Fun one! Erratic windows search.

[Peter]

Hello everyone.

I saw a few related articles here, but wasn't able to find one specific to
this issue.

I've been experiencing this issue for some time now, and frustration has
finally got this cat.

We have XP, SP2. Many times, more often that not, when I use the search
function embedded in Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer), I search
'files and folders', searching by a word in the filename (not within the
file). Even when I know there are files in the folder that match the
criteria, my search returns
empty results. To prove to myself I wasn't losing it, I navigate to a
directory,
locate a specific word in an existing file in said directory and then use
that word
in the search. I do the search, it tells me no results are found.

Here is the kicker. I have found that if I click the back button
(after an empty search is returned), and click search again, without changing
anything, I may return results. Sometimes I need to perform this
back/search combination 5 times, sometimes 25 times, but usually I get
results. Any ideas?

Thank you!!

 

[Malke]

Hello everyone.

I saw a few related articles here, but wasn't able to find one specific to
this issue.

I've been experiencing this issue for some time now, and frustration has
finally got this cat.

We have XP, SP2. Many times, more often that not, when I use the search
function embedded in Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer), I search
'files and folders', searching by a word in the filename (not within the
file). Even when I know there are files in the folder that match the
criteria, my search returns
empty results. To prove to myself I wasn't losing it, I navigate to a
directory,
locate a specific word in an existing file in said directory and then use
that word
in the search. I do the search, it tells me no results are found.

Here is the kicker. I have found that if I click the back button
(after an empty search is returned), and click search again, without
changing
anything, I may return results. Sometimes I need to perform this
back/search combination 5 times, sometimes 25 times, but usually I get
results. Any ideas?

Windows XP's Search function isn't really very good. Instead of messing
about with it, I'd just install the free Agent Ransack. I install it on all
my XP boxen.

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

Malke