Want to search ONLY file names in Windows 7 Explorer?

Anonymous
2011-02-06T06:17:16+00:00

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!

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

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Anonymous
2011-02-06T06:32:16+00:00

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.

Have Questions About Installing Windows 7?

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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2011-02-06T18:05:52+00:00

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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  1. Anonymous
    2012-11-09T09:12:13+00:00

    I agree, with the Problem.  Windows 7 Search does not let me just do a fricking simple search for say *2010*.xls File names only. It sucks

    That's it: searching with a regular expression, a fundamental feature in all computer systems, is gone.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-11-17T18:44:49+00:00

    Why do Microsoft insist on complicating simple features that worked perfectly well and were flexible and easy to use, with the unreliable, limited functionality of Windows 7? Windows Search for example. In XP you could Right-click a folder and Search from that folder and sub-folders. I could CHOOSE to search for the filename OR a string within a file, I could even mix the two options, search for a file with a certain name containing a particular string. Why have they chosen to replace this excellent system with the abomination that is Windows 7 search? As if that isn't bad enough I tried to search a folder containing a lot of photographs (.jpg extension) and it doesn't find them! I have checked that ",jpg" is a recognised/registered extension, I have even tried searching for a file that I KNOW is there ... NOTHING!!. Currently rebuilding the index to see if that works!  No wonder so many people are buying Apple or turning to Linux!

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-01-03T09:09:13+00:00

    file:search_string  works, but it's very tedious having to type the extra 5 characters than weren't required in XP every time you need to do a search.

    Surely there must be some way of setting up a default search option or a filter to limit the search to filenames, rather than contents?

    I often have different versions of the same file, so want to sort by date as well as part of the file name.  The last thing I want is to have additional matches that happen to have the same string somewhere in the contents of the file.

    Removing the option to search only for filenames without additional typing makes the Windows 7 search much less useful than the XP one. 

    I do hope people are and continue to use the feedback form (and any other available methods) to ask Microsoft to fix this error.  

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