Can someone please help me with searching for files???

Someone should be shot for this search facility on windows 7!!

I've been trying to search for all pdf files on my external hard drive and its not finding them. I did this on XP32 and there's approximately 6,000. However, i need to copy all the PDFs to a folder and its not able to cope with that on 32bit so i tried doing it on Win 7. Win 7 wont find any of them. I tried to add an index to the external hard drive to no avail.

Could someone please help me?

I use this FileLocator Lite.

You're external drive isn't automatically indexed. Just go to the drive in Explorer, and search within the Explore window (top right) for *.pdf. It's actually easier than XP.

mborner said:

DeaconFrost said:

You're external drive isn't automatically indexed. Just go to the drive in Explorer, and search within the Explore window (top right) for *.pdf. It's actually easier than XP.

This is how I would do it!

Yes indeed.
Now can you show me how to find files of the form *.pdf containing a specific string..... let's say 12x13 . Again on the external non indexed disk.

mjf said:

Now can you show me how to find files of the form *.pdf containing a specific string..... let's say 12x13 . Again on the external non indexed disk.

This isn't targeted just at you, but why are so many people having difficulty using the search? Aren't people trying it before they complain?

In your example, you would search the same way I suggested. You'd go to the drive, and then enter your search terms in the upper right. If I did a search for Seven.pdf, it would find documents called Seven.pdf, WindowsSeven.pdf, and Windows Seven.pdf. It works the very same way the search box does on the Start Menu. Honestly, I rarely search from the Start Menu. I do most of my searching from the specific locations in Explorer. Maybe that's why I'm so surprised when people struggle with non-indexed locations.

DeaconFrost said:

mjf said:

Now can you show me how to find files of the form *.pdf containing a specific string..... let's say 12x13 . Again on the external non indexed disk.

This isn't targeted just at you, but why are so many people having difficulty using the search? Aren't people trying it before they complain?

In your example, you would search the same way I suggested. You'd go to the drive, and then enter your search terms in the upper right. If I did a search for Seven.pdf, it would find documents called Seven.pdf, WindowsSeven.pdf, and Windows Seven.pdf. It works the very same way the search box does on the Start Menu. Honestly, I rarely search from the Start Menu. I do most of my searching from the specific locations in Explorer. Maybe that's why I'm so surprised when people struggle with non-indexed locations.

I think you misunderstand what I was asking (maybe?)
On my unindexed drive. I have multiple .pdf files (~ 900MB worth). One file refers to the string 12x13 within it. What is the syntax in the search bar finding the file containing the string and it's location in the pdf file. This is for non indexed files/disk.

post removed due to stupidity