A simple search by file name

[jagman55]

I have spent hours, trying to get even the simplest search for file names using Windows Explorer. One time, spend days and tried ever option 2 or 3 times and then after a re-boot, the simple search stated to work. It has worked for about a month now and now it is back to its old ways.

Example: The objective is to "search" on the ones that have "web-12-(" but somehow Microsoft thinks the second "-" is not important and includes in the search if the "-" is there or not.

File names in the folder are:
web-12-(a&f)001.jpg
web-12(a&f)001.jpg
web-12-(a&f)002.jpg
web-12(a&f)002.jpg
.......
If you enter a search:
*-12-*
you get all of them
If you enter a search:
web-12-(a&f
you get all of them but differently

you get FIRST the: web-12-(a&f)00x.jpg.

BUT then, it makes a second pass and adds the:
web-12(a&f).jpg to the web-12-(a&f)00x.

Yelling and cursing Microsoft and Bill Gates does not stop it from making the second pass and adding the ones without the next "-" too.

Anyone know why it works for a second then adds the that LOOKS similar but is missing the "-"?
What part of Windows 7 does it think that:
web-12-(a&f) looks like
web-12(a&f)????
If it has STOPPED on the first PASS, then it would have found the:
web-12-(a&f).
WHY does it do this?
Why cant it just do a SIMPLE search like XP/Vista/2000/etc?

I suspect it will start WORKING correctly in the next week or 2 but why not NOW?

To say this is infuriating is an understatement.

(don't say use the FILTERS option has it has been GRAYED out ever since I loaded Windows 7.)

since I have no idea of what "natural language search" means and Google or Microsoft will not explain but the setting for above is:

ALL UNCHECKED except the top of Index and non-index.

Somehow, how does one think this is progress when an app can not do a simple search and do it as YOU tell it but will do it because the programmer somehow knows the customer REALLY wants it differently

PS ( the "refresh") in Windows Explorer, most of the time, you have to delete the window and bring it up again to get it to re-read the directory

Comments or help?

 

[karlsnooks]

I also fiind the present win 7 search operation to be infuriating. So much so that I wrote myself a PowerShell script to search. Doesn't have the nice features of loading the located file, but at least I can locate what I am looking for. Maybe someone will help us. Maybe we have to edit the registry to override some of the search defaults. Personally, I strongly prefer the XP approach.

 

[Ztruker]

You could try a replacement, several are shown via a Google search for replacement for windows 7 file search

 

[Lemur]

Is this on a website: If so, you can type site:website.com +"your search in quotes"

 

[karlsnooks]

Lemur,
I don't know why but WOT put a red circle by the "link" you gave.

Let's see if I can "snip" what I saw.

 

[Lemur]

LOL. I didn't mean to literally use the url and quoted area. site:insertyoursitehere.com +"insertyourtexthere"


And I use WOT, too!

 

[mjf]

I disabled index search for "Users" some time ago and use the brute force (Grep type) search from the user folder or sub folders. It's quick enough for me and I know if the file exists it will be found.

I don't suppose any of you remember the XtreePro days.

 

[karlsnooks]

and some of us pre-date those days.

 

[wysiwyg]

I have no idea of what "natural language search" means and Google or Microsoft will not explain but the setting for above is:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I assume it means put the full file name in.
Not a bit of it, it will find everything with all those bits and show them, its not rocket science, be specific.

A computer can't think for itself, it has to be given a specific task.

If you walked into a library and asked for a book on a particular subject without giving the full title you'd be offered a shelf full of books on the subject

 

[jagman55]

Modifing the "right click" content on Windows Explorer

You guys are more advanced than I am but I have finally figured out how to modify my right click pop up when putting the cursor over a file in Windows Explorer and to:

bring up notepad and edit the file
bring up VLC to play a video or audio
bring up "better file renamer"
etc.

In one click.

I find it extremely handy as in most cases, when you select the file, right click and there are all the options to play, edit, etc. Some just bring up the program and some bring up the program and exe the file you have chosen.

Let me know if you would like or don't have. It is a simple modification to the registry.

 

[windowsSkeptic]

Searching by file name requires a little typing

In any search box enter
filename:*educate
if you want to see all files where educate appears anywhere in the file name. Note there are NO spaces anywhere in the search line.

You can do more complicated searches using wildcard characters but a * at the beginning is the one I use most often.

If you do want to get fancier remember that:
? matches one arbitrary character.
* matches zero or more arbitrary characters.

Hope this helps.

 

[mjf]

I am not a naive user but have given up on Windows Search.
I use free FileLocator Lite (previously Agent Ransack) exclusively. The pro version is used in the Corporate world. Try it, I doubt you'll dump it.


PS: It has & I run the 64 bit version.