Windows Explorer "auto search" is a real pain - how do I switch it off

The search box in Windows Exploer is a real pain the ass. I regularly need to find files in a large directory with a lot of sub directories, with thousands of files.

The annoying thing is the way that as soon as I start typing it decides to start searching - but with so many files this just jams things up and stops me typing. I have to wait for it to sort itself out before it will let me type any more and this is becoming extemely tedious.

It's getting to the point where I have to type the search into notepad then cut and paste it into WinEx, which is clearly a ridiculous state of affairs.

How do I switch this highly annoying feature the hell off?

That is not possible, but something similar is possible.

See point number 51 on this page: Windows 7: 77 Windows 7 Tips

   Tip

Type faster! LOL!

thanks (for letting me know it's not possible), but fixing something similar that doesn't fix the problem I'm having doesn't help.

Windows Search - Turn On or Off

maxie said:

Windows Search - Turn On or Off

"Windows Search is turned on by default in Windows 7. You should only turn off Windows Search if you don’t use it."

That's not much use either - I do want to use the search, I just don't want it to start the search while I'm in the middle of typing what I want it to search for...

Well then have you tried other programs ?

maxie said:

Well then have you tried other programs ?

It's the attach function in outlook (which just happens to use explorer), so no that wouldn't help. Just another s**te feature of windows that can't be switched off. I still live in hope that one day they're invent a new MS OS that will just do what I want without annoying me along the way, rather than just keep changing the interface and having the same annoying problems...

We all live in hope You know the rest of the saying :)