Search feature in Windows 7 = No Search!

[zYx]

Hi there,

I know it has been discussed, i followed everything I could, but maybe I missed something?

The search feature in windows 7 is not working properly. It seems like there is NO search functionality in windows 7 (x64).

Just take a look at the screenshots below. The first screenshot on the left just shows few files with a Translucent word in it. On the screenshot there is 8 visible, but there is more of them inside this folder.

So I want to see all files with Translucent word only. You would expect that by typing Translucent word in the search box would do the job, but no, not this time.

I don't want to be rude, but since vista was released the search functionality is just pathetic. Yes I have all indexing options correct, I've been studying it since the day one, but then gave up until last night when I couldn't perform a very simple task. This is very frustrating.

I really don't understand this indexing thing. In win xp I could find EVERYTHING. Literally. I'm not bothered about searching through my emails and contents of the files since it doesn't even find what I want.

Summarizing, the search feature works, but only when it wants too. In this particular folder it doesn't and in my opinion "you're as strong as you weakest link" which in this case makes my search features useless. I know I can turn the indexing off, but that didn't fix it. I still can't find files with a "Translucent" word in it.

What's that about?

Or am I missing something?

Kind regards,

M.

 

[CyberZeus]

Try to search with this pattern:

*translucent*

 

[Kari]

Try this search and come back to tell if it worked: filename:*Translucent

The wild card * replaces any amount of preceding characters, so this search should find all files where string Translucent is included in filename. The wildcard is not needed at the end of the filename.

Kari

 

[zYx]

*translucent* does work and shows me all the files I want, but since when I have to type stars in order to find something? Thank you.

filename:*Translucent doesn't work at all, but *translucent does as well. Thank you too.

So basically when I'm looking for a file anywhere on my system I need to type stars? Interesting, but why is that? Why can't windows be more clever? :>

 

[CyberZeus]

Star means "any character".
So to search for file thaat has "translucent" INSIDE the name you have to type "*translucent".
At the end there is no need for the star

 

[Kari]

*translucent* does work and shows me all the files I want, but since when I have to type stars in order to find something? Thank you.

filename:*Translucent doesn't work at all, but *translucent does as well. Thank you too.

So basically when I'm looking for a file anywhere on my system I need to type stars? Interesting, but why is that? Why can't windows be more clever? :>

Strange. That is the correct syntax to search files where a certain string is included in the filename. There's a huge difference searching with or without filename parameter; if you search *Translucent it finds not only files containing that string in filename but also files where the string is to be found anywhere in the file contents. Searching filename:*Translucent restricts the search for filenames only.

Just two examples to show it works:




Here's an excellent tutorial about Windows Search: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/129437-windows-search-configure-use.html

Kari

 

[Mike Connor]

Try this;

Everything Search Engine

<http://www.voidtools.com/>

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[logicearth]

Do the search from the "F" drive not from "Computer". Where you do your search is important. Doing it from "Computer" will only ever use the Index.

 

[zYx]

Try this;

Everything Search Engine

<http://www.voidtools.com/>

Regards....Mike Connor

I will

*translucent* does work and shows me all the files I want, but since when I have to type stars in order to find something? Thank you.

filename:*Translucent doesn't work at all, but *translucent does as well. Thank you too.

So basically when I'm looking for a file anywhere on my system I need to type stars? Interesting, but why is that? Why can't windows be more clever? :>

Strange. That is the correct syntax to search files where a certain string is included in the filename. There's a huge difference searching with or without filename parameter; if you search *Translucent it finds not only files containing that string in filename but also files where the string is to be found anywhere in the file contents. Searching filename:*Translucent restricts the search for filenames only.

Just two examples to show it works:

View attachment 144896
View attachment 144895

Here's an excellent tutorial about Windows Search: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/129437-windows-search-configure-use.html

Kari

It's very good, but I got stuck as soon as step 2) "Type "index" (without quotes) in the search box". In Vista, when I typed appdata in start-search, it took me to the right place. Here, in 7 I have to type %appdata%.. Now, typing "index" doesn't find what it supposed to find, Indexing Options. (I know how to open it manually ;p so I can skip this step, but you can see already that there is something not right). Windows can't even find its own programs :]
edit: That's weird, I typed Index, not index and it was found straight away. Does the case matters then? Edit: No, the case doesn't matter now, because now I can just type index with lower or upper case and it finds Indexing Options...

