How do I search for files in Windows Vista?

Better?
Its a load of rubbish, its the clumsiest interface I have ever known, and this Vista search facility cannot even distinguish between [square] and (round) brackets, and the most annoying thing is that I can figure out how to remove the search box from the windows as it impedes the address bar.
Sheesh!

Thank you for finally explaining where they hid what is now called 'advanced search' in Vista. It is now a few more clicks to get to, but at least I have a reasonable search capability to use.

That (aside from the crashes) was my biggest problem with Vista. Now if I could only learn how to tell where all of those shortcuts in the file results are pointing. I don't want to know where the shortcut is, I want to know where the FILE is!!! And if I could figure out how to set 'shut down' and not 'sleep' as the default, I might find Vista less of a continual annoyance.

I can not figure out how to find a file in a directory with Vista. For example, how can I find files that contains the word 'Hi' in a directory? It is very frustrating.

WINDOWS VISTA SEARCH CANNOT FIND ANYTHING. This software is awful.

Windows Vista Search engine apparently is not full proof... this is what i found out recently... i not sure why but one of my word documents cannot be found by my search engine despite me typing the excat same name of the document or that the search engine can find the other document next to it... what makes it even weird is that i remember being able to search for it a few weeks ago...

do you have any idea of what is happening? and how to fix this problem?

is there no help on the menu bar?
how can i get help with some of the basic functions in word (using vista) and not have to go to the internet to find it? i haven't gotten any help within ms office.
thanks.

Check out the following link for searching for strings within a file, it seems to work

http://vistarewired.com/2007/03/17/how-to-search-files-by-content-data/

Vista search is abysmal compared to Win2k - can't find anything - for example, tried searching for *.mdb - nothing found (despite the fact I have lots of db files on the pc), removed the *. just in case, nothing found. It's awful and I wish I had the option of reverting back to a decent search tool on this PC!

Whoever wrote this is smoking crack. The vista search function is the worst it has ever been. Nightmare in XP? Are you crazy? As with everything else, MS has added more clicks to get to what you want and a confusing interface to boot. XP search was slower than in 2k, but at least it worked the same. Does anyone know a trick to get the old search back?

Sadly I bought Windows Vista. XP Search was terrible. Vista is worse. For example, I need to edit some HTML and ASP files containing the characters "user.dob" ... nah! No can do! Only to realise that aka girlgeek had the same issue back in May ...

Vista file search is useless. It seems that everytime Microsuck 'improves' something it only gets worse. "FIND" in Win9x was far superior to any "SEARCH" that has come since. I am looking at dozens of files that Vista cannot find with "search". I have been using computers since the 70's, so I'm not new to this. Vista sucks and it's file search engine does too.

And one other thing: Dave, you must be a Microsoft lackey, because nobody could try Vista Search who has ever used Win98 Find and say ANYTHING good about it.

Bob, if I'm a Microsoft lackey they have a serious problem because I've been a vocal proponent of the Macintosh platform for almost twenty years now! :-)

What the heck was wrong with the search function on XP? How was it a nightmare? Inquiring minds want to know, because Vista search sucks! I search for things I KNOW are on my computer, NOTHING shows up.

With the old search, If I searched for something, uhm..it found it. They should not have fooled around with it, it's crap now.

I am at the moment trying to find a replacement for the Vista Search utility or how to revert it to the old version. It does not find what you can find from the command line. The index fails to build properly. Microsoft seriously screwed up on this part of Vista.

"what used to be a nightmare is now an easily accomplished task using Vista’s powerful new Search features."

????

Who paid you to distort reality? What used to be the ability to search file contents is now a product that hides file contents. It has far less search power -- so much less as to be worthless as a productivity tool, and the manufacturer did not disclose to consumers in detail at the point of purchase the standard, usual features it withheld from its latest version.

It's time for Justice to pay another visit to Microsoft. When a company provides a downgraded product based on claims that it is an upgrade, consumer interests are damaged. Rebates, repairs and perhaps compensation for lost productivity might be due.

It does search file contents. The interface is just all mucked up. There's no easy access to advanced search, and the browse-folders link for narrowing searches is buried deep in the set of search options.

When it comes to searching file contents in Vista you can FORGET IT!!!!

I have to seriously question you Dave about praising the VISTA Search facility.

