Vista - Searching files

How do I search the contents of multiple documents and spreadsheets using
Vista's search? In previous versions the office Assistant could search the
contents of files for information, providing the user with a list of
documents containing the search term.

Folder Options>check Always Search File Names and Contents.

"wilmon44" <wilmon44@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:BFF143BC-53E4-4068-890A-6D95295CAFA8@xxxxxx

Great, Thanks Bob.

"Bob" wrote:

You're welcome. Glad to help.

"wilmon44" <wilmon44@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:09FC11D5-43E1-4312-A246-79FE5D7DBAA7@xxxxxx

That didn't work for me. I've got that option checked, but it still doesn't
find my files. I have several text files in a folder with FRM, BAS, and CTL
extensions (Visual Basic modules). I'm trying to search for all the files
that contain "HandleChange" in their contents. Even though I can open a file
and see that there are 5 occurances of "HandleChange" in it, the search
engine does not find it. I've tried every option I can think of. I've
turned off indexing, I've turned it back on; I've specified to index every
file on my computer and I've set the specific file extensions to search
contents, but no luck.

Also, in Windows XP, I could tell the search engine to search all *.FRM
files for a certain text string, but in Vista, it seems I have to search all
the file for that text string. I don't see anyway to tell it to search on
certain file types for contents. Am I missing something?

"Bob" wrote:

Have you tried limiting the search to the specific folder by right clicking
the folder and selecting Search?
-------
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[How to ask a question]
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

"SixSigmaGuy" <SixSigmaGuy@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:157B58C4-364F-4425-9688-C0845C0AB8CC@xxxxxx

Six

The search in Vista is much more powerful than in previous versions. You
need to look at the syntax options to define your search. Here are a couple
of pages that will get you up to speed.

Windows Vista Team Blog : Advanced search techniques:
http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/wi...echniques.aspx

Windows Vista and Windows Desktop Search Advanced Query Syntax:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro.../advquery.mspx

If you are still haveing problems, take a look at this KB article.

You cannot find files when you search a Windows Vista-based computer even
though the files exist on the computer:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932989


--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"SixSigmaGuy" <SixSigmaGuy@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:157B58C4-364F-4425-9688-C0845C0AB8CC@xxxxxx

Yes, several times after changing several options. Nothing worked.

I did find something that worked great. I went back to the old FindStr DOS
command. Wow, that was fast and did exactly what I wanted. So much for the
advance in technology.

"Bob" wrote:

>>The search in Vista is much more powerful than in previous versions. <<
Sorry, but it's going to take a lot of convincing to get me to believe that.
The FindStr DOS command works a lot better than the new search in Vista, in
my opinion. I visited all the links you listed below long before I posted my
message.

The only advantage I've been able to find with the new Vista Search is that
I can now tell it to not search inside ZIP and CAB files. That used to drive
me crazy in XP.

I don't need indexing; what I need is a foolproof search engine that will
ALWAYS find what I'm looking for. I don't care if it takes an hour instead
of a few seconds, as long as I know it searched everything. I want to do
searches in binaries as well as text files. It used to be so easy in XP.
The XP interface had one field to enter the filespec you wanted to search and
another field to enter the text you wanted to search for in the files that
matched the filespec. Vista only has one field now; so I have to use the
advanced techniques to do what used to be simple searches.

Who decided that people wanted the search to start as soon as I typed in a
character into the search window. I find that incredibly annoying. I'd
rather finish typing what I'm looking for and then click a button to start
the search. Yet, Microsoft triumphs this feature on their website.

"Ronnie Vernon MVP" wrote:

I had to respond when I saw the comment by one poster on this thread
that:<<<
One would certainly expect the above to be true, especially given the
amount of good money I paid for my "Ultimate" edition of Vista.
But the truth is that this is a patently false statement!
Vista Search is not only weak, resource-intensive and unintuitive ...
most of the time it simply DOES NOT WORK!!!
I have now got to the absurd situation where, to save time, I go off
my Vista desktop machine to a duplicate environment on my XP laptop to
effect searches ... nothing fancy ... just targeted full text searches
on specific file extension types in a directory tree most of the time.
I have tried many of the "solutions" suggested here and elsewhere ..
from quotes to "filename:" prefixes to setting the various search
options ... etc. etc.
How I wish they worked!! It seems to me that Microsoft have gone
backwards about 6 years, and not only in this area!
So many elementary things which worked as one would expect in XP and
earlier Windows versions do not work in VISTA. The most irritating which
spring to mind are:
- Windows Explorer right-panel views do not respond to left panel
keypress events
- Windows Explorer does not "remember" layout views (yes I've tried
all the "fixes" ... they do not work)

If someone could prove to me that targeted full text searches on file
types in directories of my choosing actually work - and not mention
non-existent buttons in the process - I would buy them a bottle of
high-grade whiskey ... and swop my paid up Vista Ultimate Edition for
good old XP into the bargain!!!


--
pcartier
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