Comments

1. Lars

   
   Posted on: September 15, 2007 at 7:52AM  

   I’m using Norwegian Vista Ultimate.

   Click the “Start”, select “Search”, in Location select "Local disk (C:)”, tick off "Include non-indexed, hidden, and system files", enter "*.bmp" as search text, click the “Search” button. I expected that all bmp-files on the C-drive to be listed.  However, bmp-files in my Pictures folder are not included...  By changing the Location to "Pictures", the bmp-files are found.  By ticking off "Include non-indexed, hidden, and system files” I expected ALL files to be included in the search, not a; to me unknown; subset of the files.

   Create a folder in Pictures.  A search using Location "Local disk (C:)” will not find the folder.

   I created two png-files in the Pictures folder some days ago.  When I this morning clicked the “Start” button, then entered "*.png" in the Search box, it didn't find any png-files.  4 hours later, repeating the search, those two files are found.  In both searches none of the 5000+ other png-files on the computer are found…

   So far, I find searching in Vista just confusing. There are different ways to search - giving different results. I can’t work out what part of the file system that is searched. I can see some files are found, but could not be sure that all files are found.  Is the command line cmd /b /s “mask” the only reliable way of searching the entire file system?
2. capt'n rob

   
   Posted on: October 30, 2007 at 9:52AM  

   Initially, similar issues and frustrations with Vista search but because of my own need for speed and listening to 'tech experts' advising how to tweak Vista, I shut off the indexing function without understanding its effects on search. After the advice of a wise geek, the following advice restored my search function and...Vista search works great from the desktop, from the start menu, or inside a file. For example, now right clicking a desktop file, and selecting search starts a search on my Lenovo T61 Vista Ultimate. After shutting off indexing and before reindexing as is recommended here, the search function was inop from the desktop or inside a file no matter how much work I put into the advanced search:

   Note: allow several hours for reindexing to be completed. The advice given to me:

   1. The Indexing is corrupted.

   2. The Indexing service doesn’t working properly.

   To troubleshoot this issue, I suggest we first perform these steps:

   Step 1. Enable the Indexing Service in Control Panel

   =============================

   1. Click the Start Button, and then click Control Panel.

   2. Click switch to a Classic View in left panel.

   3. Double-click Programs and Features.

   4. Click “Turn Windows features on or off” in left panel. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.    

   5. In the prompt window, select the check box of “Indexing Service”, and them click OK.

   6. Restart the computer and check if the issue persists.

   If the issue persists, please try to rebuild the indexing to troubleshoot this issue:

   Step 2. Rebuild the Indexing.

   ===============

   1. Click Start, type Indexing options in the Search bar, and press Enter.

   2. Click the Advanced button in the Indexing options window.

   3. In the opened window, please click the Rebuild button in the Troubleshooting column.
3. johnbrvc

   
   Posted on: November 26, 2007 at 5:01PM  

   I recently installed Vista Ultimate.

   I have read the comments above (and other locations on the web), and can not seem to find a way to:

   search for all files named "*.nsi" in a particular folder, that contain the word "regdll".

   If the files are named "*.txt", the search works fine.  It seems, that Vista search does not understand that a *.nsi file is text and its contents can be searched.  

   I changed the "indexed search" options to include a filter for "nsi" files as "Plain Text filter" (control panel->indexing options->advanced).  However, this probably only applies to those directories that are "indexed".  The directory in my search is not indexed (it is a network driver).

   How can I search for "*.nsi" files, containing the string "regdll" in an specific (non-indexed) directory?

   Thanks
4. Nick White

   
   Posted on: November 28, 2007 at 6:06PM  

   Hey johnbrvc:  I consulted one of my colleagues on the Search team and he responded with the following advice:

   1.  Go to Indexing Options | Advanced | File Types | Add New Extension for '.nsi' (if not in the list) & use the Plain Text Filter ("Index File Properties and Contents").  You may have already done this; these associations are used by Search (for non-indexed locations) as well as by the indexer.

   2.  Go to Folder Options | Search (tab) | Always search file names and contents (might be slow).  By default, searches in non-indexed locations do not "crack" the files; this setting will change that.

   In some cases, you may need to logoff and back on after making these changes (or restart the explorer process), since Search may have these associations cached.

   Hope this helps!
5. johnbrvc

   
   Posted on: November 29, 2007 at 9:12AM  

   The important part of your post was the last bit... "In some cases....".  That was the trick.  Evidently the cache was not refreshed.  I had already done 1 & 2 as you indicated, but I did not  restart explorer... Thanks.
6. UserInSoCal

   
   Posted on: January 08, 2008 at 1:25AM  

   I find Vista search absolutely horrible: one thing I really hate is that I can't sort by a column unti Vista finishes it's search - unlike XP, which I could sort on the fly. (Just did a search and found 1,681 results returned: took Vista 3-4 minutes to finish until I could order a column - and I have the latest hardware.)

   No improvement to me.
7. Edward Keogh

   
   Posted on: May 12, 2008 at 8:02PM  

   All depends on how you've set up Vista. Downside of Vista is that just about every feature has to be configured on installation. There is no generic "Search for Folder/by name/type/date" or whatever, and the Windows Vista Search Folder, at Start Menu, doesn't work on all set ups. At least, not on mine or any I know of personally!

   Best resort is to rely on good old keyboard shortcuts, such as Windows Key + F.

   I am reminded of the Insect House at London Zoo. Full of little bugs.

   Eddie.
8. bitserf

   
   Posted on: June 09, 2008 at 3:58AM  

   I can't believe you managed to screw up Search so incredibly badly in Vista.

   On Mac OS X, I type in any old keyword, and if the file contains it, guess what, it shows up in the result list, since Spotlight updates its database in real-time.

   If I can't figure out how to make your search on Vista do this (and I'm a programmer working on embedded systems for a living), I have no idea how any consumer in the field is supposed to make it work for them.

   It annoys me because you're not stupid, you should be able to get this right, I mean, hell, I develop to Microsoft platforms for a living, and some of your divisions are really executing.

   But Windows is not of one of them. It's just too obtuse and dysfunctional.

   Adding to the index doesn't work. Checking all the myriad checkboxes to search even non-indexed locations doesn't work. Setting the default to look inside the files as well as filenames from Tools->Options doesn't work.

   What the hell does, actually, work?

   Think I'll be "upgrading" to XP for my desktop at work, and keep running OS X at home.
9. elko

   
   Posted on: October 17, 2008 at 5:43PM  

   How can i take advantage of a saved search from outlooks "instant search" interface?

   Or within AQS?

   Or is there any other way to essentially alias a query and then use that alias in another query (especially from within Outlook)?

   Thanks,

   Eric