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when I run a search in Windows 7, only one folder at a time is searched. How do I broaden a search to a folder and all of its subfolders? Vista did that automatically; Windows 7 does not seem to do so.
Thanks!
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.
I had the same prob & none of the answers on this page helped. I mucked around a bit & ticked a box in the search options folder Called "Don't use the index when searching in file folders for system files" Problem fixed... although the title of the tick box has nothing to do with searching sub folders, whenever it's not ticked I can't search any subfolders.
Ok here is the scoop. If you are searching in a folder selected from underneath the "Libraries" folder (Documents, Videos, Music, Pictures, Etc.) it does not search subfolders. I do not know why, but if you go to your "C:\Users'username'" and open the needed folder (or even just in your UN folder), it will search subfolders. I think it is either a glitch, or because Libraries is just a phantom name for a grouping, the search doesnt work. You have to be directly in the folder, or the folder directly above it, not in a windows "cloud" version of it like the ones in Libraries.
Sorry if this is hard to follow, i'm a better techy than a teacher. Hope this helps
Rick Flach
Live Out Loud Media & Design
Hi Rick
Open Windows Explorer.
Select Organize / Folder and Search options.
Select the Search Tab.
In the How to search section, select the Include subfolders in search results when searching in file folders option.
Regards
Hello,
Entering an asterisk (*) in the search box immediately returns all files in the current folder and all its subfolders.
Lisa
Microsoft Answers Support Engineer
Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.
Ok here is the scoop. If you are searching in a folder selected from underneath the "Libraries" folder (Documents, Videos, Music, Pictures, Etc.) it does not search subfolders. I do not know why, but if you go to your "C:\Users'username'" and open the needed folder (or even just in your UN folder), it will search subfolders. I think it is either a glitch, or because Libraries is just a phantom name for a grouping, the search doesnt work. You have to be directly in the folder, or the folder directly above it, not in a windows "cloud" version of it like the ones in Libraries.
Sorry if this is hard to follow, i'm a better techy than a teacher. Hope this helps
Rick Flach
Live Out Loud Media & Design
This is the only thing that has worked for me (including every other "fix" on the 4 pages before my post). Clearly the search functionality is borked if you start your journey by clicking on one the the "Library" folders.
Shawn Keene, your Dec 12, 2011 post showing the "folder path" in the explorer window is fantastic! I didn't know you could do that until I saw your post and set mine up to do that.
For others, you can show all kinds of columns in the explorer window (I always use "details" view) if you right-click on the header (showing Name, Date modified, Size, Type, etc) and pick "More" at the bottom of the list. There are dozens if not hundreds of columns to choose from. Do this for one window, and arrange the columns where you'd normally like to see them, then go to Tools>Folder Options of that window and in the View tab select "Apply to all folders" which will make what you just set up available to all Explorer windows including search results. (Well, mostly. There are some exceptions.)
And you don't even have to have Admin rights to do that. (Policies may override, but not where I am.)
