Apparent bug in XP SP2 filename search from Windows Explorer

[wskrispy]

Hiyas. It looks to me like I've found a very crude bug in XP SP2. When
doing a filename search in Windows Explorer, if you type the entire
filename of a valid file in the input field labeled "All or part of the
file name:", the search will *not* hit the existing file of that name.

This seems to be true only if the filename contains the standard period
followed by the standard 3 character filename extension. If you search,
for example, from the root of C: for the file "ntldr", you'll get a hit
on it as expected. But if you search for, say, "boot.ini" from the same
starting point, you'll get no hits though the file is sitting right
there at C:\boot.ini .

Search on the complete filename of any file you know to be on your disk
and that has a filename extension- you'll get no hit.

Can somebody please reproduce this? I've tried it on 3 PCs in my home
network and all had the apparent bug. But maybe there's something
whacked about the way I configure machines, so I'd like to hear from
somebody out there.

 

[Mak]

... and what would happen if you click on 'More advanced options', then tick
'Search hidden files and folders' and do a search for your boot.ini file
again?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Hiyas. It looks to me like I've found a very crude bug in XP SP2. When
doing a filename search in Windows Explorer, if you type the entire
filename of a valid file in the input field labeled "All or part of
the file name:", the search will *not* hit the existing file of that
name.

This seems to be true only if the filename contains the standard
period followed by the standard 3 character filename extension. If
you search, for example, from the root of C: for the file "ntldr",
you'll get a hit on it as expected. But if you search for, say,
"boot.ini" from the same starting point, you'll get no hits though
the file is sitting right there at C:\boot.ini .

Search on the complete filename of any file you know to be on your
disk and that has a filename extension- you'll get no hit.

Can somebody please reproduce this? I've tried it on 3 PCs in my home
network and all had the apparent bug. But maybe there's something
whacked about the way I configure machines, so I'd like to hear from
somebody out there.

Windows Explorer, My Computer or just "Search" and put in the filename
"boot.ini" (since that was your example) and found it right off.
Of course my hidden files/system files are turned off and I have setup the
advanced search features for system folders/hidden files and
folders/subfolders as well..

 

[wskrispy]

Hmmm, thanks Mak and Stanley. I assumed Search was including "hidden"
files because I long ago turned off all hiding in the View/Options area
and applied it to all folders. Didn't think I would have to specify it
again for Search... And yet, a few weeks ago my son was here and we
were searching for mp3 files using entire name and again we were
getting no hits when the files clearly existed. And when are mp3's ever
considered "system files"?... Well in any case it looks unique to my
machines. Sorry for false alarm.

 

[Mak]

for mp3 case, make sure 'Search subfolders' option is enabled.
or, to be sure (it seems you have problems configuring search), use command
dir with appropreate options and redirect output to a file. For example:
start | run | cmd | enter
type:
dir c:\*.mp3 /a /s > c:\mymp3files.txt

then open mymp3files.txt in notepad

 

[blasto543]

for mp3 case, make sure 'Search subfolders' option is enabled.
or, to be sure (it seems you have problems configuring search), use command
dir with appropreate options and redirect output to a file. For example:
start | run | cmd | enter
type:
dir c:\*.mp3 /a /s > c:\mymp3files.txt

then open mymp3files.txt in notepad

Mak, I'm not as beginner-ish as it may look. I indeed tried the dir
[path] /s command a few weeks ago and still no hit. And get this-- in
all these cases if a partial filename with wildcard was searched on,
hits were returned. If these unchecked advanced options were the
culprit in all cases, no hits should ever have been made... I'll look
into it more and try to nail it down tomorrow.

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

for mp3 case, make sure 'Search subfolders' option is enabled.
or, to be sure (it seems you have problems configuring search), use command
dir with appropreate options and redirect output to a file. For example:
start | run | cmd | enter
type:
dir c:\*.mp3 /a /s > c:\mymp3files.txt

then open mymp3files.txt in notepad

Mak, I'm not as beginner-ish as it may look. I indeed tried the dir
[path] /s command a few weeks ago and still no hit. And get this-- in
all these cases if a partial filename with wildcard was searched on,
hits were returned. If these unchecked advanced options were the
culprit in all cases, no hits should ever have been made... I'll look
into it more and try to nail it down tomorrow.

Hi,

The dir command doesn't care about the settings you have set under
advanced options for Search.

To include hidden and system files when using dir, use dir /a (as
Mak did).

 

[blasto543]

Thanks Torgeir and Mak, but how do you explain this: in my original
post I mentioned that c:\ntldr was returning a hit with full filename
specified, while c:\boot.ini was not. Ntldr is as much a "system" and
"hidden" file as boot.ini, so whatever checkboxes happen to be checked
or unchecked, Search behavior should be the same for these two files,
wouldn't you say? Yet only one was detected by the search. It seemed to
have something to do with presence or absence of filename extension.

 

[Mak]

wsk,

Before any explanations can be tried:



Is this odd behaviour you claim you see on a number of your computers
reproducible?



What view do you select for search results? Can you change view to 'Details'
and make sure search result for 'ntldr' returns root of your system drive
c:\ntldr and not an OEM folder c:\i386\ntldr for example, where this file is
neither system or hidden.