Vista search is truly the most irritating new feature in Vista. What the H ell were they thinking? Those dumb a sses.

http://vistarewired.com/2007/03/17/how-to-search-files-by-content-data/

(Posted by: spaceman at September 21, 2007 8:14 AM)
Go here there it WORKS but i had to click the box “Don’t use the Idex when searching the file system (might be slow)�?

I have to agree that the search function is the worst I have ever seen, and I desperately need a replacement. XP was bad enough because it left out certain hidden directories, but the Vista Search function just seems to be plain brain dead. I did an advanced search for files that had changed since a certain date, and it came up with only 2 in the %windows% directory, and none in the %system% directory. Now anyone who knows how Windows operates knows that is impossible. It is just more of Microsoft trying to hide things from the user because they won't understand it anyway. Fortunately the command line "dir" functions still work with the /a and /o:d options. It is slow work, but without it I would not be able to operate at all.

J.A. Coutts

And I thought it was just me.

Does anyone know what windows search is actually designed to do because it finds some pretty unrelated items but it has yet to find what I need, even though I know its there.

If it does indeed work, the user shouldnt need a degree to turn on/off obscure options to do a proper full search.

Customers who may have lost an important file would give up and assume there hard work had been lost, when it porbably has not.

A file search should be thorough, by default.

I wouldnt hold out much hope if the emergency services conducted searches for stranded campers this way. Only when the ice melts in spring would they be have any chance of being found (dead).

NTFS is quite a robust file system, it rarely misplaces files.

It shouldnt be like searching for a piece of hay in a huge pile needles.

Tried finding all *.exe's on drive C: - it came up with a dozen. A dozen?

I tried to find "FileExists" in any .BAS file inside a specific folder. Should have been 15 occurances instead it only found 6. To make matters worse, I had to spend an additional 20 minutes attempting to decipher if I was using the Vista search utility correctly.

Why can't MS create a patch to replace the Vista search utility with the one from XP? This could be a separate download and only if the user elected to download it.

I have to add my voice of protest! XP was far from perfect, but one of the great things its search function could do was find files based on the content - I write a lot, and I'm often looking for a Word doc where I can't recall what I called it, but I know it'll contain certain words. Vista just won't do that - I followed the link that It WORKED posted earier, and changed the settings, I tested it out with a few search terms and it still looks right through files as if they're not there.

Just wanted to add my two cents that I have had the same frustration with search. Ever since Windows XP tried to get "user friendlier" by searching for "documents" or "music" or "pictures and video" the search has become harder and harder to use. I can't even find an option to search with the old wildcards of * and ? in a filename. Intensely frustrating. Making the experience easier for idiots is commendable, but not at a huge cost for those who used to know what they were doing.

Another flaw: you can't search by a bracketed date (e.g., "I know I created this between 3-1 and 3-7"). Instead you can only do before or after a single date.

XP's routine was very useful and very flexible. This one is utterly worthless. I want XP's version back.

Guys Guys... I too was mad at first for the search in vista.. but after that it seems more easy.. just go to my computer and on the top right corner there is a search. Just type in the word.. the search starts automatically and files get listed.

Good luck.

these instructions:
http://vistarewired.com/2007/03/17/how-to-search-files-by-content-data/

Do not work. I have all of that set to search contents, and it *still* returns no results. A simple "grep" in cygwin, or in TextPad always succeeds. I have tried every variant of palying iwth those options and the find syntax and can't find a simple substring in a .css file!

The vista search facility is totally useless. I have spent an entire afternoon trying to get it to work, and it cannot find a single document or file! The sooner Vista is dead and buried the better.

In my opinion, the opposite is true - what used to be easily accomplished XP is now a nightmare in Vista!

I've seen myself almost reduced to tears with frustration trying to do simple things like searching for a text file with specific content. Why the hell did they think removing the box for entering the file contents was a good idea? I know you can optionally tell it to look for content matches, but that's useless if have different criteria for the filename and the contents as there's only one box! Oh boy I could scream, it's so brain dead stupid!

Admittedly, the search box on the start menu is handy for quickly getting to apps (since All Programs is now so cumbersome), but for finding files it's useless.

Worse still, the search option (not the box) has been removed in SP1. What a fantastic idea to annoy the hell out of users - that is the aim of Vista isn't it?

