Search text string on Windows 7 folders

[Nagrik]

Dear Group,

Windows 7 has an open window in "Windows explorer" (unlike other old
operating systems, where you could do a right click and search for
text string or files), and one can only search for the file names not
the text string or any pattern contained in any of the files.

Can someone please tell me, how to search for the text string
contained in any of the files in one folder residing on hard drive on
Windows 7.

I will appreciate this.

Thanks.

nagrik

[Spalls Hurgenson]

Post by Nagrik
Dear Group,
Windows 7 has an open window in "Windows explorer" (unlike other old
operating systems, where you could do a right click and search for
text string or files), and one can only search for the file names not
the text string or any pattern contained in any of the files.
Can someone please tell me, how to search for the text string
contained in any of the files in one folder residing on hard drive on
Windows 7.

IIRC, Windows 7 will automatically search file contents for your
string *IF* the files it is looking at have been indexed. If the files
are not indexed, it will only search by filename.

Indexing is a sort of "pre-search"; Windows runs its fingers through
your files and makes a huge database that it can search through
faster. However on previous versions of Windows, Indexing was either
turned off by default or people manually turned it off because it
caused such a performance hit. Also, it takes a while for Windows to
index the hard-drives completely so it sometimes takes a while for the
results of new files to show up.

To force Windows to *always* search file contents, open an Explorer
Window and select "Tools" from the menu, and the "Folder Options". A
new dialog opens up, click on the "Search" tab. Click "Always Search
Filename and Contents". As it warns you, this will cause your searches
to take longer since now it has to open EVERY file. You may wish to
only enable this for specific searches and then disable it when you
are done.

Unfortunately, I am unaware of any way to selectively enable
file-content search on a query-by-query basis as you could do with
previous versions of Windows. IF you come across a more efficient way
than the above, let us know.

[Nagrik]

Hello Spalls,

I followed the steps, but still the open text box on the right side of
the 'Windows explorer' does not give an option for searching the text
string. It still has those three options.

1. Add a search filter
2. Date modfied
3. Size

there is no option which was added to look for the text string. I
have followed your steps as outlined. May be I missed something
important.

Need help.

nagrik

Post by Spalls Hurgenson

Post by Nagrik
Dear Group,
Windows 7 has an open window in "Windows explorer" (unlike other old
operating systems, where you could do a right click and search for
text string or files), and one can only search for the file names not
the text string or any pattern contained in any of the files.
Can someone please tell me, how to search for the text string
contained in any of the files in one folder residing on hard drive on
Windows 7.

IIRC, Windows 7 will automatically search file contents for your
string *IF* the files it is looking at have been indexed. If the files
are not indexed, it will only search by filename.
Indexing is a sort of "pre-search"; Windows runs its fingers through
your files and makes a huge database that it can search through
faster. However on previous versions of Windows, Indexing was either
turned off by default or people manually turned it off because it
caused such a performance hit. Also, it takes a while for Windows to
index the hard-drives completely so it sometimes takes a while for the
results of new files to show up.
To force Windows to *always* search file contents, open an Explorer
Window and select "Tools" from the menu, and the "Folder Options". A
new dialog opens up, click on the "Search" tab.  Click "Always Search
Filename and Contents". As it warns you, this will cause your searches
to take longer since now it has to open EVERY file. You may wish to
only enable this for specific searches and then disable it when you
are done.
Unfortunately, I am unaware of any way to selectively enable
file-content search on a query-by-query basis as you could do with
previous versions of Windows. IF you come across a more efficient way
than the above, let us know.

[Spalls Hurgenson]

Post by Nagrik
Hello Spalls,
I followed the steps, but still the open text box on the right side of
the 'Windows explorer' does not give an option for searching the text
string. It still has those three options.
1. Add a search filter
2. Date modfied
3. Size
there is no option which was added to look for the text string. I
have followed your steps as outlined. May be I missed something
important.
Need help.

It's not going to give you a specific field. Whatever you put in the
search box, it will search for both filenames and file-contents (the
latter depending on your settings as outlined below). There is no
seperate box just for file contents. If you want to search for
filename and content at the same time, type both into the same box.

To add a date-modified filter, click on search criteria in the search
box. A drop-down should appear offering the two search modifiers (date
modified and size) that you can select).

As I said below , I don't know of any way to get the "classic" search
in Windows 7; I'm not sure it is even possible without third-party
software. I guess Microsoft's idea is that these changes make searches
"easier".

Post by Nagrik
nagrik

Post by Spalls Hurgenson

Post by Nagrik
Dear Group,
Windows 7 has an open window in "Windows explorer" (unlike other old
operating systems, where you could do a right click and search for
text string or files), and one can only search for the file names not
the text string or any pattern contained in any of the files.
Can someone please tell me, how to search for the text string
contained in any of the files in one folder residing on hard drive on
Windows 7.

