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
    2012-07-26T15:54:58+00:00

    .  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.

     

    I don't know what OS you are using, my friend, but the above DOES NOT WORK in Windows 7 Home Premium

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-07-26T15:55:28+00:00

    Since posting the above in February, I have changed my mind about just putting up with this awkward search facility & only use it for very simple things now.

    You could consider using SearchMyFiles Alternative to Windows Search For Files + Duplicates Search instead.  The downloads are near the foot of the linked page just above the tables about language versions. It is a very good free utility & I use it a lot now.

    Note - In the SearchMyFiles, Options menu [rather than in the "search options" dialog] is an entry, Explorer context menu, that also makes SearchMyFiles very convenient. Right-click on any folder & the "search options" dialog then opens with that folder address already entered as the search location.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-07-26T16:21:00+00:00

    Don't you people have adult supervision since Gates left?  What kind of BS design plan states: "Eliminate the search function in XP.  It's too user friendly.  Be sure to remove most of its functionality and make the remaining functionality is as obscure as possible."

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-07-26T16:46:06+00:00

    Dave,

    We must have been typing at the same time.  I recommend SearchMyFiles [see above] but I would probably still use Windows explorer search for such a simple one as the Fred example.  If that doesn't work for you I suggest that you have an indexing problem.

    Perhaps you can investigate this further [in slow time] whilst using SearchMyFiles for any searches that matter.

    The Fred example works on my Win7 Home Premium x64.

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