What is the syntax of Windows 7 file search (wildcards, logical signs...) ?__

Anonymous
2009-11-16T14:40:26+00:00

Hello,

I am looking for it everywhere but I can't find it.

When in Windows search and you are looking for a file, you can type in *.txt to look for a '.txt' file.

But it seems that the syntax of file name to look seems more complex that it looks first.

For instance, the quote character (") and the equal sign (=) seem to have there own significance.

And I think I have heard that it was possible to use 'not' and 'and ' signs.

Please, where can I find the complete syntax of the search paterns?

Thank you a lot

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

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-01-31T00:05:29+00:00

    Even though MS doesn't admit it, wildcards do function after a fashion. The challenge is trying to figure out the rules. An example: create a folder named abcxyz and search for *z*, and it will be found. But use the name: qualifier to limit the results to filenames containing *z*, and it is not found. On the other hand, a folder named zyxbca is found with name:*z*. Some consistency would be nice.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-11-11T00:13:45+00:00

    The unbelievable worthlessness of Windows 7 file search is astounding. I can not think of a better example to show how out of touch Microsoft is with computer users. Windows XP file search worked just fine. Now if you want to find a file and you do not know the exact file name or location --- you actually have to learn a special search syntax!!! If people are going to have to start learning things like this to do something as SIMPLE AS SEARCHING FILES - there is no reason at all they should not just use something like Linux or FreeBSD.

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  3. Anonymous
    2009-11-18T20:18:10+00:00

    This is cool! Didn't know about this either! I too tried to find info, but in the Keyboard shortcuts I found in MS Help, these are not mentioned.

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  4. Anonymous
    2009-11-17T12:38:58+00:00

    Hello,

    I am not talking about programmatical way of search.

    I am talking about the small area on top of the windows explorer where you can specify files to search for.

    I have seen a Video where the speaker types in the following words :

                                          water authors:Dave

    and he gets all the files which name contains "water" and which authors field containing "Dave".

    All this in the windows explorer.

    If I type in

                                   :*.mp3 :music

    I will have all my mp3 files with the word "music" in it.

    If I type in

                                   :*.mp3 :authors:=Dave

    I will have all my mp3 files where the field "authors" is equal to "Dave" (not only containng "Dave")

    What I'd like is something explaining all this syntax.

    I have found this at random.

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