Windows Explorer Search

[tb]

I am using Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64bit.
I recently created a .css file for my Firefox browser.

When I do a search for the file in Windows Explorer it does not find
it... I think it is a matter of how the OS indexes files. So, how do
I get Windows 7 to index _all_ the files?

PS: Yes I am absolutely sure that the search path (the whole c:\
drive) and the file name are correct!

Thanks.

 

[richard]

I am using Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64bit.
I recently created a .css file for my Firefox browser.

When I do a search for the file in Windows Explorer it does not find
it... I think it is a matter of how the OS indexes files. So, how do
I get Windows 7 to index _all_ the files?

PS: Yes I am absolutely sure that the search path (the whole c:\
drive) and the file name are correct!

Thanks.

Odd. I had no problems finding a hundreds of .css files.
did you have the location on the address bar set to the c: drive?
click the c: drive in the left pane to be sure it is.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I am using Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64bit.
I recently created a .css file for my Firefox browser.

When I do a search for the file in Windows Explorer it does not find
it... I think it is a matter of how the OS indexes files. So, how do
I get Windows 7 to index _all_ the files?

PS: Yes I am absolutely sure that the search path (the whole c:\
drive) and the file name are correct!

Thanks.

All I can guess is that you may not be showing Hidden Files or System
Files.

In Windows Explorer, click Organize, then Folder and Search options,
then View.

Select Show hidden files and folders.
Unslect Hide protected operating system files.
For good measure, unselect Hide extensions for known file types.

Yeah, you knew that, but what the heck...

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

I am using Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64bit.
I recently created a .css file for my Firefox browser.

When I do a search for the file in Windows Explorer it does not find
it... I think it is a matter of how the OS indexes files. So, how do
I get Windows 7 to index _all_ the files?

PS: Yes I am absolutely sure that the search path (the whole c:\
drive) and the file name are correct!

Thanks.

A few days ago, due to a reply by Nil, I installed
Everything Search on the 7 pro machine. It finds everything.
Its very fast, has a small footprint, but somewhat limited
in what it can do. I disabled Windows search long ago.

 

[Paul]

I am using Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64bit.
I recently created a .css file for my Firefox browser.

When I do a search for the file in Windows Explorer it does not find
it... I think it is a matter of how the OS indexes files. So, how do
I get Windows 7 to index _all_ the files?

PS: Yes I am absolutely sure that the search path (the whole c:\
drive) and the file name are correct!

Thanks.

You could try the page here, and see if the file type is included.
The "Index Properties Only" thing doesn't seem to work, because
both the humongous database it keeps, and the 2+ hour indexing run time,
suggest it always looks at content no matter what you do. All I want
is for the stupid thing to index file names, which should be a 30 second
job, not two hours or more.

http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/windows-7-file-search-indexing-options/

Paul

 

[Char Jackson]

You could try the page here, and see if the file type is included.
The "Index Properties Only" thing doesn't seem to work, because
both the humongous database it keeps, and the 2+ hour indexing run time,
suggest it always looks at content no matter what you do. All I want
is for the stupid thing to index file names, which should be a 30 second
job, not two hours or more.

If you're interested in file name indexing and fast search results,
and by fast I mean instant, then you can't do any better than
Everything. Very highly recommended. I use it multiple times a day and
love it. Probably the best little free utility out there.

<www.voidtools.com>

 

[Evan Platt]

Odd. I had no problems finding a hundreds of .css files.

What does that have to do with the OP trying to find a specific CSS
file?

did you have the location on the address bar set to the c: drive?
click the c: drive in the left pane to be sure it is.

"PS: Yes I am absolutely sure that the search path (the whole c:\
drive) and the file name are correct!"

Bullis, please stick to asking questions, not trying to answer them.

 

[occam]

A few days ago, due to a reply by Nil, I installed
Everything Search on the 7 pro machine. It finds everything.
Its very fast, has a small footprint, but somewhat limited
in what it can do. I disabled Windows search long ago.

