XP Search Engine SUCKS

[BeeGee]

Hi and thank you for looking at my posting.

My O/S is Windows XP Home Edition SP2 with all MS updates to date.

Clicking - - Start / Search For Files or Folders / and using the option
"Search for files or folders named:" does NOT look in any Windows directory
without specifying the EXACT directory using the Browse option. Why is
this?

Are there any Registry settings that will broaden the SEARCH to include all
Windows directories when searching local hard drives C, for example?

I wish XP was more like 98SE and other lesser O/S that searched the whole
local drive including all Windows directories (without additional user
intervention and key stokes)

Thank you.

BG

 

[Curt Christianson]

Hi BG,

Without trying to make any excuses for XP's search engine (I don't like it
either, and it's sloowww), try using Agent Ransack. It's free *and* fast!

http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm

| Hi and thank you for looking at my posting.
|
| My O/S is Windows XP Home Edition SP2 with all MS updates to date.
|
| Clicking - - Start / Search For Files or Folders / and using the option
| "Search for files or folders named:" does NOT look in any Windows
directory
| without specifying the EXACT directory using the Browse option. Why is
| this?
|
| Are there any Registry settings that will broaden the SEARCH to include
all
| Windows directories when searching local hard drives C, for example?
|
| I wish XP was more like 98SE and other lesser O/S that searched the whole
| local drive including all Windows directories (without additional user
| intervention and key stokes)
|
| Thank you.
|
| BG
|
|
|
|

 

[Robert Moir]

Hi and thank you for looking at my posting.

My O/S is Windows XP Home Edition SP2 with all MS updates to date.

Clicking - - Start / Search For Files or Folders / and using the option
"Search for files or folders named:" does NOT look in any Windows
directory without specifying the EXACT directory using the Browse option.
Why is this?

Are there any Registry settings that will broaden the SEARCH to include
all Windows directories when searching local hard drives C, for example?

I wish XP was more like 98SE and other lesser O/S that searched the whole
local drive including all Windows directories (without additional user
intervention and key stokes)

I'd have to agree. I'll suggest Copernic's desktop search which is free,
fast and reliable.

 

[Gerry]

BG

In Look In select My Computer. Check Advanced Options, and first three
options namely "Search System Folders", "Search Hidden Files and
Folders", "Search Sub-Folders".

The Vista Search engine is unsatisfactory but I find that in XP
perfectly adequate for this task!

Fir good measure. Go to Start, Control Panel, Folder Options, View,
Advanced Settings and verify that the box before "Show hidden files and
folders" is checked and "Hide protected operating system files " is
unchecked. You may need to scroll down to see the second item. You
should also make certain that the box before "Hide extensions for known
file types" is not checked. Next in Windows Explorer make sure View,
Details is selected and then select View, Choose Details and check
before Name, Type, Total Size, and Free Space. Even then there are still
certain folders that remain hidden and this regularly prompts discussion
about "lost" disk space. The System Volume Information folders
containing System Restore points, which by default is allocated 12% of
the drive /
partition, is just one example of what remains hidden.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Trinny]

Hi and thank you for looking at my posting.

My O/S is Windows XP Home Edition SP2 with all MS updates to date.

Clicking - - Start / Search For Files or Folders / and using the option
"Search for files or folders named:" does NOT look in any Windows directory
without specifying the EXACT directory using the Browse option. Why is
this?

Are there any Registry settings that will broaden the SEARCH to include all
Windows directories when searching local hard drives C, for example?

I wish XP was more like 98SE and other lesser O/S that searched the whole
local drive including all Windows directories (without additional user
intervention and key stokes)

Thank you.

BG

Microsoft sucks - try LINUX

 

[BeeGee]

Thank you for your extraordinarily thorough suggestions, Gerry, your
suggestions were/are VERY HELPFUL indeed. )

Interestingly, I did have the three Advanced Options checked. However, what
I discovered after reading your reply is that I have to continuously RECHECK
the Advanced Options box EVERY time I conduct a search.

