Search Result View

[Phil Rabichow]

Using WinXP, SP2 & Windows XP search tool. When I search a file, I would
like the results to come back in the detail view.

When I search for either doc or dot files, they come back in the Tile view.
I don't seem to be able to change this. Any ideas on how I can do this?
(or a registry change I can make)

 

[Tim Meddick]

I could be wrong, but I think it opens with Windows Explorer's 'default'
view settings.

Close all Explorer windows.

Open ONE instance of 'Windows Explorer' and go to a folder where you can see
some files.

Set the folder to the 'detailed' view.

Go to the 'Tools' item on the top menus and choose the 'Folder Options'
item.

Click on the 'View' tab and click on the 'Apply to All folders' button .

Close 'Windows Explorer'

If you now open a search window ('Start Menu' > Search > 'For files and
folders') and perform a search for some files, I think you will find it's
results displayed as 'detailed' also.


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Phil Rabichow]

Hi Tim:
Thanks for the response. I already have my default set to details, although
I have some windows set for large icons or thumbnails. And it only happens
when I put in the full extension for .doc or .dot. I can put in .txt, *.d*,
*.*, etc. & it will come back in detailed view.

 

[Richard]

Hi Phil, This is strange indeed. I just tried *.doc, and observed the same
thing. My folders are set for List view, and the Search Results window has
always displayed in Details view, but both *.doc and *.dot switched it to
Tiles view, and with *.txt it was back to Details. The 2 new Word extensions
*.docx and *.docm appeared in normal Details view. OK, I just tried *.xls
(Excel) and it switched to Tiles view, like doc and dot. Microsoft Office is
messing with our minds. I right-clicked on one of the icons in Tile view,
and chose "Open Containing Folder" and that folder was in List view, as
usual. The PowerPoint *.ppt files appeared in Tiles view in Search Results.
(Yep, it's an Office file types conspiracy to magnify their own importance
over lowly little *.txt files!

FWIW. --Richard

 

[Phil Rabichow]

Hi Richard:
Thanks for your response. At least I know that I'm not alone. Now we just
have to figure out what causes it. I have a little more info. If you
switch to classic search, then searching for *.doc, etc. comes out in detail
view. But if you use the "search assistant" (WinXP search), then you get
tile view. I know that I can change using the search assistant with a
registry change, but if I use the classic search, there's no search history.
I wonder if someone knows how to change these settings.
Thanks again,
Phil

 

[Richard]

Hi again Phil,

It is getting more strange. I just tried *.jpg and *.gif, and it switched
from Detail to THUMBNAIL view, so it is not an Office thing, but apparently
a Windows Search Companion built in capability. None of the Help topics
related to Search mention anything about why this is the case or how to get
it to only show Details view.

Another anomoly: I changed to Detail view, and noticed that GIF files in TIF
(Temporary Internet Files) have the generic Internet Explorer "e" document
icon, but all other gif files have the ordinary gif icon in the Search
Results. Likewise in List, Icons, and Tiles view. When viewing mixed
searched results looking for gif file types, that would make those in TIF
hard to spot. I right-clicked one of the gifs with "e" icon, and chose
Properties, and the normal gif icon was displayed in the Properties dialog.
I opened the Temporary Internet Files folder, and the normal gif icon
appears there, rather than the generic "e" icon. I switched Search Companion
back to Thumbnails and noticed that there were no thumbnail pics on the
images from TIF, only a generic graphics file type icon.

Now it is getting totally weird. Paging down through the *.jpg Search
Results to get past the end of the TIF generic icon thumbnails, to verify
that remaining files show thumbnails, yes, but after the last generic image
icon, there was a generic "e" icon for "test2.jpg", which the mouse pointer
tool tip said was located in my main work folder. I checked, and it was NOT
there, since I had deleted it to Recycle Bin. (It was part of a temporary
"test2.htm" web page.) So why is it still showing up in Search Results?
I double-clicked it, to view it, and got the message:
"file:///C:/MainWork/test2.jpg The specified path does not exist. Check the
path, and then try again." Note the forward "/" slash marks! Normal local
drive file paths use backward "\" slashes. Apparently Internet Explorer did
not store a copy of the test2.jpg in Temporary Internet Files, since it is
on the local drive, but still retains some sort of marker for it that shows
up in Search Results. OK, I deleted test2.jpg from Recycle Bin, did the
*.jpg search, and it still shows up. (Should I look down at the floor to see
if Twilight Zone fog is creeping into the room?

Aha! I right-clicked test2.jpg, and chose Delete, and got this message: "Are
you sure you want to delete History Item: test2 (test2.jpg) ?" That explains
WHAT it is, but not why it shows up in Search Results. (Yes, delete it!)

