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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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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
    2013-12-17T23:39:11+00:00

    No such button appears when I follow the directions :(

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-12-13T12:15:17+00:00

    LeadCTA,

    SearchMyFiles is an alternative to Windows Search that is similar to the previous version.  It is one of the alternatives described in  A guide to using Windows Search; two alternatives to Windows Search

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-12-13T08:11:02+00:00

    In an explorer window click Tools > Folder Options > {Search tab} > select the always search fine names and contents (...) radio button. Click ok.

     

    This should make it so you can simply type what you want in the search box and have it search for names within documents. Not sure why MS decided to hide this when it was so simple before.

    I already have this ticked and it still is not as good as the previous version where you could select a word and a file type.  Thanks anyway.

    Merry Christmas to all Microsoft users.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-12-12T22:03:53+00:00

    Just facts.  No complaints.  I found a quick way to folder options without it.  If all of the corportate OS deficit facts were to be problems, open source would win out hands down!!

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