It's like MS made up a list of the most terrible ideas that must be avoided at all costs, but then accidentally handed it to their developers to be implemented!

I know I'm really late to this article but just wanted to add my 2 cents. Windows Vista file search sucks! It does not find files that I know for a fact are on my computer. I've messed around with it just to see how bad it is - and it's really really bad. I'll put a file on my desktop "test.txt" and do a search for "test". Nothing. And yes I've made sure the settings are in place to search the whole computer.

What in the hell was so wrong with the find that came with XP? It's search for crying out loud, it's not rocket science.

I'm so happy to have found this page and other souls to cope along with my intense anger and hatred with the Vista search. I just spent the last 30 minutes trying to search through a folder of text files by content because I knew the text existed somewhere in the files but didn't know the filename.

With XP this would have been a breeze. With Vista, I had to Google for help and ended up having to edit group policy to enable the hidden folder options (why it was hidden I have no idea) from the Tools menu, then tell Vista to search for files AND content. I enabled this and STILL Vista is not finding key words that are clearly in the text files I'm searching through. What a steaming pile of garbage I want to murder Vista in cold blood...

Hi! Do any of you know how to search for multiple items in vista? In XP you could for example do: "*.bmp;bin" XP then listed all files with "*.bmp" in its name, AND all files/folders with "bin" in its name?

Seriously though, this is my first try searching a file on Vista SP1 and it can't find it!!! Question: Is there a way to search how we did it in XP? I hate I need to open folders one by one and check myself or write a program that really searches.

Dave Taylor needs to be castrated. It should be a felony to even whisper the rubbish he publicly posts on the net. "What used to be a nightmare" ??? Son, when I type something in the search box with XP and it returns results within an instant I seriously fail to see how that could have ever been a nightmare.

It's SO frustrating to have morons like yourself force feeding lies like these to anyone. There is NO way that this topic is even remotely debatable. Vista is a nightmare! If I knew how I could sue Bill for everything he's worth I would.

If Vista is so great...
Why will it not "EVER" find something I know is on my DeskTop computer no matter if I search with "indexed" or "all" or (whatever I need to know but MS has hidden it...) YET I can go to my laptop which runs XP and search my same DeskTop and be able to find it within seconds????? Why does Vista FORCE me to have STUPID headings in the Found window like "TAG",AUTHOR, ETC" WTF...!!! WHY does Vista DO A COMPLETE re-search when all I did was change a sort direction???? JEEZ
...VISTA SEARCH SUX... or even WORSE it is USER UN-Friendly.

I've read through the comments and I agree that Vista search is absolutely horrible. I have had good success using the effective file search tool from sowsoft.com. It's much better.

Oh it is so refreshing to hear I'm not stupid. I am so disgusted with VISTA, already crashed my hard drive, slow as ever, and the hard drive doesn't ever seem to stop chugging, what the hell is it doing, I leave the computer on and if I get up at night it sounds like 30 people are logged on running disk defrags or something. It sucks, so bad. I can't wait to see Microsuck go down the tubes. Ubuntu is awesome, give it a try.

Any help for searches?

Yep, Vista search sucks. There seems to be no way to get it to search file contents properly. I read through the official MS instructions and various suggestions that apparently worked for someone... no luck whatsoever. I can't find even a one-word term in file contents for simple text files. Turn file search on always, check. Index directory, check. Advanced search, check. No luck. No luck at all. And no clue of what's not working either. And even if there is some mysterious way to get it to work, the fact that it's this convoluted makes it pathetic.
In four short words: I hate Vista search.

Lots have voiced their opinion about Windows Vista Search and I too am against the Vista Search.

What still surprises me is the eerie silence from Dave. Does Dave thinks otherwise. Let us know Dave

Nothing eerie about it, Vishnu. I have been running some tests and am planning on writing a new, updated piece about Vista search based on further testing + all the great feedback people have given here. Stay tuned. :-)

The search is absolutely pathetic, just ridiculous. Windows XP was infinity times better that the one vista has now. for example I need to find other files with the word "buildings" in them in a certain directory i search it comes up with nothing and i can clearly go to one of the files, open it and there it is right there. I sat at my computer for a good half hour trying all of the different options in search. At least on windows XP you could find what you were looking for even if it took a couple of hours, and if you didn't the options were easiloy modified. how did these vista people think that vista search would be better? Computers are supposed to be trillions of times smarter than us -- it is time they start acting like it.