A work-around to force Details view for searches such as *.doc, or *.jpg, is
to use the multi search feature where you can search for more than one
partial filename at the same time with comma or semicolon separating the
alternate terms:
*.doc;[[
That searches for both "*.doc", and "[[". I chose 2 brackets as a dummy
search term because the [ key is near the semicolon key, and although some
filenames have single brackets, there are none on my drive with 2.

Next I tried "*.doc;*.dot" (without quotes) and got Tiles view, same as if
searching for either by itself. Then I tried "*.doc;*.jpg" and got Thumbnail
view. Oh wow! I just reversed the order to "*.jpg;*.doc" and got Tiles view.

BTW: In the filename box you can use either comma or semicolon to separate
search terms, but in the "Look in" box, only the semicolon works for multi
drive/folder things like "C:\Media;E:\MyPictures". I still don't have a clue
why Search switches from Details view, to Tiles or Thumbnails, without
providing the user with a way to select Details as a preference for all file
types. (Dear Microsoft... Oh never mind!

FWIW. --Richard

 

[Phil Rabichow]

Hi Richard:
Thanks for all the workarounds & all the investigation. It seems like no
one else either sees this as a problem or they don't know the solution, but
I really appreciate your looking into this. Good luck!
--
Phil

Hi again Phil,

It is getting more strange. I just tried *.jpg and *.gif, and it switched
from Detail to THUMBNAIL view, so it is not an Office thing, but apparently
a Windows Search Companion built in capability. None of the Help topics
related to Search mention anything about why this is the case or how to get
it to only show Details view.

Another anomoly: I changed to Detail view, and noticed that GIF files in TIF
(Temporary Internet Files) have the generic Internet Explorer "e" document
icon, but all other gif files have the ordinary gif icon in the Search
Results. Likewise in List, Icons, and Tiles view. When viewing mixed
searched results looking for gif file types, that would make those in TIF
hard to spot. I right-clicked one of the gifs with "e" icon, and chose
Properties, and the normal gif icon was displayed in the Properties dialog.
I opened the Temporary Internet Files folder, and the normal gif icon
appears there, rather than the generic "e" icon. I switched Search Companion
back to Thumbnails and noticed that there were no thumbnail pics on the
images from TIF, only a generic graphics file type icon.

Now it is getting totally weird. Paging down through the *.jpg Search
Results to get past the end of the TIF generic icon thumbnails, to verify
that remaining files show thumbnails, yes, but after the last generic image
icon, there was a generic "e" icon for "test2.jpg", which the mouse pointer
tool tip said was located in my main work folder. I checked, and it was NOT
there, since I had deleted it to Recycle Bin. (It was part of a temporary
"test2.htm" web page.) So why is it still showing up in Search Results?
I double-clicked it, to view it, and got the message:
"file:///C:/MainWork/test2.jpg The specified path does not exist. Check the
path, and then try again." Note the forward "/" slash marks! Normal local
drive file paths use backward "\" slashes. Apparently Internet Explorer did
not store a copy of the test2.jpg in Temporary Internet Files, since it is
on the local drive, but still retains some sort of marker for it that shows
up in Search Results. OK, I deleted test2.jpg from Recycle Bin, did the
*.jpg search, and it still shows up. (Should I look down at the floor to see
if Twilight Zone fog is creeping into the room?

Aha! I right-clicked test2.jpg, and chose Delete, and got this message: "Are
you sure you want to delete History Item: test2 (test2.jpg) ?" That explains
WHAT it is, but not why it shows up in Search Results. (Yes, delete it!)

A work-around to force Details view for searches such as *.doc, or *.jpg, is
to use the multi search feature where you can search for more than one
partial filename at the same time with comma or semicolon separating the
alternate terms:
*.doc;[[
That searches for both "*.doc", and "[[". I chose 2 brackets as a dummy
search term because the [ key is near the semicolon key, and although some
filenames have single brackets, there are none on my drive with 2.

Next I tried "*.doc;*.dot" (without quotes) and got Tiles view, same as if
searching for either by itself. Then I tried "*.doc;*.jpg" and got Thumbnail
view. Oh wow! I just reversed the order to "*.jpg;*.doc" and got Tiles view.

BTW: In the filename box you can use either comma or semicolon to separate
search terms, but in the "Look in" box, only the semicolon works for multi
drive/folder things like "C:\Media;E:\MyPictures". I still don't have a clue
why Search switches from Details view, to Tiles or Thumbnails, without
providing the user with a way to select Details as a preference for all file
types. (Dear Microsoft... Oh never mind!

FWIW. --Richard

Hi Richard:
Thanks for your response. At least I know that I'm not alone. Now we
just have to figure out what causes it. I have a little more info. If
you switch to classic search, then searching for *.doc, etc. comes out in
detail view. But if you use the "search assistant" (WinXP search), then
you get tile view. I know that I can change using the search assistant
with a registry change, but if I use the classic search, there's no search
history. I wonder if someone knows how to change these settings.
Thanks again,
Phil