Windows Search doesn't work!

[tvds]

It just doesn't work.
I have a simple text file with a certain word in it.
I try to find this text file, but vista won't find it.
Windows 2000, linked by network, finds it within a second.
I have tried all available options.
"include non-indexed"
"always search file names and contents"
"find partial matches"
"include subfolders"
etc
etc

It just doesn't work.
Why is there not a simple search function that actually works like in
windows2000?

I am using Vista Ultimate 64 bit.
But not having a working search function doesn't look that "ultimate" to me.

Please don't tell me i have to install google desktop to do a simple file
search in Vista!

 

[CPCIC]

I've got the same problem with Vista Home Premium. No matter how I phrase
the sought item, "Search" never finds anything ("No Items Match Your Search",
when I KNOW they do). The XP and earlier search function was much easier to
use and never failed to find what I wanted.

After 9 months with Vista I feel like the whole thing is crumbling around
me. It will no longer accept Windows updates etc from WindowsInstaller ("Not
Enough Storage is Available to Process this Command"). Windows Media Center
is a total mess--it can't find any of the music or videos on my computer.
Even worse, there doesn't seem to be any way to repair Vista short of doing a
complete reinstall and Microsoft doesn't seem inclined to offer much help.
Even if they did, I couldn't install it! ARGGGHHH!

All those "if you started this action, do you want to continue" messages are
starting to grate and, heck, even the Screen Savers are boring compared to
XP. Is it possible to downgrade back without losing everything. I'd even go
back to Windows ME and that was total crap.

After years of defending Microsoft, maybe a MAC is in my future.

 

[CPCIC]

After disabling the index feature, I was able to eventually get some type of
response from the Vista search. The frustrating thing now is that it seems
I have to tell it exactly WHERE to search for it to find the item. Logic
would seem to say that if I already know where to search then I don't need to
do a search. I've given up on using Vista to find anything. I've moved on
to Google Desktop. I'm just learning how to use it but it does seem to find
what I'm looking for. Oh for the good old days of XP!

 

[tvds]

Thanks for the sugestion Brink, but i already tried all the options in that
link.

But still no luck.

Vista just doesn't find this file.