How to Search in Windows 7 for text within a document?

Anonymous
2010-06-28T02:30:00+00:00

How do you search for a document by using searching specific text in the document? (Word or other searchable doc.) Other forum answers suggest that this will happen with the general search box that appears in the upper right corner of explorer - but this does not seem to be the case.

I have searched for known words, and documents do not come up.

Is there a default? Is there a way turn on the search within document? (formerly, the detailed search option for any folder would prompt you to select 'search within document.')

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

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Anonymous
2010-07-06T20:15:26+00:00

Try just typing the phrase into the search box. If this doesn’t work, try content: “words in phrase”

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-02-09T20:38:54+00:00

    It seems that when you search the first time it searches the file names but then under the search results you'll see a label titled "Search again in:"  Choose the Content button under "Search again in" and the search will restart and search the contents of the documents.

    I tried looking in the "search again in" field and I don't have a "Content" button??  Where did you find that?

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-02-09T16:58:38+00:00

    What search function?  It seems they've eliminated anything but the most basic search.  I've been trying to figure out how to search within a file, so tried everything above--with no results. Actually, on one search, when i asked for "More Search Results", it then listed about 1000 files, none of which contained the phrase I wanted.  Great job, Microsoft!

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-02-08T16:52:41+00:00

    I addressed the question you posed.  That's why my post is headed as being in reply to your post.

    You don't seem to understand me - you do not need to enter anything other than the words you are searching for.  To put it another way, to search for a file containing the word Fred, open Windows explorer and type Fred into the search box whilst you are at the top level folder of those you want to search in.

    The search syntax you are referring to is an optional refinement of the basic search function. The link you provided to search syntax is the index from the link I had provided.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-02-08T16:29:25+00:00

    Ya know, I appreciate you taking the time to type all of that, but, again, it was a total fail at answering TMMMM's question.

    It may be handy for someone in IT or DBM, but the search keyword contents: appeared NO WHERE on the linked page you posted. In no way did you help ANYONE search for text within a file using the cryptic [Search] function of Windows 7. Sure, there are a lot of interesting things there, but why not answer the person's question as I did?

    Here's the big question: why should it be so dang difficult/complicated to perform what used to be a simple search?

    tja (That's a text-jerk-apology, no animosity intended, an anachronism of TTY days ;) Gosh, I'm a relic.. lol )

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