Want to search ONLY file names in Windows 7 Explorer?

Anonymous

I usually just want to seach for a "word in a file & folder name" -- and often can give a a date range. In Windows 7 Explorer, as soon as I type the word, I get all files that contain the word in the content, as well. How can I have it search only the file or folder name?

I also don't use "my documents" or "Libraries"...I create my own subfolders -- and generally on a stick drive...so I don't really understand "indexing" or if it's relevant to how I organize my files.

I miss the Windows XP search feature in Windows 7 Explorer!

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Anonymous

How can I have it search only the file or folder name?

Folder:

foldername:example

Word in name:

name:example

I miss the Windows XP search feature in Windows 7 Explorer!

Let Microsoft know you want Windows Explorers features returned:

Since many people seem to agree that some or all the changes made to Windows Explorer have actually made it less user friendly, you can go to the Windows 7 Feedback page and (politely) let them know your suggestions for improving it:

http://mymfe.microsoft.com/Windows%207/Feedback.aspx?formID=195

Note: don't make the message too long, there is a size limit to your message even though the page doesn't tell you about it.

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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Volunteer Moderator

No need for anything complicated. Just type what you're looking for. If it's in the filename, those results will be returned first, above any results where your search term isinside the file. Easy.

Non-indexed locations such as stick drives can still be searched, but take a little more time to search (sort of like XP).

If this solves your issue, click the 'Propose as Answer' link below, and vote as helpful by clicking the green triangle to the lelft. Thanks!

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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2015-06-27T01:45:27+00:00

Not at all, you don't lose recursive search this way. If you are, your search system is corrupted or otherwise broken. Try it on a brand new computer.

Or just look here: I performed that search at the top level of a folder, and it found the file 17 folders deeper than where I started.
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Anonymous

2015-06-26T20:44:10+00:00

BUT, then you lose the recursive search! If I am in Folder01, which contains File01 and Folder02 which contains File02, a search for name:File will find File01 but NOT File02.

Not bad enough that this is a very hidden and unintuitive search function, but it doesn't work on top of it all!
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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2015-06-11T02:57:13+00:00

The downside of this option is that I loose my ability to search within files in the future.

Not necessarily. That option you selected to search filenames only will continue to search inside the contents in indexed locations, which probably gets you at least a sizable chunk of where you'd ever really care to search internally (like your own files/emails/local system/added library locations). It only goes "filename only" when searching in an unindexed location. It's basically the best of both worlds, and that's why it's the default.

And if you ever actually need to do more than a filename search in one of those remote locations, you can also force a one-time slow crawl through contents by using contents:"string to search for" in the search box. So it's actually parity with Windows XP's little dog sidecar search tool (which also required using a separate UI option anytime you wanted to search contents).
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