Simple Detailed Searching

Hoping someone can help me with a problem.

In WinXP we can search for anything and everything and refine searches easily. In WinVista and 7 i'm struggling to quickly perform a search........

Try finding an executable less than 5MB in size created between say the 5th and 7th of June 2010. I want to search ALL files inc hidden and system files.

I have no idea what its name is or where it might be.

Does anybody know how to achieve this kind of search without changing settings?

Does anybody know of a free Search Tool that will allow me to do this without the tool loading and running taking up valuable memory and processor resources on system boot up. A tool i can start when i want it and when closed does not continue to run in the background?

Google Desktop, Windows Search 4 etc don't do it for me and comsume memory etc when not used and they are visible on the taskbar, systray or as a desktop tool bar etc.

A standalone executable rather than an installed search tool would be fantastic.

Mark

akwexavante said:

Hoping someone can help me with a problem.

In WinXP we can search for anything and everything and refine searches easily. In WinVista and 7 i'm struggling to quickly perform a search........

Try finding an executable less than 5MB in size created between say the 5th and 7th of June 2010. I want to search ALL files inc hidden and system files.

I have no idea what its name is or where it might be.

Does anybody know how to achieve this kind of search without changing settings?

Does anybody know of a free Search Tool that will allow me to do this without the tool loading and running taking up valuable memory and processor resources on system boot up. A tool i can start when i want it and when closed does not continue to run in the background?

Mark

There is an app called search everything that does all that. It is here. Everything Search Engine

Ken

If i could import WinXP's search tool into Vista or 7 that would be great.

So simple and easy to use.

Mark

Thank you Ken, i'll download it and give it a go.

Thank you

Mark

Got it, i'll give it a go but having looked through the website i can find no way of searching for a file less than 5mb between two dates simply.

Search syntax in the search box is messy but this may be something that i could get used too given time.

Don't think its going to do what i'm hoping for long term but i'll give it a go.

Has anybody tried to import WinXP's default search tool into Vista or 7 at all?

Mark

To search all files and contents, you'll have to go into Control Panel and Folder Options and select "Always search file names and contents".

Here's a link to setting up Windows 7 search to index and find what you want:

Exploring Windows 7’s New Search Features (Part 1)

And here's a link to some search filters for searching for particulars:

http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/0...earch-overview

Thank you FliGi7,

Unfortunatly i want to resolve my problem without changing any settings within windows.

I'm already aware of how to search within Win7, my problem is it's too time consumming, messy and the results are unreliable.

Search Companion used in WinXP does what i want perfectly, its clean and quick to use and you get the right results. Your not left wondering if all files and folders have been searched thoroughly.

In Vista and Win7 M$ have made searching for files faster but they have made the process of getting their more complex and leaving you wondering if its missed anything which it often does because when you use the Dos prompt to search for something it finds things.

I don't trust the WinVista / Win7 search tool or it's results as i often find that the search results are unreliable and cannot be trusted.

Again i do not want to have to change any Windows Settings before i begin searching. I work on / with 20 to 30 different computers a week often searching for lost / missing files or Virus / Malware files.

My problem is i often have no idea what i'm looking for and the customer is often less than helpfull and Virus and Malware infections are clever as they continue to find ways of protecting themselfs by making it harder to find them.

It doesn't matter how fast a search tool is, i'm interested in a search tool that allows greater flexibility and is easy to use without have to do any configuring before using it. Of course reliable results too.

M$'s WinVista Win7 search tools assume that the user has some idea what they are looking for, when you have no idea what your looking for it's unreliable, too time consuming and very messy.

A malware infection that cannot be found by various Malware / AntiVirus software products has to be found manually. It will consist of several small files scattered all over the place. You can guess when an infection took place, within a few hours or a couple of days. Files will be small and will be exe, dll, inf, sys files, there are others too and you have no idea what their names are, in some cases they change there names periodically too.

Mark

check out post # 8
you'll love them
What happened to XP's multiple file search

akwexavante said:

Thank you FliGi7,

Unfortunatly i want to resolve my problem without changing any settings within windows.

I'm already aware of how to search within Win7, my problem is it's too time consumming, messy and the results are unreliable.

Search Companion used in WinXP does what i want perfectly, its clean and quick to use and you get the right results. Your not left wondering if all files and folders have been searched thoroughly.

In Vista and Win7 M$ have made searching for files faster but they have made the process of getting their more complex and leaving you wondering if its missed anything which it often does because when you use the Dos prompt to search for something it finds things.

I don't trust the WinVista / Win7 search tool or it's results as i often find that the search results are unreliable and cannot be trusted.

Again i do not want to have to change any Windows Settings before i begin searching. I work on / with 20 to 30 different computers a week often searching for lost / missing files or Virus / Malware files.

My problem is i often have no idea what i'm looking for and the customer is often less than helpfull and Virus and Malware infections are clever as they continue to find ways of protecting themselfs by making it harder to find them.

It doesn't matter how fast a search tool is, i'm interested in a search tool that allows greater flexibility and is easy to use without have to do any configuring before using it. Of course reliable results too.

M$'s WinVista Win7 search tools assume that the user has some idea what they are looking for, when you have no idea what your looking for it's unreliable, too time consuming and very messy.

A malware infection that cannot be found by various Malware / AntiVirus software products has to be found manually. It will consist of several small files scattered all over the place. You can guess when an infection took place, within a few hours or a couple of days. Files will be small and will be exe, dll, inf, sys files, there are others too and you have no idea what their names are, in some cases they change there names periodically too.

Mark

I'm not really sure how we can help, then, if you don't want to change anything. The links I provided will give you what you want. It will allow you to search everything and use filters such as file size and modified/created date to find exactly the types of files you are talking about. I understand you being upset that search has become so much more difficult (and I'm in the same boat of frustration), but the simplest solution is making a couple changes within Windows. You wanted simplest and that is it.

Other than that, I'm not sure what you are after here. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're really looking for or maybe you consider having to load separate software simpler than just adjusting what you already have.

Sorted.

Thankyou all for your help.

A Search tool called Locate32 thanks to "pacinitaly"

Locate32 Web Site - Downloads

So ok it has to be installed but it goes in real fast and complies a database fast too, when done it uninstalls real fast. No restarts. It can be left installed when done if required, just one small setting to change to stop it starting on windows boot up.

Two versions too, a 32bit and a 64bit version, the closest i'm going to get to WinXP's Search Companion.

Highly customiseable and easy to use, tested trying to find a hidden system file on Win7. Win7's search tool can't find it without a lot of trouble and messing around. Installing it and finding the file(s) i want it too takes a fraction of the time WinVista and Win7 takes just to warm up and get started, trustforwthy too.

It found it. Magic.