Vista Home Basic Search issues

[Jim]

I am a pretty experienced user BUT I see the Vista Search area as an
overly complicated affair.
First, I am using the Classic view with the Start button so don't tell
me to go there and type in anything!
when i go to Start, Search, For Files and Folders and type in
something to look for, say a .jpg file, to the upper left of the
screen it says where to search. ie: indexed locations.
What are indexed locations, how can I change the default search area
to just my C drive including user name, documents, etc. and make it
stick each time so I don't have to redo it always?
TX for the assistance.

 

[Dave]

you can tell Vista which folders to index...
Control Panel - Indexing Options

 

[Dave T.]

I am a pretty experienced user BUT I see the Vista Search area as an
overly complicated affair.
First, I am using the Classic view with the Start button so don't tell
me to go there and type in anything!
when i go to Start, Search, For Files and Folders and type in
something to look for, say a .jpg file, to the upper left of the
screen it says where to search. ie: indexed locations.
What are indexed locations, how can I change the default search area
to just my C drive including user name, documents, etc. and make it
stick each time so I don't have to redo it always?
TX for the assistance.

Also, in control panel> indexing options, there is a link to the help
files. Read it.

 

[Guest]

If you want a classic view, why not stick with XP, lol.

 

[John]

Hey Jim,

I don't think Dave, Dave T., or Mick really understood what you are asking.
I feel the same way as you (that it is overly complex), and have been
struggling with how something that SHOULD be so easy is actually quite hard.

For example, I do use the new UI. I click on Start > Search or Start > and
type into the search control for something like "Gadgets" (that is: a folder
on my harddrive that I KNOW exists, I just can't remember the path). And
Vista does NOT find it.

If you go into Control Panel > Indexing, you can see that your C: drive is
not indexed. You can add it through Modify, Show All Locations. But then it
ignores Program Files and Windows by default.

I am sure there must be a design decision here. Perhaps I am supposed to use
some other technique... I'm really confused by this design and the help is
unhelpful.

-J

So,