Search for files

  • Thread starter Thread starter Puppy Breath
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Puppy Breath

I just tried it and it worked perfectly. Specifics inline again:
useful.

It should have found that text file. Maybe your search index isn't all the
way built yet. Or maybe the file isn't in one of your user folders (those
are the only folders that are indexed by default).
contain the number somewhere in the text of the file.

The number doesn't have to be in the filename. It just has to be in the
file. Start menu searches include filenames, file contents, and metadata
properties.
to use delimiters around numbers. I see no help re data types, or
unregistered file types, or HTML tags, or ...

That's because there is no such thing as data types or delimiters in these
searches. It's not SQL and you're not searching a database. It's the same
kind of search engine you use when you're searching Google or any other
search engine. Data types and delimiters are irrelevant.
I created a text file with Notepad. I pasted in a couple of copies of the
Gettysburg Address (just to get some random text in there). Then I pasted in
the number -2147483643 into some random spot in the middle of a paragraph. I
saved it as text.txt.

Then for good measure I did the same with a Word document. Saved it as
test.docx.

I closed them both, counted to 10, clicked the Start button,
typed -2147483643 and both file names showed up on the Start menu.
Clicking either file name opened the document right up. Exactly as expected.
 
Since you know it's a text file you could add type:text using AND. For
example, tap the Windows key or click the Start button, type:

-234 AND type:txt

or this:

-234 AND *.txt

(You can type the whole number of course, I'm just being lazy). Make sure
you uppercase the AND unless you switch to natural query language. That'll
filter out everything but .txt files.
 
P.S. If it still doesn't work click Start type

inde

click Indexing Options. Click Advanced, elevate, and click File Types. Click
txt make sure it's checked and make sure "Index Properties and File
Contents" is selected. That's the default setting so you shouldn't have to
change anything. But just in case...
 
P.S.P.S. Of course you could also go back to your original strategy where
you right-click the folder name and choose Search. But this time
type -2147483643 in the Search box. If you get too many hits that way you
can type

-2147483643 AND *.txt

in the Search box to filter out all but the .txt files.
 
How do I perform simple text searches in Windows Vista?

I want to find a text file containing a number, say -2147483643
So, I right-click the folder in Windows Explorer, and choose Search.
I click Advanced, and beside Name enter: *.txt

I type the number into the search box (top right).
Vista returns every file in the folder. (Not sure why.)
I click the Search button, and the search box is updated to:
-2147483643 name:*.txt
Now *all* text files are returned - even zero-byte files.
Placing the number in quotes seems to give better results, but there's
nothing in the documentation about this.

I try to locate the html files where I used:
<strong>
The search returns all files, whether they contain the tag or not.

Unregistered file types don't seem to be searchable at all.

Can Vista do basic text searches?
 
What you really want to do here is click the Start button, type

-2147483643

That's all. The file's name should show up on the Start menu. Just click the
name there to open the file. You don't need to do all that other stuff.

The only catch here is that the file you're looking for needs to be in onw
of your user account folders. (Or some other folder that's included in your
search index).

To learn how searching in Vista works, click the Start button and choose
Help and Support. Search for "Find File" in Help and Support, then click the
Find Files and Folders link.
 
Thank you for replying.

Either you did not understand the question, or I did not understand your
answer.

Specifics in-line.

--
Allen Browne - Perth, Western Australia
Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

Puppy Breath said:
What you really want to do here is click the Start button, type

-2147483643
Click to expand...

Typing the number while the Windows start button has focus does nothing
useful.
That's all. The file's name should show up on the Start menu. Just click
the name there to open the file. You don't need to do all that other
stuff.
Click to expand...

The number is not part of the file name. The search is for text files that
contain the number somewhere in the text of the file.
The only catch here is that the file you're looking for needs to be in onw
of your user account folders. (Or some other folder that's included in
your search index).
Click to expand...

Not an issue in this case.
To learn how searching in Vista works, click the Start button and choose
Help and Support. Search for "Find File" in Help and Support, then click
the Find Files and Folders link.
Click to expand...

As mentioned in the original post, the help files say nothing about the need
to use delimiters around numbers. I see no help re data types, or
unregistered file types, or HTML tags, or ...

Any other replies would appreciated.
 
It supported SQL queries (as well as long and short form search specific
queries) on XP and 2000 (and presumably NT4 Option Pack).
 
That approach limits the results to text files, but still returns *all*
files - even zero-byte text files.
 
Puppy Breath said:
What you really want to do here is click the Start button, type

-2147483643

That's all. The file's name should show up on the Start menu. Just click
the name there to open the file. You don't need to do all that other
stuff.

The only catch here is that the file you're looking for needs to be in onw
of your user account folders. (Or some other folder that's included in
your search index).
Click to expand...


Translation:
Vista's Search works best with its own data paths.
Screw YOUR data.
You can no longer place your personal data anywhere you want - you have to
put it where MS tells you to.
LOL
 
Translation:
Vista's Search works best with its own data paths.
Screw YOUR data.
You can no longer place your personal data anywhere you want - you have to
put it where MS tells you to.
LOL
Click to expand...

You can place your data anywhere you want.

You can add any location (including your data located anywhere) to the
search path.

RTFM.


Regards
 
It is a shocker isn't it ! I don like it. I want my XP search back thanks. I
actually want XP back full stop but am being forced to move with the WOW
(translate WOW this is awful).
 
Getting to know it is the problem.

I hated it too.

Now I right-click a folder or partition and left-click SEARCH.

It is F A S T !
 
thx Bill ... how does Vista know whether I am searching for a file name or
for text within a file ?
 
hmmm . . . dunno about text within a file. I think you'd have to have added
tags to the file for it to do that.
 
Ok, I tried your example, and it worked, but now I want to find files on a
network drive, that other users use (I'm not the owner but have full access
to it).
I want to find every files that contain the text "-2147483643" in
\\Files\\IT\\Website (for instance)

that just returns nothing. (and I know for a fact that there are such files,
XP finds them)
 
I didn't manage to add a network location.

Dennis_N said:
You can place your data anywhere you want.

You can add any location (including your data located anywhere) to the
search path.

RTFM.


Regards
Click to expand...
 
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