Star means "any character".
So to search for file thaat has "translucent" INSIDE the name you have to type "*translucent".
At the end there is no need for the star

I used stars before, on the net, on one particular search-site. I didn't even think of doing the same in windows

Do the search from the "F" drive not from "Computer". Where you do your search is important. Doing it from "Computer" will only ever use the Index.

I was in this location: F:\Downloads\Mobile\iPhone\Themes\_Black_test\_Black_test__\_Black_test.themes\UIImages, in UIImages folder, with 14 files containing Translucent in their names.

All is amazing, but I just can't understand, why, when typing in the search box word Translucent, windows is telling me Nothing Found..

I'll check the settings again.

Thanks

edit: I checked the settings and I have all drives selected and indexed. Over 480 000 files indexed.
So when a new file is created, say a simple text file with some text inside and it's saved somewhere on one of these drives. Is it indexed straight away..? ..or when?

I just used this program called Search Everything. It finds things instantly! Obviously only filenames, not their contents. I created a text file with a certain name and a certain content on one of my drives. I opened two new windows by pressing Win+F. In one of these windows search box, I typed the filename:file.ext or file.ext I've just created and in the other window I typed the content of the text file. The first window found the file, but it took at least 5 minutes and a massive CPU load! It's been 15 minutes now and the second window did not find anything yet, though it consumes 33% of my 4 core CPU!

edit: It took 45 minutes! to find the content of the text file saved on F:\Folder\Folder\file.txt. Really? What's so advanced about this? Terrible.

 

[demango]

Star means "any character".

Technically, "?" means any character. "*" means any number of characters. If you typed something like "?.*" in the box, you would get an assortment of files with names like a.out(Lol, UNIX reference) and z.image. Though why you would make files with one letter in the label is beyond me.

 

[Kari]

Star means "any character".

Technically, "?" means any character. "*" means any number of characters. If you typed something like "?.*" in the box, you would get an assortment of files with names like a.out(Lol, UNIX reference) and z.image. Though why you would make files with one letter in the label is beyond me.

Because it can be used to replace ANY character ANYWHERE in a search string, and as opposite to "*" which as you said replaces any number of characters, with "?" you can narrow search to include only strings with certain length.

Examples:

• 
  Search filename:?ally.* > finds files with a 5 character long name characters 2 to 5 being ally, followed by a period and any number of characters
  • Finds Wally.doc, Sally.jpg but not Totally_awesome_video.avi or Rally_Monte_Carlo.pdf
• Search filename:Image_?0.* > finds files with an 8 character long name characters 1 to 6 being Image_, followed by one character, 0 and any extension
  • Finds Image_10.png, Image_60.jpg but not Image_13.gif or Image_67.jpg
• Search filename:*.??? > finds any file with a three character extension
  • Finds Pic.jpg or This_Pic_Is_from_Our_Holiday.bmp, but not Video.mpg4, Image.jpeg or Stupid_Filename.zz
• Search filename:Memo_???_John.doc > finds any file with a 13 character long name characters 1 to 5 being Memo_ and characters 9 to 13 _John, with extension doc
  • Finds Memo_JAN_John.doc, Memo_123_John. doc, but not Memo_to_John.doc, Memo_from_John.doc or Memo_1234_John.doc

Kari

 

[zYx]

Nice. It seems that I can find files with several different words in their names. Say UI*Bar*Translucent

Ok. So how about indexing brand spanking new files? I found a random text file on one of my drives, edited it and added "password" so I can presumably find it later ;]. Last attempt took over 45 minutes and consumed a lot of electricity due to heavy CPU load.

Let's see how long will this take this time.

Thanks for your tips

 

[CyberZeus]

Star means "any character".

Technically, "?" means any character. "*" means any number of characters. If you typed something like "?.*" in the box, you would get an assortment of files with names like a.out(Lol, UNIX reference) and z.image. Though why you would make files with one letter in the label is beyond me.

Please don't be fussy. I tried to give very very simple explanation...

 

[Jutta]

Hi,
have you tried pressing the Start Windows Key + F, it is a much better Search Function!

 

[zYx]

Hi,
have you tried pressing the Start Windows Key + F, it is a much better Search Function!

Much better than what exactly? :sarc:

 

[Jutta]

Then the Search Option in Start Option

 

[Kari]

Hi,
have you tried pressing the Start Windows Key + F, it is a much better Search Function!

Much better than what exactly? :sarc:

Then the Search Option in Start Option

The difference is that searching form Start menu > Search only searches indexed locations, whereas searching from any Explorer window's search field (inclusive Win + F window) also searches non-indexed locations.

Kari