Looking forward to the updated article Dave, please make it soon, because I need to find those files. It might be easier to pull out the HDD, put it in a caddy & let some other OS find what I need.

I have no idea how to do something that was really simple in all versions of windows previously, and I'm just about to try to remember DOS commands because I can't figure out how to do this in Vista.

Can anyone tell me how to run a search to pull up results that are FOLDERS? For instance, let's say I want to find all folders on my computer named "temp". Anything I try in the vista search gives me either files named temp or files within the folders that are named temp. Now, clearly, if I have a list of all the billion files that are within temp folders, in the "location" result of the search, I do actually have all the temp folders listed, but there should be a way to limit results to type:folder. All I can see to limit results is up at the top of the search panel where it says documents, email, other, etc. I tried "other", and that didn't pull up folders either.

Please Help!

The real problem with this is that this is an Organizer based search. There should always still remain a method to search for files within specific directories by wildcards and partials. There is a reason you can find this functionality on EVERY OS in current existence, including all the modern ones. Many OS's have tools that further extend search capabilities and results in this method.

A Media organizer, which is basically all that Vista's search is.. is a great tool, but it's pathetic as the primary method of searching your harddrive for more utilitarian reasons.

Multimedia is great, but even in the multimedia world such as authoring.. you deal with thousands.. millions of files of different types. A catalog only search method is too weak and unconcentrated enough for directory maintainece to handle the requirements needed for such work. This can and will lose MS a large part of the OS footprint in the business world and power computing world.

Funny thing is, I bet this ONE thing, this PRIMARY REASON, is the true source of nearly every complaint and frustration brought up about Vista..it only takes one driver issue or crash later for someone to make up their mind to switch back to XP or leaving MS products alone. Shame too because otherwise I think the OS is pretty damn sexy.

Hello Dave
If is so easy the serch with Vista, how can I find my *.pst files. If you could help me I would appreciate that.

Regards.

Uborka

So Vistas search is better than XP's because Vista provides more ways to input search strings THAT WILL FIND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU ARE LOOKING FOR?

OMG. I just can not even start to imagine what the h-ll they were thinking when embedding this absolutely useless search engine in Vista. Nor what the h-ll Dave Taylor was thinking at the moment of his Vista search praises.

Scenario 1: I wanted to find a "register.exe" for a program X (sat under common files\X\something\). I went to C:\ and entered "register.exe" with subfolder search on. Nothing. Tried again with "*.exe". Many results, but still no register.exe. Went one step up to "Computer" and tried "reg*.exe". Voila, found it...based on what logic?

Scenario 2: Wanted a size-sorted list of files on drive N:, and N: only. Went to N: entered "*.*" in search field. Vistas marvellous search starts instantly, but with no Size-details. Pressed back, so it stopped search, closed search and all advanced options. Size-details were now missing in normal folder view too, instead I got details like genres, albums and ratings even though there were no media files in that folder. WTF! Tried again with Size-details, but search wouldn't sort by it, even though I pressed it several times. Stopped search, restarted search, now it would. Listed only first 5000 files...from drives N: AND D:. Thanks, Vista!

In Windows XP after you disabled your search f(r)iend and other "stupid user aids" from it, you had a search tool you could trust on. With Vista, the search finds or doesn't find your files with no apparent logic or relation according to your input and search settings. It is really frustrating to live in this kind of mistrust and keep constantly wondering what else there were that should have been shown to you but were never shown because of this crippled search engine and it's illogical madness.

Big step back. I don't know how to search for a text string within a specific type of file. This was easy to do in NT,2K, XP. At least they should provide some documentation that explains how to do everyday tasks.

Erf it doesn't work!!!! It was better in Windows XP. I try to find pst files, "*.pst" doesn't work.... Stupid Vista...

Trying to find a file on its name in Vista failed, so I started to google and found my soulmates here. :-)

As for searching via file content I can advice inforapid search and replace. But on Vista the context menu entry is missing.

Are there any other search tools?

I've used Agent Ransack on XP for years, and I'm going to install in on my Vista now.
It's free and haven't been changed since 2003, but it's all right for most of the things I need it for.

http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/download.aspx

I HATE Vista's search. I often need to make advanced searches and Vista's search tool is incredibly unintuitive.