Amen to that. +1

get it here:
http://www.voidtools.com/

 

[Big Steel]

Amen to that. +1

get it here:
http://www.voidtools.com/

When one has to start searching for stuff on his or her machine there is
something wrong. I think in all the times I have used Windows over the
past 18 years or more in using Windows, I have done a search may be 10
times if that at work or at home. What the heck are you people searching
for?

 

[Stan Brown]

I am using Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64bit.
I recently created a .css file for my Firefox browser.

When I do a search for the file in Windows Explorer it does not find
it... I think it is a matter of how the OS indexes files. So, how do
I get Windows 7 to index _all_ the files?

PS: Yes I am absolutely sure that the search path (the whole c:\
drive) and the file name are correct!

I don't do a lot of searches, because I know where most things are.
But on the rare occasions when I do, I have sometimes come up empty
when searching for something that I know exists.

In that case, the command prompt is my friend. I use a command like

dir /s /b /a \abc*css

The /s says to search subfolders; the /b says to return results in a
one-line format with path and filename; the /a says to search all
files irrespective of attributes; the leading backslash on the file
name says to start at the root folder.

(Well, actually I have an alias defined so that I don't have to type
"/s /b /a \".)

 

[Paul]

When one has to start searching for stuff on his or her machine there is
something wrong. I think in all the times I have used Windows over the
past 18 years or more in using Windows, I have done a search may be 10
times if that at work or at home. What the heck are you people searching
for?

I organize materials here by file name. When I download "blah.pdf"
I extend the file name "blah__mrs_fields_cookie_recipe.pdf" and
store it in a giant folder.

Later, when I'm hungry and need a cookie recipe, I type "cookie"
in a search box, and a hundred cookie recipes pop up. I see
the mrs_fields one and head to the kitchen.

I refuse to be a "responsible secretary" and sort the "Apple" item
in the "a" folder, the "Baker" item in the "b" folder, the
"Charlie" item in the "c" folder. Folders are reserved for
hygiene reasons, such as if an experiment is ongoing, I
don't want to damage the giant folder, so an experiment gets
its own sub-folder. (You can also tell from this, I'll *never*
be a client for Win7 libraries Again, too much work, and work
I would not enjoy.)

When the giant folder is too giant (scrolling becomes a problem),
I throw all the PDFs in a numbered PDF folder. Perhaps all of
the 2011 PDF file downloads will end up in PDF6 eventually, making
room for the 2012 cookie recipes. They can all be found by
file name search against the giant folder, as PDF6 is inside the
giant folder.

Paul

 

[occam]

On 1/21/2012 6:39 AM, occam wrote: \

When one has to start searching for stuff on his or her machine there is
something wrong. I think in all the times I have used Windows over the
past 18 years or more in using Windows, I have done a search may be 10
times if that at work or at home. What the heck are you people searching
for?

You must lead a very regimented and stifled life. Have you never had, in
your 18 years of computer use, an error message pointing to a system
file which you have never heard of? (Of course you have - you're a
Windows user.) Have you never wondered where that file was? I have, and
so have many others. If you were not in denial, you would also admit
that so have you.

One final thought - if searches were unnecessary, why would MS include
its (albeit flawed) Windows Explorer in its tool set?

 

[Big Steel]

You must lead a very regimented and stifled life. Have you never had, in
your 18 years of computer use, an error message pointing to a system
file which you have never heard of? (Of course you have - you're a
Windows user.) Have you never wondered where that file was? I have, and
so have many others. If you were not in denial, you would also admit
that so have you.

No I don't wonder. I lead a very rewarding life and career as a MS COM
and .NET software developer, and I get paid very well for my expertise.
I don't run around doing searches. I know what is on my software
development machines at home and at work. I don't do none of the typical
junk that a home user would do with his or her machine. I use Windows
for my livelihood, and I don't play games with it - period that's the
bottom line.

One final thought - if searches were unnecessary, why would MS include
its (albeit flawed) Windows Explorer in its tool set?

Look at yourself in the mirror....

 

[Wolf K]

You must lead a very regimented and stifled life. Have you never had, in
your 18 years of computer use, an error message pointing to a system
file which you have never heard of?

I can't recall the last time this happened, but I guess it must have.
;-) And I've used Windows since the 3.x days.

