a
file?


TIA

--


Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith Miller MVP said:
From the Start menu, click the 'Search' entry in the right-hand
column to open the 'Search Results' folder.

Click the drop-arrow labeled 'Advanced Search'

Location: Everywhere
Name: Cash.xls
Check the box labeled 'Include non-indexed, hidden and system
files (may be slow)
Click 'Search'


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Gerry Cornell said:
Quote from Help!

Files that are not indexed include program files and system
files. The locations that contain those files are not indexed
because you rarely need to search those files, and so not
including them in the index makes your searches perform faster.

So how do you search for them?

Search for Cash.xls on my computer and it ignores after Cash!
Tried quotes and it found one and ignored others. How should I
search for "Cash.xls"?

TIA

Gerry
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
That's not a program file or a system file, it's a document. So it should
show up from a Start menu search or when you're in that folder. For example,
click the Start button, type cash and click cash.xls on the Start menu. It
should work right from the Start menu like that, so long as cash.xls is in
one of your document folders.

The search box in the folder window only searches the current folder.

For more info on how it all works, click Start, click Help and Support, and
click (or search for) "Find files and folders".
 
Just FYI

I was raising two issues. One concerned System files and the second
concerned an Excel file.

The presumption by Microsoft that all users do not want or need to
search for system files is unbelievably stupid! Many users are not
interested but others are!

Searching for cash produces many files - perhaps a hundred or more! In
Windows XP ( or Windows 98 ) a single search produced 4 or 5 but with
Vista is it really necessary to search the search results! That to me
is a backward step! The file extension is part of the file name or are
you suggesting it's now of no importance?

Unfortunately your suggestion regarding the Start button is unhelpful.
In common with many other users, I have long since ceased to use
system created Document folders. I have created my own folder
structure.

Are you saying the search function does not search sub-folders? I
think you are either mistaken or we are talking at cross purposes!


--

Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
The Search Index, which gives keystroke-by-keystroke search results,
searches file names, properties, and contents of whatever folders you tell
it to index. That's the document folders for the current user account by
default as well as contacts, messages, Favorites, and IE history. But it can
be any folders you want.

It doesn't search program and system files by default because it's like a
mini search engine. If you want to do the old-style Search Companion
searches, where it slogs through the whole file system, you click Start,
choose Search, click Advanced Search, and set your location (everywhere) and
include non-indexed searches.

I'm not sitting at Vista right now and don't remember if the Search box in a
folder includes subfolders by default. But it's all explained in that simple
help.

You'll be able to search for cash.xls from the Start menu if you put its
folder in your search index.

It's not at all stupid. Once you learn what it is, you'll appreciate it a
lot more and will never want to go back to the old way of doing things. I've
been using it for over a year and it works great. I can find anything with a
few keystrokes and zero wait time. No opening programs, no navigating
through folders, and all of that. It's how things will be from now on. The
old way of doing things with Search Companion is ancient history.





The Start Menu searches search all indexed locations. The Search box in the
upper left corner
 
Gerry Cornell said:
Thanks Keith for responding.

Your suggestion only works if you put cash.xls in quotes. Without quotes
you get variants like cash1206.xls!
Click to expand...

Hmm...

If have 'copy.reg', 'copyxyz.reg', and 'copy123.reg' in a folder & type
copy.reg in the search pane without quotes, I only get 'copy.reg' returned.
Maybe cash.xls is part of the properties or content of cash1206.xls. Have
you tried:

name:cash.xls

However, searching on ntdll.dll doesn't even work with quotes and the box
for system files checked! You get variants included regardless.

Use:

="ntdll.dll"

When you open Windows Explorer how can you easily access the Advanced
Search option and where is the Stop Search button?
Click to expand...

Right-click any folder and select 'Search'. You still have to click to
expand the 'Advanced Search' pane
Is there a list of Windows explorer bugs and poor design features
anywhere. It seems to me the Vista version of Windows Explorer is not as
good as that included with Windows XP or Windows 98 for that matter. Lots
of useless features where it is not obvious how to opt out! Like hundreds
of column options where only 4 or 5 are needed and no tree view.
Click to expand...

Tree view is still available, enable the Navigation pane via 'Organize' ->
'Layout'. If the whole pane is 'Favorite Links', click the '^' by 'Folders'
at the bottom. Drag the top of the 'Folder' header to the top of the pane
to obscure 'Favorite Links', then you can expand & collapse to toggle
between the two.
Is there a way to limit multiple copies of previous versions of a file?
Click to expand...

Don't know.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

TIA

--


Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith Miller MVP said:
From the Start menu, click the 'Search' entry in the right-hand column to
open the 'Search Results' folder.

Click the drop-arrow labeled 'Advanced Search'

Location: Everywhere
Name: Cash.xls
Check the box labeled 'Include non-indexed, hidden and system files (may
be slow)
Click 'Search'


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Gerry Cornell said:
Quote from Help!

Files that are not indexed include program files and system files. The
locations that contain those files are not indexed because you rarely
need to search those files, and so not including them in the index makes
your searches perform faster.

So how do you search for them?

Search for Cash.xls on my computer and it ignores after Cash! Tried
quotes and it found one and ignored others. How should I search for
"Cash.xls"?

TIA

Gerry
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Keith

I have now figured out how to quickly get "cash.xls" without
variants such as "cash1206.xls".

Uncheck the option "Find Partial Matches" in Tools, Folder Options,
Search.


--


Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith Miller MVP said:
Gerry Cornell said:
Thanks Keith for responding.

Your suggestion only works if you put cash.xls in quotes. Without
quotes you get variants like cash1206.xls!
Click to expand...

Hmm...

If have 'copy.reg', 'copyxyz.reg', and 'copy123.reg' in a folder &
type copy.reg in the search pane without quotes, I only get
'copy.reg' returned. Maybe cash.xls is part of the properties or
content of cash1206.xls. Have you tried:

name:cash.xls

However, searching on ntdll.dll doesn't even work with quotes and
the box for system files checked! You get variants included
regardless.

Use:

="ntdll.dll"

When you open Windows Explorer how can you easily access the
Advanced Search option and where is the Stop Search button?
Click to expand...

Right-click any folder and select 'Search'. You still have to
click to expand the 'Advanced Search' pane
Is there a list of Windows explorer bugs and poor design features
anywhere. It seems to me the Vista version of Windows Explorer is
not as good as that included with Windows XP or Windows 98 for
that matter. Lots of useless features where it is not obvious how
to opt out! Like hundreds of column options where only 4 or 5 are
needed and no tree view.
Click to expand...

Tree view is still available, enable the Navigation pane via
'Organize' -> 'Layout'. If the whole pane is 'Favorite Links',
click the '^' by 'Folders' at the bottom. Drag the top of the
'Folder' header to the top of the pane to obscure 'Favorite
Links', then you can expand & collapse to toggle between the two.
Is there a way to limit multiple copies of previous versions of a
file?
Click to expand...

Don't know.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

TIA

--


Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith Miller MVP said:
From the Start menu, click the 'Search' entry in the right-hand
column to open the 'Search Results' folder.

Click the drop-arrow labeled 'Advanced Search'

Location: Everywhere
Name: Cash.xls
Check the box labeled 'Include non-indexed, hidden and system
files (may be slow)
Click 'Search'


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Quote from Help!

Files that are not indexed include program files and system
files. The locations that contain those files are not indexed
because you rarely need to search those files, and so not
including them in the index makes your searches perform faster.

So how do you search for them?

Search for Cash.xls on my computer and it ignores after Cash!
Tried quotes and it found one and ignored others. How should I
search for "Cash.xls"?

TIA

Gerry
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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