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

Ed N. wrote:

I spend a long time learning exactly how Windows 7 search works, and have documented it here:

Windows 7 search explained

I hope you find this information useful. BTW, Windows 7 search does work, and its about 10000x faster than XP or any non-indexed 3rd party search tools, if you know what you're doing.

Hi, Ed.

First, I want to thank you for the Windows 7 search explanation.  It is very helpful.  However, it does confirm what many of the people on this thread (including me) have been saying for years now.

Windows 7 search does not, in any sense of the word, WORK.

To quote from your document:

>>If you have recently moved, renamed, or modified the file, then wait a few seconds without doing anything, then try again. Windows needs to detect a undocumented duration of user inactivity before it will rescan files for the content indexer. Moving the mouse around counts as user activity, don’t do that.<<<

Okay, I have hundreds of thousands of files, so to rescan a file in the content indexer on MY machine takes well over 4 hours.  Just how long should I wait?  And isn't this a bit counterproductive - especially since I can't even go on and do other activities while I'm waiting for the rescan to finish?  That means Windows 7 doesn't work.

>>>Disable all resident anti-virus, resident anti-spyware, resident backup, and resident file/folder synchronization software.<<<

Okay - in order to do a search I have to disable my anti-virus software?  Really?  I am not willing to do that.  That means Windows 7 doesn't work.

>>If you are attempting to perform a search while the search services is currently indexing files, you may get unpredictable results. You should know if the search service is currently indexing files or not by the constant 100% hard-drive activity. The search service is extremely fast at indexing files, so just wait a few seconds and it will probably be finished, then start your search.<<

Again, the search service is extremely fast at indexing files; unless you have a lot of files, use your files a lot, move and rearrange your files, or copy files to or from other drives.  That means Windows 7 search doesn't work.

Truth be told, most people only have a few hundred files at most - ANY search program will work for them.  As someone said - they don't have to bother to learn to use search programs because they keep all their files in one folder, they are all "approved" file types.  Windows 7 search is fine.

But there is no earthly reason why Microsoft could not ALSO have included, for those of us with hundreds of thousands of various types of files carefully organized into many levels of folders - no reason why they could not keep, somewhere, that wonderful Windows XP search dialog box that, without any instruction manuals or long learning curves, or prior indexing, or file type filtering -  easily and quickly found any file I needed - reliably, every time, without ever missing a beat.

Replacing Windows XP search was a huge mistake.  And, along with many other people, I have completely lost faith in Microsoft just for that reason.  The fact that this thread has been running for years, without any answer to the problem, is a sign of Microsoft's corporate  arrogance and complete ignorance of client needs.  And since new people are constantly coming to this thread in search of an answer, but because the discussion board software only shows the first page, people don't realize that there are almost 30 pages of complaints about Windows 7 search - and not one single response from Microsoft that indicates any intention of fixing the problem.  All they would have to do is make Windox XP search available as an add-on and I'd be happy as a clam.

I have tried all the third party programs, and they are not as good as Windows XP search.  And yes, I do hobble along with Windows 7 search as Ed. N. does - I too have learned a lot about using it.  But I shouldn't have had to.  And even with all my knowledge I can't RELIABLY COUNT on the fact that a file is not there because there are dozens of reasons why Windows 7 search hasn't found it despite it being there.  I end up using a third party program or manually looking for the files Windows 7 Search says don't exist, and I usually find them. It just takes me a long time.  What a waste.

Sorry for venting - again.  And I do wish there was some way to warn new folks, who only read the first page and then post, not realizing the morass that this topic has become.

{Going back to breathing in, breathing out, thinking calming thoughts.  Breath in.  Breath out.  :-> }

Peace

CJ Rhoads