Example: I place a lot of files in the Public folder so other users on the machine can access the files. I open the file explorer and click on Public. How the heck do I make an advanced search?

Notice there is NO advanced options. I have found advanced options in the past but I couldn't tell you how I found it.

Other times I need to search for un-indexed files of many different extensions. Vista's searches on indexed files unless you find the advanced options.

Do I have to add Cygwin (unix type emulator) to my computer just to make advanced searches? I HATE Unix and don't want to have to remember cryptic command line text.

The file Explorer is also awful. The search results often do not include date and type. I continually try to add those groupings but they mysteriously disappear later. I hate the loss of productivity.

I'm an experienced Windows user.
But I've been using Vista for 4 months,
I still can't achieve the successful
search in old Windows version.
MS added a lot of new features in Vista,
but most of the users don't care about
these new features. All we care most
is the GOOD features in previous windows,
because we are used to them. MS just hide
or remove them in Vista. MS just don't
care about the users at all.
We do have to consider switching to another
OS like Linux or Mac if MS is leaving us,
the users more than we can tolerate.

I find the file !!!
... by another program, TotalCommander
in seconds only.
Vista is the powerful tool of MS to
annoy or torture its users.
When Windows was attacked by security
issues, we hated the hackers.
When Vista is out, we hate MS.
MS has stopped selling XP, but they
should learn that XP are getting more
welcome than Vista.

What the hell! How do I search video files in my laptop using Vista ? In XP at least, it had an option to search for video files!

Well, people are getting a bit hot under the collar...

On the surface windows vista's new features look comprehensive and extensive... Which is what Dave showed you... Used right I am sure you can find any file you want... unfortunately you usually find a trillion files you were looking for as well.

The reality is that the simple file based search engine windows had in previous versions was replaced by an index based system, so if you want to find something, it must be in an indexed folder, or you have to tick the button called "search in non indexed folders" in the advanced search engine. You could also opt to index your entire drive, by right clicking on it and right clicking on it and choosing "index this drive for faster searching".

All said and done you would think this would work.... Unfortunately now you can find your file to be certain, unfortunately you also find every file that contains that same string inside it, or in its tags...

So... anyway what I am saying... its rubbish... sorry microsoft...

Even then the search engine is

Searching for files in Vista is a nightmare!

Searching in Vista is awkward. I am trying to search for all files that have a .exe extension in a specific folder. Guess what? Vista is returning me all load or rubbish.

This is achievable with windows xp because when searching, there is an option that says 'part of file name' - in Windows XP, this allows us to be able to search just file with certain extension e.g *.txt, or *.exe

If someone manages to get this right, please share that with me because I want to search for all files that have .exe extension in a certain folder and delete them BUT I can't unless I am prepared to do that manually.
If you have found a solution for this; please shoot me an email at baianinho@vodamail.co.za coz I am desperate in getting this right.

If this guy thinks that Vista has a great search function, and XP was a "nightmare" then he must be on the Microsoft dole. Vista search is absolutely awful. It regularly skips files I know to be on my hard drive. Thus, there might as well be no search function because I don't trust it to find all the files I'm looking for.

I hope that Vista is the beginning of the end of Microsoft. It is mind-boggling that they have released such an awful product, knowing that Google and Apple are gunning for them.

Thanks Microsoft for making my life so much more difficult! Whereas XP could find any file including a certain key word within no time, Vista doesn't manage to find anything!
Now I've got to open all my files manually to see if that's the file I'm looking for. I'm a teacher and have enough work & stress as it is... I so don't need this! Seriously thinking about switching back to XP because of this rubbish! Perhaps windows can create a'recommended update' for this instead of notifying me of nonsense updates all the time?

I just discovered my Vista machine won't do the routine searches I did with XP. How do I uninstall Vista and go back to Win2K?

Please, please help...
I used to use the new Vista search facility in the top right of my music folder to find songs by title when I couldn't remember the Artist.

I was amazed how quickly the search started and refined itself as I typed in the box.

But now - as I type, nothing happens. At all. I hit return and still nothing.

What has happened?
How do I get the facility back?

:-(

First of all, a solution (I hope): In the search box, type for instance: *.txt soundgarden This will search for all files with the .txt extention containing the word "soundgarden".

I hope that helps.