Given your suggestions, with my XP O/S, as a test, I conducted a search for
a file that was located in C:\Windows\System32\DirectX\Dinput. What I
discovered was that with Look In set to My Computer, the Search did not find
the file, and with Look In set to Local Hard Drives (C, it did - but, I
had to make certain that Advanced Options was CHECKED. After closing
Search, then reopening it, once again, I have to CHECK the Advanced Options
box. I have no idea why Windows XP will not keep this setting and am hoping
you may know.

Many thanks once again for your insight and support, Gerry.

Brianna

 

[BeeGee]

Thank you for your suggestion, Robert.

I downloaded, installed and tried Copernic DesktopSearch2 and with my XP
O/S, as a test, I conducted a search for a file that was located in
C:\Windows\System32\DirectX\Dinput. Copernic failed. I may have had a
wrong setting somewhere, but as I watched the indexing scroll, I did not see
it index any directory associated with C:\Windows, or any subdirectory. In
addition, I have Windows Indexing Service disabled because I'm not fond of
its impact on non-search engine related performance - accordingly, I was not
fond of Copernic's indexing service as well.

Nevertheless, I sincerely appreciate your reply and recommendation, Robert.

Many thanks again!!

Brianna

 

[BeeGee]

Thank you for your reply and recommendation, Curt.

If I cannot get Windows XP to perform (as it should), I will download Agent
Ransack and give it a try.

I should mention that I have Windows Indexing Service disabled because I'm
not fond of its impact on non-search engine related performance -
accordingly, I hope Agent Ransack does not depend on a similar indexing
service.

I sincerely appreciate your reply and recommendation.

Many thanks!!

Brianna

 

[Gordon]

Thank you for your extraordinarily thorough suggestions, Gerry, your
suggestions were/are VERY HELPFUL indeed. )

Interestingly, I did have the three Advanced Options checked. However,
what I discovered after reading your reply is that I have to continuously
RECHECK the Advanced Options box EVERY time I conduct a search.

Given your suggestions, with my XP O/S, as a test, I conducted a search
for a file that was located in C:\Windows\System32\DirectX\Dinput. What I
discovered was that with Look In set to My Computer, the Search did not
find the file, and with Look In set to Local Hard Drives (C, it did -
but, I had to make certain that Advanced Options was CHECKED. After
closing Search, then reopening it, once again, I have to CHECK the
Advanced Options box. I have no idea why Windows XP will not keep this
setting and am hoping you may know.

Many thanks once again for your insight and support, Gerry.

Brianna

Download and install Windows Desktop Search - it's MILES better than the
search function that comes with XP.....

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/desktopsearch/default.mspx

 

[HeyBub]

Thank you for your reply and recommendation, Curt.

If I cannot get Windows XP to perform (as it should), I will download
Agent Ransack and give it a try.

I should mention that I have Windows Indexing Service disabled
because I'm not fond of its impact on non-search engine related
performance - accordingly, I hope Agent Ransack does not depend on a
similar indexing service.

I sincerely appreciate your reply and recommendation.

Many thanks!!

Brianna

Even if you CAN get Windows SEARCH working up to snuff, RanSack is superior
in all regards.

 

[Gerry]

The impact of the Indexing Service is most detrimental whilst it is
building the Index and less so later.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[BeeGee]

After closing Search, then reopening it, once again, I have to CHECK the
Advanced Options box. I have no idea why Windows XP will not keep this
setting and am hoping you may know.

 

[just plain rob]

Hi and thank you for looking at my posting.

My O/S is Windows XP Home Edition SP2 with all MS updates to date.

Clicking - - Start / Search For Files or Folders / and using the option
"Search for files or folders named:" does NOT look in any Windows
directory without specifying the EXACT directory using the Browse
option. Why is this?

Are there any Registry settings that will broaden the SEARCH to include
all Windows directories when searching local hard drives C, for example?

I wish XP was more like 98SE and other lesser O/S that searched the
whole local drive including all Windows directories (without additional
user intervention and key stokes)

Thank you.

BG

I'd recommend "Locate" as a replacement XP search engine...