Windows® XP - Search Problems - Containing Text:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_bad_search.htm
Other options:
See "Method 2" in this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=309173
Ref: "FilterFilesWithUnknownExtensions"
[Excerpt]
Method 2
To configure Windows XP to search all files no matter what the file type,
obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP and then turn on the Index
file types with unknown extensions option.
If you use this method, Windows XP searches all file types for the text that
you specify. This can affect the performance of the search functionality. To
do this: 1. Click Start, and then click Search (or point to Search, and then
click For Files or Folders).
2. Click Change preferences, and then click With Indexing Service (for
faster local searches).
3. Click Change Indexing Service Settings (Advanced). Note that you do not
have to turn on the Index service.
4. On the toolbar, click Show/Hide Console Tree.
5. In the left pane, right-click Indexing Service on Local Machine, and then
click Properties.
6. On the Generation tab, click to select the Index files with unknown
extensions check box, and then click OK.
7. Close the Indexing Service console.
Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly
by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might
require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee
that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
Network administrators can configure this setting by modifying the registry.
To do this, set the FilterFilesWithUnknownExtensions DWORD value to 1 in the
following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ContentIndex
[/Excerpt]
©2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved
Additional Note from Torgeir Bakken:
<quote>
WinXP's search function filters out files to search in based on file
extensions (see further below).
Install the free Agent Ransack, it searches for text strings in *all*
types of files, and not just in a selection of "approved" file extensions
as the built-in search does. It's a *much* better search tool as well...
http://www.agentransack.com/default.aspx
Agent Ransack can save the search result to a file (or clipboard), as text,
comma separated text or tab separated text. E.g. Excel reads comma separated
text (csv) very well.
</quote>
--
Regards,
Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com
On this new computer, Search doesn't work right. I right-click a folder and
do a search for *.txt containing some word. It says none found, even though
I
know there are many. If the word appears in any of the file names, it finds
those files. But it's supposed to searching for that work _in_ the file, not
in the file name. Windows XP Media Center Edition. Same search works fine on
older computer (Windows XP Home). Is this a bug in the MC edition or what???
