WTF with search? I hate it! never finds?

Hello CalypsoArt,

This may be able to help by doing your searches without the index for accurate searches. Be sure to also look at the TIP box at the top of the tutorial for how to do advanced searching tips.

Search - Have More Accurate Search Results

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi CalypsoArt... :) Just to add on to the other great suggestions you got...I use a free program called "FileLocator Lite" (used to be called Agent Ransack) for all my searches at home and at work...free for personal or Corporate use. I like the program so much I bought the "Pro" program for my main rig. Give it a try... :)

FileLocator Lite - Free File Searching Utility

CalypsoArt said:

Are we saying that I now have to add an additional program to find things in windows 7?

No, but XP's search feature was pretty simplistic in the way it worked. It is also completely archaic compared with Windows 7's search feature. With Windows 7 search feature being so sophisticated, you must realize there is a learning curve, here. The first thing you need to know and understand is, the start/search box will only locate files that are indexed. This means libraries, mail, contacts, system utilities, control panel and others. It also means items on Drive C:\ only. If you've got multiple drives and/or multiple partitions, or, you separate your personal data from your OS, searches can get complicated, as most of it won't be indexed.

You mentioned that you had several .mp3 files scattered across several drives. Windows 7 search can still locate those files, even though they're not indexed, but the search will be slow, like XP. For example: (I'll use extremes, here, so you can get an idea of the power of search)

I'm looking for my "Coldplay" CD, but with 280,000 albums spread out on 250, non indexed drives, trying to find it is a near impossibility. I'll start the search and sure enough, I get 0 results. But, look at the results window carefully, you'll see at the bottom, "See More Results". Clicking here will open up a window that will allow me to search for my Coldplay CD outside of the Windows 7 index. If I then click on "computer", I'm telling Windows to search my entire system, including all 250, non indexed drives, all network drives, all flash drives, all system folders, basically, everywhere. The search will be slow but it *will* find the file. Also, if you know which drive your file is on, just open an explorer window and search for your file in the search box at the top, right. In this case, the file will be found weather it's indexed or not. With Windows 7 syntax and boolean searches, there is virtually nothing windows 7 can't find.

CalypsoArt said:

Ok, so what's up with windows 7 search? In my XP I would type .jpg in the search and it would find every .jpg on the machine. Not so with win 7.

e.g. In Windows 7, I set the search location bar to "Computer" All the hardrives show up. I enter .mp3 in the search box and hit return. Nothing! I have over 3000 mp3s on various drives, two hard drives and other USB drives. Same thing with other file types, and the same thing on my other Win 7 machine. Obviously I must be doing something wrong?

All this "Libraries" and "indexing" seems to have confused a simple process, find me all the .(type) files on my machine and show me the path.

Answers suggestions
Win764 Pro

In addition you could try this MS Hotfix aswell...


Article ID: 2268596 - Last Review: August 12, 2010 - Revision: 1.0
The "Search programs and files" box on the Start menu does not search files on network locations that are not indexed in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2:

The "Search programs and files" box on the Start menu does not search files on network locations that are not indexed in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2