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

We have the same problems.  With XP and previous versions, you could put .doc, .xls etc, the word you were looking for, the date between which to search and Windows 7 doesn't do this.  Why to MS keep changing things that work perfectly well.  They are supposed to be intelligent but are not at all practical!!

1   To search for .xlsx files using the search box in Windows explorer, you can enter

type:=.xlsx

in the highest level folder of those you want to search through.  You can use this syntax for other file extensions as well.

2  A variation of this is to enter

kind:

then choose one of the categories from the dropdown list that appears.  These are much more general then file extensions so, for example, I have found kind: searching useful for music files because it searches for .mp3, .wma etc all at once.  The category "Document" searches for Word files, Excel files & others but this is so general that I've never found a use for it.

3  When you first click in the search box, it should offer you a date filter in a dropdown box.  Click on the blue text "DateModified:" entry & you'll see a calender in which you can select single dates or date ranges.

Unfortunately my system does not show "Content" - WHERE DO I FIND "CONTENT" PRAY TELL ??   This was so simple in XP - now I need a degree in finding stuff.

This is the norm I am finding with W7 - obvious simple stuff that used to work perfectly in Xp is now hidden and made almost impossible to use in W7.  Classic stuff up is the new dialogue for Copying files - you are so, so stupid - it was perfect in Xp - now you need to read the options 10 times to understand what is going to happen - cheers for all the dumbos in Microsoft!

Why has Microsoft taken this major step backwards.

I did notice that once Bill gates moved aside, all the crazies in Microsoft were let loose to stuff up anything and everything that was good - you guys will be kicked out by any sane IT person when the choice comes along in the future.

Please dont try to defend Microsoft's studity - even a stupid person will defend their peers who pay their salaries

 

If you want, you can use the filters offered in the search box.  There are more filters available if you search from within Libraries. [you need to stretch the search box to the left to make it bigger so you can see the available filters]

 

The trouble is, if all you want to do is search a folder full of text files for an occurrence of a specific string then you are stuffed because searching for specific text is NOT an option in windows 7 on text files, nor can you add attributes.

This was so easy in XP, including sub-folders if so desired, ignoring case if so desired, limit search to files by name and/or extension with wildcard * ability and a box to enter any specific text that you are looking for. Oh, plus date parameters and probably other stuff I never used. It worked. And so it should because search for text strings is programming 101, I mean I am talking basic BASIC 1980s stuff  ..... AND IT IS UNBELIEVABLY USEFUL.

Windows 7 is generally good but this sort of half-baked implementation that loses functionality that many, like me, must have come to rely on in their work is just pitiful... and all because ... why?

 

I have wasted far too many hours of my life on this now, can someone please recommend a FREE utility that will give me back my ability to run a search that returns a list of every file in a folder and its sub-folders that contains "occurrences of a specific string of text" ... or do i have to write my own code .... I would, it would be easy enough if Microsoft would include some sort of GREP-like tool in Windows, something I have yearned for on Microsoft systems since the 1980s....