Windows 7: Search does not find files that it should, directory is indexed, and *.php included on the extension list

Anonymous
2009-11-27T05:51:54+00:00

Windows 7: Search does not find files that it should. I have the directory indexed, and *.php included on the extension list but search does not find files for searches for words that that I know there are files with those words in them.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2009-11-27T14:10:58+00:00

If you're frustrated with Search (a.k.a. Desktop Search), you are not alone. Click the Start button and type in Search and click on the command "Change how Windows searches". Now click on the Advanced button and select File types tab. Scroll down and locate your file type (in your case **.php)**and make sure that the radio button "Index Properties and File Contents" is selected for the file type.

Come out of the form by clicking the OK button but do not yet close the form where you clicked the Advanced button.

Next, you may need to modify the indexing locations. If the folder wherein your files are located is not known to the search indexing, then search doesn't even bother to look there (a source of frustration for many users). Perhaps your files are on a different disk or partition unbeknown to the indexing engine. Using the expand icon and select/deselect options, make sure that at least the folders of interest are included to the Indexed Locations. Hope this helps.

samc1

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-03-15T03:35:17+00:00

    I forgot to mention in my other post the following...

    It seems that when I tried to search for something when I've selected a library, nothing shows up.

    Searching the web, I found a solution to this problem...

    Apparently the library needs to be "Shared" with the "System" in order for the system to search within it.

    Why this is not the default, only Microsoft engineers would know

    To Fix....

    Right click on the library you want to be able to search in (such as Documents, Music, or Pictures) and select "Share with / Specific People"

    Type "system" in the box and click  ADD

    Then click NEXT

    You should then be able to search within that library

    If you do this for all of your libraries and just select the top "Library" branch, you will search all of your libraries when you enter a search term in the upper right hand corner search box.

    Hope this helps !

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-03-15T03:06:23+00:00

    I had the same problem but I found a solution....

    In the menu bar for the explorer window select  [ Tools / Folder options... ]

    ( if the menu bar is not visible hit the <ALT> key )

    Then select the tab  [Search]

    Check all of the boxes in the  "How to search" section.

    Then check both boxes in the  "When searching non-indexed locations" section.

    Then select   OK   or   APPLY

    I believe my problem was that the files in the directory I was searching were on a COMPRESSED drive

    and I did not have the "Include compressed files (ZIP, CAB...)" check box selected.

    Hope this helps!

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-01-30T14:10:57+00:00

    There are (at least) two kinds of PDF-files. Some are, like you mentioned, only image-files (even within the file you can't search for words, i.e. you won't find anything) , but others also contain searchable text, hence 'searchable'. As far as I know, most freeware PDF-creators only make these image-files, some, like DoPDF, can also make searchable files.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-01-30T10:43:33+00:00

    Well only partially solved. Still does not search contents of PDF files. It's pretty astounding that MS has not fixed this well documented and long standing problem with one of it's touted Search feature. Am I missing something?

    Jim

    Um... aren't most PDF's in hexadecimal? MS Word DOC's are also encoded, but at least you can still sort-of make out the contents in a text editor. You can't do that with PDF's... think of them as image files for a printer.

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