File Search

[Guest]

With my new install of Windows XP, I seem unable to use the search function
to find "notepad" files that contain specified terms.

 

[Uncle Joe]

With my new install of Windows XP, I seem unable to use the search function
to find "notepad" files that contain specified terms.

Try this:

1. Select "Search" in the Start Menu
2. Click on "For Files or Folders"
3. Click on "All Files and Folders"
4. Under "All or Part of the File Name" enter ".txt" (without the quotes)
5. Under "A Word or Phrase in the File" enter your search phase.
(i.e., "purchasing contracts" or "today" without the quotes)

Notepad files are text files. If you know part of file's name,
you can enter it thusly "pur*.txt" (without the quotes)

Hope this helps.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Follow this advice and create a PersistentHandler for that filetype. Use
{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}, if it is a plain-text file.

Windows® XP - Search Problems - Containing Text:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_bad_search.htm

Additional Note from Torgeir Bakken:
<quote>

WinXP's search function filters out files to search in based on file
extensions (see further below).

Install the free Agent Ransack, it searches for text strings in *all*
types of files, and not just in a selection of "approved" file extensions
as the built-in search does. It's a *much* better search tool as well...

http://www.agentransack.com/default.aspx

Agent Ransack can save the search result to a file (or clipboard), as text,
comma separated text or tab separated text. E.g. Excel reads comma separated
text (csv) very well.

</quote>

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the suggestion - unfortunately it doesn't work However, in
the interim, I've downloaded a freeware search program (Agent Ransack) that
works just fine.

 

[Uncle Joe]

I tried Agent Ransack last night for the first time. It seems to have
possibilities (and offers output flexibilities) but I was put off by
its non-standard wildcard search patterns. Tried searching on
patterns such as "*bkup.*" and "white_paper*.doc" and was
rudely greeted with error messages. It offers its own wizards
but they produce really strange results.

Guess I'll get used to Agent Ransack in time. It's difficult for this
old dog to learn new tricks after using standard DOS and
Windows wildcard searches for fifteen years.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Uncle Joe,

Strange! Both the search patterns work fine here (using the default
settings).

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com

 

[Uncle Joe]

Thanks, Ramesh.

I'll give Agent Ransack another look then. When I used
its wizard to build a search pattern, it generated strange
results that made no sense.