A Windows 7 search alternative ?

James Colbert · 06 Nov 2010

mitchell65 said:

If you want to capture a snip of a menu, such as the Start menu, follow these steps:

Open Snipping Tool by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, and then clicking Snipping Tool.
After you open Snipping Tool, press ESC, and then open the menu that you want to capture.
Press CTRL+PRINT SCREEN.
Click the arrow next to the New button, select a snip type from the menu, and then use your mouse or tablet pen to capture the menu.

Copied and pasted from a Win7 Tut.

Thanks for the tip, Mitchell. I think I could find that very useful. :)

James

James Colbert · 07 Nov 2010

Posting back with an update (it’s been a long week!):

I did add all partitions and drives to Indexing and allowed 24 hrs. for the index to rebuild. The results were that the start menu did find the file NOHSC_menu.pdf it couldn’t find before, and found it quickly. However, a search from Computer still failed to find the file at all.

Given that Everything and other 3rd party search engines are able to find files on my 12 partition system in fractions of seconds, it doesn't seem unreasonable to expect that Win 7 search should be able to do the same thing. OK, Everything searches only filenames, but if content searches are too intense under some circumstances, it seems like a filename only (win 7) search could be implemented first, searching for content afterward, especially given the speed with which Everything finds a filename.

But I believe that the problem with Win search is more complicated than a simple search priority implementation. The searches I initiate from Computer inevitably find nothing and will continue ‘looking’ for hours if allowed, or simply return a result of 0 items found. The searches from Start Menu are finding files it didn’t before, but it still misses some.

Summary:

1) Start Menu searches are hit and miss. It will find some of the most obscure files containing the search criteria, yet miss what should be obvious (and multiple) hits. Indexing all partitions does seem to make a bit of difference, but not enough to really rely on.
2) Computer searches are pointless. Results in the GROD almost every time.
3) A partition search in WE will sometimes (about 1/2 to 3/4) turn up correct results, but only if I use a filter i.e., name: (full or partial filename).

As has been surmised, multiple partitions does seem to be the wrench in the works here, although 3rd party (filename search) tools seem to have no problem returning lightning quick, accurate results. Perhaps the fact that Win7 search also looks at content is a factor as well. It would be interesting to know if others having problems also have multiple partitions. No answers here, merely an update to the question.

James

Edit: Library searching is also problematic, in fact, even searching in the Pictures library returns absolutely no results, even when using the exact filename with or without the 'name:' filter. Nothing. I'm determined to wring the most I can out of search and will be researching as time peremits. One thing is certain...Win7 search has big problems for some people. Whether this issue is confined only to those with multiple partitions or also impacts systems for other reasons remains to be seen.

Sorry for the longwinded posts!

James

karlsnooks · 07 Nov 2010

SIW2 said:

I also find Everything Search Engine very useful.

It's very fast and efficient - without requiring masses of indexing - it's only for filenames. tho.

Others like Agent Ransack - Free File Searching Utility - to search for file contents

Now you've got me curious. I'll go take a look at them.

Am presently using a PowerShell script I wrote but certainly that's not a solution for everybody.

mjf · 07 Nov 2010

I have recommended "Agent Ransack" before on this forum. It is also mentioned in the Free Programs list.
I cannot recommend it highly enough. Search Everything is powerful (perhaps overly so) and fast but is not, in my opinion, a fully functional search engine.

"Agent Ransack" is non indexed, fast, highly capable, small footprint (free) search engine.
It can do complex Boolean content searches as well as date range, time, size etc.
As a simple example I searched approx 1GB of PDF files for the obscure content 12x13" it found the one file containing it in 3 places in approx 2 min.
Usual searches sub second/seconds range.

I tried it as a substitute because of the problems I had with Windows indexed search. "Agent Ransack" is now my search engine of choice.

jh2oman · 22 Dec 2010

I need to search on non-indexed server drives, often for file content. It crashes 80% of the time, and the other 20% is incomplete (does not find the file). To get around this I have to go into XP-Mode and I use search companion -- works like a charm.
In searching my C-drive, or even specific folders, Win 7 Search does not find the simplest things. I have been using Win 7 now for 5 months -- this search is the worst ever! I'd rather have the old search I think I had in Norton Utlities in the late 80's or early 90's!
MS needs to come clean on this -- as the Editor said a few posts above, a lot of people are having real problems with this. For goodness sake, FIX IT!!!!!

pacinitaly · 22 Dec 2010

jh2oman said:

I need to search on non-indexed server drives, often for file content. It crashes 80% of the time, and the other 20% is incomplete (does not find the file). To get around this I have to go into XP-Mode and I use search companion -- works like a charm.
In searching my C-drive, or even specific folders, Win 7 Search does not find the simplest things. I have been using Win 7 now for 5 months -- this search is the worst ever! I'd rather have the old search I think I had in Norton Utlities in the late 80's or early 90's!
MS needs to come clean on this -- as the Editor said a few posts above, a lot of people are having real problems with this. For goodness sake, FIX IT!!!!!

agree!

check my post above

Hopalong X · 22 Dec 2010

This may help.

Windows Search - Configure and Use

jh2oman · 22 Dec 2010

It should not have to be that complicated. Just give me back the search from XP.

DeaconFrost · 22 Dec 2010

jh2oman said:

MS needs to come clean on this -- as the Editor said a few posts above, a lot of people are having real problems with this. For goodness sake, FIX IT!!!!!

I can't believe I still have to ask this, but why does Microsoft have to come clean one something that works for 99.9% of the people who try it? Instead of randomly pointing fingers, why not try to find out what makes your system different than most others?

I have 6 drives mapped to different server on my current work computer, and 4 mapped at home to my WHS box. I can use the built-in search on any of those locations, and aside from the expected delay, every search works fine and returns what I am looking for.

I'll say it one more time, for logic's sake......find out what the problem is, rather than just instantly assume the problem is with Microsoft. If everyone had this problem, it would be called a bug, and Microsoft would be on the hook to fix it. Common sense, people. Common sense.

logicearth · 22 Dec 2010

James Colbert said:

I did add all partitions and drives to Indexing and allowed 24 hrs. for the index to rebuild. The results were that the start menu did find the file NOHSC_menu.pdf it couldn’t find before, and found it quickly. However, a search from Computer still failed to find the file at all.

A whole lot of lateness, but...

When you do the search from "Computer" it doesn't use the index. Instead it goes down the file system tree doing a filename match only. So if you have a lot of drives/data then it will take a while.

Using it from the start menu or Win+F Search then it will use the index.