Search non-functionality

[Mike Matheny]

The search option is limited at best - for example, I cannot use a ? as a
wildcard! Also, if I search for archive (in the box where it says search for
all or part of the filename), it returns all this:
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\Programming\VB\The Visual Basic Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\Programming\VB\The Visual Basic Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\Browser
PlugIns\evolt.org - Browser Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\FTP
Sites\WUarchive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\NeoPlanet\Channel Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\NeoPlanet\Skin Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\PalmPilot\Ray's PalmPilot Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\PowerArchiver Links\DevArchive - Delphi and VB
Resources.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\PowerArchiver Links\PowerArchiver - Skins.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\PowerArchiver Links\PowerArchiver - The Ultimate
Freeware Archive Utility.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\Win9X
Sites\Dave Central Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\Win9X
Sites\The Live Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\WinNT\WINNT-L Mailing List Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\Programming\VB\The
Visual Basic Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Programming\VB\The Visual
Basic Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\WinNT\WINNT-L
Mailing List Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\Win9X Sites\Dave
Central Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\Win9X Sites\The
Live Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\PowerArchiver
Links\DevArchive - Delphi and VB Resources.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\PowerArchiver
Links\PowerArchiver - Skins.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\PowerArchiver
Links\PowerArchiver - The Ultimate Freeware Archive Utility.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\PalmPilot\Ray's
PalmPilot Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\NeoPlanet\Channel Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\NeoPlanet\Skin
Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\FTP
Sites\WUarchive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\Browser
PlugIns\evolt.org - Browser Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\Programming\VB\The Visual
Basic Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\Browser
PlugIns\evolt.org - Browser Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My
Documents\Mike\Favorites\PowerArchiver Links
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\FTP
Sites\WUarchive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\NeoPlanet\Channel
Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\NeoPlanet\Skin
Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\PalmPilot\Ray's
PalmPilot Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\PowerArchiver
Links\DevArchive - Delphi and VB Resources.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\PowerArchiver
Links\PowerArchiver - Skins.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\PowerArchiver
Links\PowerArchiver - The Ultimate Freeware Archive Utility.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\Win9X Sites\Dave
Central Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\Win9X Sites\The
Live Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\WinNT\WINNT-L
Mailing List Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\Programming\VB\The Visual Basic
Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\WinNT\WINNT-L Mailing List
Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Win9X Sites\Dave Central
Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Win9X Sites\The Live
Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\PowerArchiver
Links\DevArchive - Delphi and VB Resources.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\PowerArchiver
Links\PowerArchiver - Skins.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\PowerArchiver
Links\PowerArchiver - The Ultimate Freeware Archive Utility.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\PalmPilot\Ray's PalmPilot
Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\NeoPlanet\Channel
Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\NeoPlanet\Skin Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\FTP Sites\WUarchive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Favorites\PowerArchiver
Links
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\Browser
PlugIns\evolt.org - Browser Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users.WINDOWS\Start
Menu\Programs\PowerArchiver 2003\PowerArchiver 2003.lnk
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\Browser
PlugIns\evolt.org - Browser Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\FTP Sites\WUarchive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\NeoPlanet\Channel
Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\NeoPlanet\Skin Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\PalmPilot\Ray's PalmPilot
Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\PowerArchiver
Links\DevArchive - Delphi and VB Resources.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\PowerArchiver
Links\PowerArchiver - Skins.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\PowerArchiver
Links\PowerArchiver - The Ultimate Freeware Archive Utility.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\Win9X Sites\Dave Central
Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\Win9X Sites\The Live
Software Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\WinNT\WINNT-L Mailing List
Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\Mike\PowerArchiver
Links
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\WinNT\WINNT-L Mailing List
Archives.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\Win9X Sites\Dave Central Software
Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\Win9X Sites\The Live Software
Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\PowerArchiver Links\DevArchive -
Delphi and VB Resources.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\PowerArchiver
Links\PowerArchiver - Skins.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\PowerArchiver
Links\PowerArchiver - The Ultimate Freeware Archive Utility.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\PalmPilot\Ray's PalmPilot Software
Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\NeoPlanet\Channel Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\NeoPlanet\Skin Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\FTP Sites\WUarchive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\Browser PlugIns\evolt.org -
Browser Archive.url
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\Mike\PowerArchiver Links
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users.WINDOWS\Start
Menu\Programs\PowerArchiver 2003
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Favorites\PowerArchiver Links
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\My Documents\ARCHIVE.PST
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Favorites\PowerArchiver Links
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\My Documents\ARCHIVE.PST
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Start Menu\PowerArchiver.lnk

But never returnes these in the same path:
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\archive.pst
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\archive1.pst
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\archive2.pst
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\archive4.pst
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\archive.pst
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\archive1.pst
C:\Documents and Settings\MikeM.MATHENY\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ARCHIVE2.PST

What a useless "feature"!

 

[L. A. Powell]

I gave up on Windows Explorer search non-features. Try this site where
you can get a free search engine (lite version of the product for sale).
The freebie does all I need:

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

HTH

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Mike.

Why not just open a "DOS" window and use good old DIR? At the command
prompt, type dir /? to see all the switches that are available. And, of
course, you can use the ? and * wildcards.

I often use dir C:\*.sys /s/a , for example, to search for all .sys files on
C:, starting at the Root and including all subdirectories, and including
files with hidden or other attributes set.

It's a lot faster than Search, too, usually. Especially since I use a
hot-key to open "DOS". ;<)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

 

[Mike Matheny]

OK, but why is the search function so lame? Have I got something
misconfigured? Why does it miss such obvious file names i.e. the ones that
START with the text I enter?

--

Mike Matheny

Hi, Mike.

Why not just open a "DOS" window and use good old DIR? At the command
prompt, type dir /? to see all the switches that are available. And, of
course, you can use the ? and * wildcards.

I often use dir C:\*.sys /s/a , for example, to search for all .sys files on
C:, starting at the Root and including all subdirectories, and including
files with hidden or other attributes set.

It's a lot faster than Search, too, usually. Especially since I use a
hot-key to open "DOS". ;<)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

 

[Mike Matheny]

Well, I went in and told it to search hidden and system files, and
subfolders (which it was supposed to be doing all along) and now it works
ok, it seems!

--

Mike Matheny

Hi, Mike.

Why not just open a "DOS" window and use good old DIR? At the command
prompt, type dir /? to see all the switches that are available. And, of
course, you can use the ? and * wildcards.

I often use dir C:\*.sys /s/a , for example, to search for all .sys files on
C:, starting at the Root and including all subdirectories, and including
files with hidden or other attributes set.

It's a lot faster than Search, too, usually. Especially since I use a
hot-key to open "DOS". ;<)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

 

[Kelly]

Hi Mike,

Troubleshooting Search - Text
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_s.htm#searchtext

/xp_tweaks.htm

Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/top10faqs.htm

 

[JohnS50718]

*Snip*

Mike,
Get AgentRansack, free from www.agentransack.com. There is also an even more
capable shareware version available, FileLocatorPro.

HTH,
John
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
***Arthur C. Clarke***