Right click the C: drive in Windows Explorer, do search, doesn't find file

[David]

First, what does work. When I right click the "Windows" directory in
Windows Explorer and select "search" and do a search for "Hosts", the
search finds the "Hosts" file in the "C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc"
directory. All well and good because that's what I want and expect.

However, when I right click on the C: drive itself in Windows Explorer
and select "search" and do a search for "Hosts", the search fails to
find the Hosts file in the "...\drivers\etc." directory. It does find
hosts files elsewhere. For example it finds "Hosts.txt" and "Hosts"
files that I placed on my desktop.

When I right click a drive in Windows Explorer and select "search", I
damn well want to search the entire drive. Unfortunately, Windows has
apparently defaulted to some kind of limited search. How do I force
Windows search the entire drive?

Thanks,

David

 

[Nepatsfan]

First, what does work. When I right click the "Windows"
directory in Windows Explorer and select "search" and do a
search for "Hosts", the search finds the "Hosts" file in the
"C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc" directory. All well and
good because that's what I want and expect.

However, when I right click on the C: drive itself in
Windows Explorer and select "search" and do a search for
"Hosts", the search fails to find the Hosts file in the
"...\drivers\etc." directory. It does find hosts files
elsewhere. For example it finds "Hosts.txt" and "Hosts"
files that I placed on my desktop.

When I right click a drive in Windows Explorer and select
"search", I damn well want to search the entire drive.
Unfortunately, Windows has apparently defaulted to some kind
of limited search. How do I force Windows search the entire
drive?

Thanks,

David

In the left hand column of Search, click on "More Advanced
Options".
Make sure there's a check mark next to "Search System Folders".
The only way I could duplicate your results was to uncheck that
option.

Note: It looks like you've already enabled "Search subfolders".
You might also want to make sure "Search hidden files and
folders" is enabled.

Nepatsfan

 

[Bob I]

Umm, More Advanced Options, put a check in the desired options.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

HOW TO: Search For Hidden Or System Files In Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;302347

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Unless Windows folder is not hidden. This is not true in your case.

Try repairing search assistant.

Look for Srchasst.inf in C:\Windows\Inf folder, right click and select
Install.

 

[David]

In the left hand column of Search, click on "More Advanced
Options".
Make sure there's a check mark next to "Search System Folders".
The only way I could duplicate your results was to uncheck that
option.

Note: It looks like you've already enabled "Search subfolders".
You might also want to make sure "Search hidden files and
folders" is enabled.

Nepatsfan

Thanks. You and the others were right, I didn't have "Search System
Folders" enabled in the advanced search options. Now another
complaint. Apparently, "Search" doesn't remember this advanced
option. Each time I want to search system folders I must first click
on "Advanced Options". Yes, "Search System Folders" is still checked
when I click on "Advanced Options", but unless I click "Advanced
Options", the search skips the system folders. Is there a way to make
the Search default to "Search System Folders" without me having to
click on "Advanced Options"?

Thanks

David

 

[Guest]

Unless Windows folder is not hidden.

Look for Srchasst.inf, right click and select Install.

 

[Nepatsfan]

Thanks. You and the others were right, I didn't have
"Search System Folders" enabled in the advanced search
options. Now another complaint. Apparently, "Search"
doesn't remember this advanced option. Each time I want to
search system folders I must first click on "Advanced
Options". Yes, "Search System Folders" is still checked
when I click on "Advanced Options", but unless I click
"Advanced Options", the search skips the system folders. Is
there a way to make the Search default to "Search System
Folders" without me having to click on "Advanced Options"?

Thanks

David

Go to Start -> Run and enter regedit in the Open box. Click OK.
Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

In the right hand pane, make sure that SearchSystemDirs is set
to 1.
If it's 0 then right click on it and select Modify from the
drop down menu.
Change the Value data to 1.
Click OK and close the registry editor.
Restart the computer.
Once the computer restarts, check to see if this issue has been
resolved.

If this doesn't solve the problem then you may have to
reinstall the search assistant.
Open the C:\Windows\Inf folder.
Locate Srchasst.inf.
Right click and select install.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[David]

Thanks Nepatsfan (and all),

The registry entry "SearchSysDir" was already set to DWORD 1 so I made
no changes in the registry. Instead, I reinstalled search assistant
as you suggested and rebooted. Unfortunately, this made no difference
in the search behavior -- I still must click advanced options to
reveal the already checked options for the search function to actually
search the system directories. Any more suggestions?

Thanks,

David

 

[Nepatsfan]

Thanks Nepatsfan (and all),

The registry entry "SearchSysDir" was already set to DWORD 1
so I made no changes in the registry. Instead, I
reinstalled search assistant as you suggested and rebooted.
Unfortunately, this made no difference in the search
behavior -- I still must click advanced options to reveal
the already checked options for the search function to
actually search the system directories. Any more
suggestions?

Thanks,

David

Here's the only other area of the registry I can think of that
you might want to check:

Start the Registry Editor.
Navigate to this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Search Assistant
In the right hand pane there should be a entry named
"UseAdvancedSearchAlways" with data of 1.
If it's not there right click an empty area in the right hand
pane and select New -> Dword value.
Enter UseAdvancedSearchAlways as the name.
Right click and select Modify from the drop down menu.
Enter 1 where it says Value data.
Click OK and close the registry editor.

Here's a workaround you might want to consider:
Download Agent Ransack from this location:

http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/Page.aspx?page=download

It is a freeware search tool that is often recommended in these
forums as an alternative to the built-in Windows search. It has
a similar look and feel including the ability to initiate a
search by right clicking on a folder and selecting Agent
Ransack from the drop down menu.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the possibility
that this problem is caused by some sort of virus or spyware.
The reason I pose that idea is that a virus would not want to
be easily found. It's a long shot but you might want to make
sure your system is pest free.

Nepatsfan

 

[David]

Here's the only other area of the registry I can think of that
you might want to check:

Start the Registry Editor.
Navigate to this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Search Assistant
In the right hand pane there should be a entry named
"UseAdvancedSearchAlways" with data of 1.

It wasn't there so I added it as per your suggestion. Unfortunately,
no change in behavior. I then remembered about "TweakUI" and ran it
to see if there was something I might change (or that I might have
changed in the past). I unchecked "Use classic search", which I had
indeed checked at some point in the past. That fixed the problem.

Thank you very much, Nepatsfan, for your tips. I was about to give up
but your persistence encouraged my persistence.

Cheers,

David

 

[Nepatsfan]

It wasn't there so I added it as per your suggestion.
Unfortunately, no change in behavior. I then remembered
about "TweakUI" and ran it to see if there was something I
might change (or that I might have changed in the past). I
unchecked "Use classic search", which I had indeed checked
at some point in the past. That fixed the problem.

Thank you very much, Nepatsfan, for your tips. I was about
to give up but your persistence encouraged my persistence.

Cheers,

David

Glad to see you got if fixed.

Nepatsfan