In windows 7 - I want to search for all files containing "A word or phrase in the file". The standard XP search box.

Anonymous
2009-12-06T19:24:59+00:00

In Windows 7 - I want to search/find all files containing "A word or phrase in the file".  The old standard XP search box.

I do NOT supply: file name; file type; drive letter; etc. - nothing.  

I tried searching for this - just can't find any discussion.  And of course, not having this search would be insane. It is precisely what we have a computer for. 

And no 3rd party programs are allowed.

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

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Anonymous
2010-08-19T18:11:15+00:00

I've been looking into this because I know the search has been failing for me.  I think the difference in whether Windows search works or not depends on the FILE EXTENSION which contains your search text.  For example, if you look for the word "spam", it will be found if it is in a whatever.doc file, or whatever.txt file.  However, if you were to rename the file to whatever.xyz, it will no longer find the word.

Here are all the steps I think you need to follow to actually search:

  1. Make sure that Windows 7 is actually going to search files with your extension, and it appears that using this list properly is important *whether or not you are looking in an indexed location*!!

    a.  Hit the start button and type "search" in the search box.

    b.  Select "Change How Windows Searches"

    c.  Hit "Advanced"

    d.  Select the "File Types" tab.

    e.  Make sure the file extension for the files you want to search in is on the list *and* is set to "Index Properties and File Contents" (yes, pick your jaw up off the floor).  I know this appears to be for file indexing, but it does seem to make a difference on whether you find the file in non-indexed locations as well.

    f.  Say "Ok" and exit all the dialog boxes

2.  Actually perform your search on the folder in question.  Depending on some other settings you may have to type "content: spam" to find "spam" *in* the files instead of files with the word "spam" in the name.  Alternately, if you press the "Alt" key when you're exploring in the folder, you can choose "Tools / Folder Options" go to the "Search" tab and select "Always search file names and contents".

If what I have written is actually correct, then IMHO Microsoft has coughed up the ball bigtime on this one.  Personally, I now recognize that I can't use the search feature, and I'm installing Cygwin so I can use "grep" to search the contents of files.  Not cool and not amused.

Good luck to all the searchers.

~Pete

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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2010-09-19T13:39:48+00:00

There is an option that seems to match what you're looking for:

If this was helpful, please vote by clicking the green triangle. If it solves the issue, click Propose as Answer. Thanks!

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Anonymous
2009-12-09T00:08:07+00:00

To find "phrase in the file" type content:"phrase in the file" in the searchbox.

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-08-19T15:44:57+00:00

    I may have found something that will help here.  Been futzing with the search for about an hour...really its the first time I've had to do any real search in 7.  I agree that its clunkier than in XP...likewise I can't beleive nobody has posted this solution as it seems failry obvious to me and was easy to find.

    Hit the Windows+F keys to open the search, on the upper left corner click "Organize", then choose "Folder and Search Options", then click the "Search" tab.

    By default, 7 search will only hunt for content text in indexed locations.  Click the second radio button to tel it to search for content in non-indexed locations.  OK your way out.

    Now you can just type in the phrase you want to search for, choose the drive or fodler you want to search and wait it out.  It'll take time becuase its actually searching every file and folder under your parent search folder choice, but it'll work.  I buried a simple excel test file about 4 layers down on a network mapped drive here and standard search was utterly unable to find it becasue that drive is not indexed...but when I tol it to do a longhand search it found the file in just a few minutes.  Takes alot longer, but it seems to work thus far...it also worked on a text file, but not a pdf in the same folder.

    7 Search is setup to be fast by utilizing your index...works well enough if your file in your My Documents folder on the C: drive...but it fails to deliver out of the box in a server environment. 

    So to any MS support personnel, can you tell us how to properly index a server drive?  Is it even possible or is this one of those Sharepoint solutions?  I think we're all missing something obvious here because this is too glaring a flaw for the designers to have missed.

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