(Of course you have - you're a
Windows user.) Have you never wondered where that file was? I have, and
so have many others. If you were not in denial, you would also admit
that so have you.

One final thought - if searches were unnecessary, why would MS include
its (albeit flawed) Windows Explorer in its tool set?

The main reason people need Search is because they've forgotten where
they've put something. Or else some application puts stuff in places
tout wouldn't imagine "Developers" are a strange breed: they have a hard
time imagining how most people think. Or don't think. ;-)

I've learned over the years that a well thought out folder tree obviates
the need for Search.

HTH
Wolf K.

 

[Big Steel]

I can't recall the last time this happened, but I guess it must have.
;-) And I've used Windows since the 3.x days.


The main reason people need Search is because they've forgotten where
they've put something. Or else some application puts stuff in places
tout wouldn't imagine "Developers" are a strange breed: they have a hard
time imagining how most people think. Or don't think. ;-)

I've learned over the years that a well thought out folder tree obviates
the need for Search.

The software and data on my machines are in their proper places. About
the only time I have use search near the Start orb is when I want to use
Notepad - just type Notepad and hit the enter-key. I don't start running
searches on my machines to find stuff, other than, search for a word in
a file or email etc. But I still know where the files are located to
start the search.

 

[Char Jackson]

When one has to start searching for stuff on his or her machine there is
something wrong. I think in all the times I have used Windows over the
past 18 years or more in using Windows, I have done a search may be 10
times if that at work or at home. What the heck are you people searching
for?

Computers are much better and much faster at finding things than
humans are, so I use Everything search because I'm lazy.

Example from this morning - I wanted to listen to Stranglehold by Ted
Nugent. I know exactly where it is and what it's called. I can
navigate to drive X:, then drill into the Music Library, locate the
folder for Ted Nugent and expand it to show the album by the same
name, and finally locate and click on Stranglehold. Or, I can click
the icon in the system tray, start typing the filename, and with every
keypress the results are narrowed down until it's right there in front
of me.

Second music example - I had a request for Rock Me Gently, by Andy
Kim. (Ugh! Not me but a family member.) It's in the Music Library, of
course, but I know there's no Andy Kim album, so is it in one of the
'decade' collections, is it in one of the One Hit Wonders collections,
or is it just lying loose in the Various Artists folder? Everything
search finds it in seconds, before I've finished typing its name.

Third example - got a call over the intercom a bit ago asking if a
certain movie is on the file server. Sure, I can navigate through the
various folders making up the path to where this movie would be if I
even have it, or I can type a few letters and it'll either be there in
the results or not. So much easier and faster to let the computer
search.

I have no use for search utilities that require you to enter some
parameters and then wait for results. Fortunately, Everything came
along when it did and life is good. Instant results, instant
gratification.

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

When one has to start searching for stuff on his or her machine there is
something wrong. I think in all the times I have used Windows over the
past 18 years or more in using Windows, I have done a search may be 10
times if that at work or at home. What the heck are you people searching
for?

1st:
I use search to look for invoices, PO's, file dates, photos, etc.
Consider...
15 clients, each with 10 projects, each project has about 400 files,
of those perhaps 10% are invoices, 10% PO's. Each file has either
INV, or PO, or some other clue in the file name. I have to refer
to them for reports to HQ but cannot put them all into one folder.
Then there are the Addendums that need to be included in the reports
but cannot be located in the main project directories.

2nd:
How to edit the binding redirect on "8.0.50627.766.policy.svn-base"
when you don't know where the file is located? Without search I
would have to go through thousands of directories looking for it
while sitting with my laptop at some god forsaken remote location.

3rd:
Mostly I forget where I put stuff.

 

[Jake]

If you're interested in file name indexing and fast search results,
and by fast I mean instant, then you can't do any better than
Everything. Very highly recommended. I use it multiple times a day and
love it. Probably the best little free utility out there.

<www.voidtools.com>

It's excellent. Can index several drives in the backround. If I really
need to search through files I'll use PowerGrep but I'm not ususally in
a hurry for the more intense search.

Everything is totally transparent, they when you need it, it returns
rusults while you type.

Highly recommended.