Word to M$ sw developers working on next version of OS - perhaps you could install a simple switch that says "Emulate XP interface". Naw, that would be too easy. Let's keep with the Vista paradigm and make even more things less intuitive (who the heck would have thought to use a search in that manner?) I agree with all the posts...what a nightmare.

Microsoft Vista search sucks so bad, that I can't even trust it when it comes up empty. I have a dual-boot system, so I log into Linux and then search Windows. I always find what I'm looking for using Linux, plus a lot of stuff that is hidden by Microsoft from even administrators.

Vista search is really very bad. It might be Ok for - I don't know - average computer users, but I use my computer every day - 8 hours a day, and I need to find stuff - often, and I simply can't. It doesn't work. The advanced function just isn't advanced at all. I am frequently resorting to a good old-fashion DOS-box to get my searches done. At least it works.
Oh - and whilst I'm at it - Microsoft should have had a good look at MacOSx search. Now - that works.

Oh... and the UI for the search-facility is really strange. I am managing to get it to display the advanced search (after a while), but then I start typing things in the "name" box and Vista replies by filling stuff into the search-box that I really didn't need it to do, so I'm having to delete stuff from the search-box and then hope it works. Oh and things like "~" in names seem to completely confuse the search-function. I simply don't trust the thing to find what I need.

This new search is horrible. I'm trying to find a file on my mothers new PC (she saved it and can't remember where) and the search keeps coming up with nothing. Out of curiosity I made a new file (just a Word Document), named it the same thing, and saved it to the desktop. Then I searched again and the !@#$% thing still couldn’t find it.

This guy's a nut. The topic is "How do I search for files." He never answers it. First he talks about seaching for applications software. Then he says "If you're working with the Documents directory . . ." Excuse me?? I want to find file ABC. No questions needed - how do I find the file? Then:

"To use Searches:

1. Open Documents.
2. Select Searches from Favorite Links.
3. Choose one of the pre-saved search criteria"

My question: What does it mean to "Open Documents"? What is "Favorite Links"?

And he loves the incredibly bad file search in Vista (note the complaints above) when in fact:

THE VISTA FILE SEARCH VIOLATES A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF PROGRAMMING - SPECIFICATIONS IN PARTICULAR: WHEN THE USER DOESN'T ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THEN GIVE THEM EVERYTHING. LIST EVERYTHING, CHECK EVERYTHING, SEARCH EVERYTHING.

THIS LETS SOME WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE APPLICATION TO USE IT ANYWAY - THEY JUST HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH MORE OUTPUT. BUT HOW MANY TIMES WOULD IT FIND A GIVEN FILE NAME ANYWAY?

THE VISTA SEARCH IS THE OPPOSITE. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHICH BUTTONS TO PUSH AND WHICH BOXES TO CHECK TO GET IT TO "RUN THE F***** SEARCH".

VERY VERY BAD.

What a horrible, backwards search feature! Word of advice for MS and the author of the article: most people with knowledge to perform a search are not laymen or your typical user. They actually know what they want to look for and the available hierarchy of point and click menu's are not helping. Unfortunately, that hierarchy is modeled within Vista search which is very simple minded, making it frustrating. Vista search is repeating that point and click hiearchical search within a text box that should be reserved for people who know search commands! Additionally, assumptions meant to quicken searches actually take more time because the user has to first recognize the assumptions: indexed searches first. When that fails, the user must then choose to unselect: search indexed places. Of course, not everywhere is indexed, so the user must then choose to search in unindexed locations which causes an annoying alert saying searches may be slower. At what point does a user say, "oh. then. I dont want to search for that file because it might not be indexed. i think ill forget I even had it".
I'm not being sarcastic, i'm trying to relay criticism for a very poorly thought out tool. I will look for 3rd party software to search my drive.

Vista search is awkward, backwards, clumsy and does not work at all. But hey, if the marketing guys at Microsoft say it is great, then who are we to contradict them? Reality is irrelevant. Don't you dare say that an orange is orange when they say it is blue!

vista search engine is worst.i have never seen such useless search.

i have a file called 38.rar in c:\files\ folder

when i enter 38.rar in the search box.

(start --> search --> for files or folders-->searchbox)

no results are found

Just wanted to add my voice to the messages above: all I want to be able to do is get a list of files that match one or more names or extensions. I'm not interested in what's inside any of the files, I want to be able to search arbitrary directories (preferably with a right-click) and I don't want the search to begin until I press a 'start' button.

