Windows 7: Search property "content:"

In windows explorer I use content:abcd in the search box when I want to find abcd in any files (in or below the current folder). Thing is, I picked up the useage of content: some time ago (somewhere on the web), but I can't find it documented in the Windows 4.0 Advanced Query Syntax. Is there another document that I should be looking at?



Roger

Powerdesk, where are you...

Windows search does indeed search the contents of file, just not all of them. As far as I know, text file, word documents, excel spreadsheet, and just about any other registered file type has their content searched also.

You might want to look at the Advanced Searches tutorial I wrote for the Vista Forums, which is based on the Windows Search Advanced Query Syntax article by Microsoft.

Yes, well, thanks Peter. But you didn't actually read my post, did you? I was asking where the contents: property is documented. Your tute (nice, btw) doesn't include it either.

Roger

As I was trying to say, the "content:" search type no longer exists, because Windows Search automatically searches the contents of files, but only for those files it has been told to look inside:

1. Click the Start Orb
2. Type "index" in the search box, then click on "Indexing Options" in the search results
3. Click "Advanced" (you may need to respond to a UAC prompt)
4. Open the "File Types" tab
5. Find and select the file extension for which you want to enable contents searching
6. If the file is using the "File Properties" filter, then you can Click the "Index Properties and File Contents" option to enable the "Plain Text Filter"
7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 for however many file types you desire. Just don't enable the option for all types, because you would severly cripple the performance of search.
8. Click OK
9. Allow the search index to be rebuilt. This could take anything from several minutes to a couple of hours, depending on settings and how many file will be indexed.

Ahh, ok. When did that happen?

I need to do something else for a few hours, but then I may be back with another couple of questions.

Thanks Peter.

Roger

"content:" still works, when you type it in, it will show up as blue.

Well, paint me yellow and call me Homer, it does!

Although the lack of documentation regarding "content:" would suggest that it has been demoted,