Windows XP search doesn't search correctly.

[Dave]

If I create 2 asp files one.asp and two.asp in a new
directory.
Enter the text 'string' into the file one.asp.
Enter the text '<% string %>' into the file two.asp.

Open the search from the start menu.
Select all files and folders.
Type 'string' in the 'A word or phrase in the file' box.
Change the 'look in' to the directory that contains the 2
asp files.

Click the search button.
Only the one.asp file is found in the search.

This will return both files in NT, 2000 and all previous
versions of Windows.

XP doesn't seem to be checking anything in the <% brackets
in asp files. These aren't comments and shouldn't be
ignored as this can be asp code or javascript code.

 

[KM]

Dave,

This is a known problem - Q309447. Here is a quote:

Content Search Does Not Search All File Types for the Specified String (Q309447)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
When you use the Search All Files and Folders feature to perform a content
search, or you search for a string of text in a file, not all file types are
searched for the specified string.


CAUSE
This change was designed to return common document types such as Microsoft
Office, MIME, HTML, and plain-text files. The search functionality in
earlier versions of Windows searches all files for the specified string and
may return a large number of irrelevant files such as program and
configuration files.

As a result of this change, the search functionality can find the same set
of files if the Content Index service is turned on or off. In previous
versions of Windows, the computer exhibited

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





And another one related:

Search Tool Does Not Search for Some Words or Phrases in Text Files (Q318517)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
Shell Search may not search for certain words or phrases in text files.

RESOLUTION
A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to
correct the problem described in this article and should be applied only to
systems experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional
testing at a later time, to further ensure product quality. Therefore, if
you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you
wait for the next Windows XP service pack that contains this fix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support
Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support
Services phone numbers and information about support costs, please go to the
following address on the World Wide Web:

http://support.microsoft.com/directory/overview.asp


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Although the problem is easy to repro on XP and XPe, this seems to be a general XP issue (a bug). You may want to post the question
to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general newsgroup for more info.

 

[Guest]

This is not the same problem.
The symptoms say not all file TYPES are searched but as yo
can see from my original problem the .asp file type is
searched.
The Q309447 problem is files types not being searched and
makes no reference to the contents of file types.
I cannot find the Q318517 problem as it seems to be
removed as it was fixed in service pack 1 (which I am
running).
The Q309173 problem is the same as Q309447.
The 827205 problem comes close but is about the paging of
the file when it is being searched.

I checked all the known problems and found reference to
comments not being searched in some files. This is a fair
enough explaination but the <% tag isn't a comment it
identifies asp and javascript code in an asp file.
Therefore this is a hole in the search facility created by
Microsoft to make search faster for doc files.

This is a known problem - Q309447.

SYMPTOMS
When you use the Search All Files and Folders feature to perform a content
search, or you search for a string of text in a file, not all file types are
searched for the specified string.


CAUSE
This change was designed to return common document types such as Microsoft
Office, MIME, HTML, and plain-text files. The search functionality in
earlier versions of Windows searches all files for the specified string and
may return a large number of irrelevant files such as program and
configuration files.

As a result of this change, the search functionality can find the same set
of files if the Content Index service is turned on or off. In previous
versions of Windows, the computer exhibited

And another one related:

Search Tool Does Not Search for Some Words or Phrases in Text Files (Q318517)

---------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------
The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional

---------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------

SYMPTOMS
Shell Search may not search for certain words or phrases in text files.

RESOLUTION
A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to
correct the problem described in this article and should be applied only to
systems experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional
testing at a later time, to further ensure product quality. Therefore, if
you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you
wait for the next Windows XP service pack that contains this fix.



Although the problem is easy to repro on XP and XPe, this

seems to be a general XP issue (a bug). You may want to
post the question