That was easy, really super-simple in Windows 2000, and I can't find a way - any way - to do this in Vista, it's *unbelievably* frustrating. I abhor the search interface, it's terrible. Can someone suggest a good third party replacement?

"what used to be a nightmare is now an easily accomplished "

Dave with that single sentce you have lost all respect. Vista search is awful.

In "My Music" I have a file called "06 - Budget Meeting.ogg". If I go to c:\users\ben and enter the search string "06 - Budget Meeting.ogg". Vista cannot find it!!!

That is a major flaw!!!

who's ready for another class action lawsuit? i paid good money for this worthless software and i want it back...now.

I really really don't know what you were thinking when you wrote that bit up there Dave.. I am yet to see a tool that is worse then the search utility in Vista. For the files that Vista can search and find for me... I frankly don't need search at all...

Sorry to repost but the pain over paying for something like Vista (especially the search utility) is not easy to get over... I join all my brothers in their "search" for a better search tool...

And, if you're a person who had something to do even remotely with writing code for Vista Search, I just have one question....

"What were you thinking?"

This set of comments has comprehensively proved that Vista Search is mind-bendingly awful. But Dave, where's the promised follow-up article telling us how to overcome these problems? The guys Microsoft CANNOT have intended their software to work this badly. There MUST be some way of finding files by simple filename matches, simple content matches and combinations of the above, like we all could in previous versions.

Rowan

When things do not seem to make sense they make perfect sense.

The search function in XP was perfectly adequate.

The search function in the newer Vista is ridiculously complex.

Therefore one can only conclude that the few are once again attempting to con the many while at the same time entering into secret agreements to sell third party products (such as Search software) that will not only cost us but will eventually be used to track our personal interests when this is noone's business but our own.

What a great scam eh?

Windows Vista is REALLY RUBBISH.... HOW CAN MICROSOFT do this to us???

and the find-utility is absolute useless...

is it possible to use the old SEARCH (I mean the XP SearchUtility) ????

I am trying to convince my company to switch to Linux or Solaris... I cannot stand Vista any longer...

SirPrize

I think you got it mixed up. Vista is nightmare, xp was great.

XP and Win2K searches were awesome. VISTA has gone backwards and basically the search is now useless.

Right click on a specific folder in an effort to just search that folder.... YOU CAN'T.

Try to find all *.doc and *.txt modified in the last week that contain the word "dog" - you can't.

I guess windows is trying to cater to the apple clueless crowd by making their search stupid.

The search in VISTA is a constant source of itrritation and it suprises me that they practically hobbled all the features that made it great. What a waste.

Also the author of this article needs to wake up and smell the coffee.

Vista search Sucks bigtime.. i really hate it..

Yes, it really sux.
But solution seems ot be Agent Ransack as mentioned previously.

i just downloaded and ran it and yahoooo! - simple, reliable old fashioned results.

Oh, but the help does not work in Vista, seems microsoft thougth it a good idea not to make old help files compatable.

Nice to think of the customers again guys!

More on Agent Ransack - this program is fantastic.

Not only does it give great searches when you open it as a program, it also comes up if you right click a folder.

Also of great use is the feature of showing a segment of the file around the keyword when searching on file contents so you can quickly make a choise without opening them.

I will seriously consider paying for pro version just because the freeware version has been so helpful.

Why is this so good and microsoft cannot replicate it with their big budgets??!!

Holy crap, vista can't even find mytextfile.txt in c:\ how can it be trusted to find what you're looking for within 1000s folders?!?!
Can't imagine what windows 7 is gonna be, oh dear...

The main reason why people use search in Windows is to find files that are.. well... hard to find. This feature in Vista makes it easier to find files that are right in front of you and considerably harder to find those that need finding. I would call that a BIG STEP BACKWARD.

Vista Search loses all search results after you open one file it offered you in Search results. If you then want to open another file the Search has just found, you have to do it all over. as the results are gone. Also it finds files long deleted. What's the purpose of finding no longer existing files? And also it frequently fails to find surely existing files, which after the failure I go to where I believe it should be and find it with my own eyes. Vista Search makes no sense. It's a bad, bad joke.