IIRC, Windows 7 will automatically search file contents for your
string *IF* the files it is looking at have been indexed. If the files
are not indexed, it will only search by filename.
Indexing is a sort of "pre-search"; Windows runs its fingers through
your files and makes a huge database that it can search through
faster. However on previous versions of Windows, Indexing was either
turned off by default or people manually turned it off because it
caused such a performance hit. Also, it takes a while for Windows to
index the hard-drives completely so it sometimes takes a while for the
results of new files to show up.
To force Windows to *always* search file contents, open an Explorer
Window and select "Tools" from the menu, and the "Folder Options". A
new dialog opens up, click on the "Search" tab.  Click "Always Search
Filename and Contents". As it warns you, this will cause your searches
to take longer since now it has to open EVERY file. You may wish to
only enable this for specific searches and then disable it when you
are done.
Unfortunately, I am unaware of any way to selectively enable
file-content search on a query-by-query basis as you could do with
previous versions of Windows. IF you come across a more efficient way
than the above, let us know.

[s***@unisys.com]

Post by Spalls Hurgenson

Post by Nagrik
Dear Group,
Windows 7 has an open window in "Windows explorer" (unlike other old
operating systems, where you could do a right click and search for
text string or files), and one can only search for the file names not
the text string or any pattern contained in any of the files.
Can someone please tell me, how to search for the text string
contained in any of the files in one folder residing on hard drive on
Windows 7.

IIRC, Windows 7 will automatically search file contents for your
string *IF* the files it is looking at have been indexed. If the files
are not indexed, it will only search by filename.
Indexing is a sort of "pre-search"; Windows runs its fingers through
your files and makes a huge database that it can search through
faster. However on previous versions of Windows, Indexing was either
turned off by default or people manually turned it off because it
caused such a performance hit. Also, it takes a while for Windows to
index the hard-drives completely so it sometimes takes a while for the
results of new files to show up.
To force Windows to *always* search file contents, open an Explorer
Window and select "Tools" from the menu, and the "Folder Options". A
new dialog opens up, click on the "Search" tab. Click "Always Search
Filename and Contents". As it warns you, this will cause your searches
to take longer since now it has to open EVERY file. You may wish to
only enable this for specific searches and then disable it when you
are done.
Unfortunately, I am unaware of any way to selectively enable
file-content search on a query-by-query basis as you could do with
previous versions of Windows. IF you come across a more efficient way
than the above, let us know.

Try Content:"target" to search for files with the word "target" in their contents. Replace the word "target" with whatever content you wish to find.

[m***@gmail.com]

It's hopeless - it's an annoying and brainless system designed for morons created by morons.
Get third part software is the only answer. Do a Google search and choose - lots of it out there
100,000 people looking for an answer to this question - just don't use the win 7 search box.
Even if you get results you can't trust that it searched properly it's so screwed up.

Post by Nagrik
Dear Group,
Windows 7 has an open window in "Windows explorer" (unlike other old
operating systems, where you could do a right click and search for
text string or files), and one can only search for the file names not
the text string or any pattern contained in any of the files.
Can someone please tell me, how to search for the text string
contained in any of the files in one folder residing on hard drive on
Windows 7.
I will appreciate this.
Thanks.
nagrik

[Spalls Hurgenson]

Post by m***@gmail.com

Post by Nagrik
Dear Group,
Windows 7 has an open window in "Windows explorer" (unlike other old
operating systems, where you could do a right click and search for
text string or files), and one can only search for the file names not
the text string or any pattern contained in any of the files.
Can someone please tell me, how to search for the text string
contained in any of the files in one folder residing on hard drive on
Windows 7.

It's hopeless - it's an annoying and brainless system designed for morons created by morons.
Get third part software is the only answer. Do a Google search and choose - lots of it out there
100,000 people looking for an answer to this question - just don't use the win 7 search box.
Even if you get results you can't trust that it searched properly it's so screwed up.

While I might have put it a bit less emphatically, I have to agree
with the previous poster. Windows 7's search is absolutely terrible.

Although you can use various options ("kind:", "size:", "keyword:",
"author:") to try to narrow down the results, this only make the
search slightly less frustrating (and the use of cryptic commands
returns us to the age of DOS). Even with these options, I've found
Win7's Search useless even for the simplest of tasks; on a number of
occassions, it has failed to find a file even when I pointed it to the
exact directory and gave it the exact filename. It also does not seem
to search file contents outside of indexed folders and then only for a
handful of recognized file-types (which, for instance, does /not/
include PDF).

In every respect Windows 7 Search is a huge step backwards from the
search features of previous versions of the operating system.
Third-party applications are a necessary supplement to fill this
gaping void in the operating system's capabilities.

Currently, I use Agent Ransack, a "lite" version of MythicSoft's
FileLocator Pro search tool. It can be used free and downloaded from
http://www.mythicsoft.com/page.aspx?type=agentransack&page=home
Its interface is similar to the "advanced" search interface of XP. Its
only disadvantage is that it does /not/ build an index so every search
is fairly intensive and lengthy because it effectively has to start
from scratch each time. But in all other respects it is a superior
product. However, a quick search on the Internet will likely find you
dozens of other similar applications.