Windows 7 and trying to do the simplest of file search

[jagman55]

Microsoft, what can you say? Talk about ignoring "user friendly"? Anyone out there happy with the NEW search in Windows Explorer in Win 7 and Vista?
Any simpleton could do a simple search in XP or windows 3 or ALLL of the previous versions but then, came Vista. You can spend hours trying to figure out how to do the simplest of searches. Dont thinks so? google vista and search and you will find millions of unhappy customers.

ALL I wanted to do is take the dups files out of a folder in my Windows 7 Ultimate.

Like (1) or (2), etc. In XP you entered (1) and it FOUND ALL the (1) and NOTHING else. (2 would even find just the EXACT sequence of characters (2

With Vista and Win 7, you can go to Folder options, then SEARCH tab and try ALL the damn combinations and what you will find is:

(1) and EVERY OCCURANCE of 1.
or
(2) and as a FREE gift from Microsoft, all the _2, $2 and any other "2" it can find.

Last night i spent over an hour trying to remove a simple (2), even tried "(2)" so say leave my damn (2) alone but did it? hell no.

Now I have got it to work before and I wrote down the option needed on the search tab but last night THOSE would NOT work again.

You find some telling you how to do the "wonderful" new search feature but their insturction DO NOT MATCH what my WINDOW EXPLORER LOOKS LIKE. I simple dont have those buttons or options, all i have is in the pull down TOOLS and the SEARCH tab.

CAN anyone out there tell me how to make Microsoft leave my damn (2) alone and JUST FIND IT with out all the other crappy "2"'s???

 

[win7clutz]

Agree that Windows 7 search sucks, yet I have to wonder how you manage to create duplicates...

 

[Lomai]

Hi jagman

Welcome to Seven Forums
It may take some time and patience getting used to the search functionality in 7.
Have a look at the following tutorials:

Search in Windows 7

How to Change or Restore the Default Windows 7 Search Options

Hope this eases the pain somewhat - it's gonna take lots of patience

Regards

 

[Dom]

Just my opinion, I think the W7 and WVista search are far superior to previous OS's.
In the search options, you obviously missed "Find partial matches". The advantage of this is that if you cant remember the exact file name, it will list all the options that could be the files you were looking for. If you don't want that, just uncheck "Find partial matches".

 

[jagman55]

1. Lots of program create duplicates when they download first one file then the next with the same name, they put _1 and (1), etc at the end before the suffix, quite common actually.

2. Yes, it is more advanced but they missed leaving in the SIMPLE search which according to Google, most of us use. FINE xxx in a file or folder name but Vista and windows does not do that, they find xxx, x xx, etc when all you wanted was xxx.

HOW to seach has 4 boxes:
1. include subfolders? no, check, just what you see on the screen
2. Find partial matches? LOVE this one, this one appears to find what I was discussing about finding xxx,,xx,x etc NO GOOd if all you want is xxx.
3. Use natual language search, WHAT in the hell does this mean but I check and unckecked it anyway.
4. Dont use index.... Dont think this applies.

That leaves 2 and 3 to determine what you are looking for, all partial or natual language. I have tried for about an hour ALL POSSIBLE combo and STILL, will not just find xxx or in my case (1) as if there is a "ONE" any place else in the file name, it finds that one too.

So, anyone still know how to just find xxx or (1)???

Thanks for the link, will check it out.

Now Vista used to have an AVDVANCED search but do NOT see that option in Windows 7 on my WE in Windows 7 ultimate.

 

[jagman55]

Thanks guys but

1. i checked and "find partial match" is not checked

2. I went thru the process to RESTORE DEFAULTS and it gave me:

a. checked partail matches and look in sub-folders.

So, tried unchecking the sub folder, NO GO
So, uncheck PARTIAL MATCHES, no go.

SO will ALL unchecked, in a folder i put seach for (2) and it found belive it or not,

ALL (2), ALL 2, and ALL _2. which is not what i wanted, ALL I want is the (2) so is the search incapable of DOING WHAT YOU ASK OR IS IT microsoft thinking it knows more than I do or i am incapable of know that all i want is the (2) and am so dumb that the microsoft programmer, "just knows I expected to see all the "2"?

i have tried the old try and true " " to make it literal but still Microsoft says, "screw you, i am giving you all the '2', so forget it"

I think the last OS that did as i asked in a search was XP. Hell OS2 was better at doing a search if you only want what YOU want.

SOMEBODY please write a search program for Win 7 that does what you tell it and i will buy it.

 

[jagman55]

here is what i am talking about

see attached, see what i asked for '(2)'

See what windows gave me? (2) and _2

 

[Kari]

Just my opinion, I think the W7 and WVista search are far superior to previous OS's.

+1.

You can do wonders with Win7 search using Advanced Query Syntax. Read more here:
Windows Search Advanced Query Syntax

Kari

 

[Dzomlija]

see attached, see what i asked for '(2)'

See what windows gave me? (2) and _2

Have you tried the following?:

filename:"*(2).*"

 

[Kari]

see attached, see what i asked for '(2)'

See what windows gave me? (2) and _2

Have you tried the following?:

filename:"*(2).*"

Advanced Search Query finds anything. Using the query syntax as Dzomlija told above, you'll find exactly what you are looking for (see the screenshot).

Kari