VISTA SEARCH IS TOTALLY WORTHLESS, I AM GOING TO FIX IT BY GOING BACK TO WIN 2000 OR XP (WITHOUT SERVICE PACK 3)

For all those that have not tried it you can’t go wrong with "Agent Ransack", very fast and very easy to use, thanks to Kevin for the post.

I believe Microsoft should be making a large donation to Agent Ransack for sorting things out for them. I may be in the minority but apart from the search facility, or lack of it, I love Vista.

Is this supposed to be parody?

"what used to be a nightmare is now an easily accomplished task . . ."

Is Microsoft paying you to say this with a straight face?

'Quick and simple' was a nightmare? What are you, a masochist?

This article seem to tell me more about Dave Taylor ...why would he write something like this?

Were you paid to misinform? Or do you just post things without research?

You are that person that cheapens and removes credibility from the Internet.

Easy gang, I am working on a replacement article and will trash this one. :-)

And no, alas, I wasn't paid by Microsoft. I can't use that excuse...

Just wanted to say that this thread has made me laugh out loud - because its all true! And am glad other people hate it as much as me. I'm the only person in my office with Vista, and nobody belives me that its as bad as it is. I find the whole Windows Explorer experiance very poor - Basic features do not seem to work, even deleting a folder on my c:\ with 5gb of files in it crashes vista!?! Command line helps me out thought!!

Thanks to Jokke for "Agent Ransack". It solves the problem.
It is weird that ms didn't purpose any NORMAL search utility for vista in windows updates yet, because its obvious that vista search is just junk.

If I want to search for files on the hard drive from the start menu, it's a pain. I have to revert to the old start menu, by right clicking, selecting properties, changing to classic menu. Then I select the suboption For Files and Folders. THEN I have to click on the advanced tools. Then I select the drives I want through a cumbersome process.

When I'm done, I need to use start menu properties to change it back to the old style if I like that better.

I have no idea why Microsoft insists on making each new OS more difficult than the previous one. This search problem is insane! Try to search in a specified folder (with numerous subfolders) for a file containing specified words. Not a chance!!!
Where are the advanced search options???
I found, by accident when I went into the folder options (now called folder and search options) to make sure hidden files and folders were visible. The 3rd tab gives you some advanced search parameters. It's still not as good as the search feature in XP, but I finally found what I was looking for.
Microsoft, what a pain.

No offense, Dave, but taking more than a year and a half to correct an article that is obviously of no use for anybody is a bit too long. You can tell by the vast amount of people who visit this page, obviously because they could not find what they were looking for, that the sooner you replace this article, the better!
Stop promising, start delivering!

Lol at anyone defendind vista search it is truly ridiculous.

Search is quite simple, all it needs to do is find the files which match your search criteria, it clearly does not! therefore it fails.

Check out this site:
http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsvista/pages/advanced-search-techniques.aspx

Once you get the lingo down, it works a lot better.

What a relief to find this site. Keep telling people that Vista won't find files that you're looking right at, but these lucky ones still with XP understandably don't believe me.
So delighted its not just me, so confused that MS haven't produced a fix/replacement /something free to all of us who've wasted HOURS trying find things. Also - i used to search at the end of the day for all files modified that day and put those files on my stick as a backup. can't do now as vista will find only some arbitrary subset of files dated today... So not only have i wasted hours, i'm vulnerable to losing valuable work if the laptop crashes or is stolen.

And thanks SOO very much for the Agent Ransack solution - have just downloaded and done the same search (files changed today+yesterday) with it and with Vista - AR found 28 files, and Vista only 12!!!! hahaha

Vista's search 'better' and 'more'? Every time I try to do a search that was easy in XP, it takes me 3 times as long with Vista. Vista has to be hand-held because all it wants to do is go off on its own tangents. I've been searching help and the forums for 20 minutes now because I need the TOTAL NUMBER OF FILES in the Result, and this simple piece of data that came up automatically in XP, is not appearing in Vista. I did the search because I needed to know the total number of results! Apparently Vista thinks nobody wants to know this any more! Man, I hate Vista. (Search isn't the ONLY thing wrong with it. Everything else sucks too.)

I have to add my voice to the chorus because I am actually livid about Vista search. It is so f*ing horrible as to make Vista unusable. My blood pressure is sky high from spending hours trying to find all the files with a given extension. It finds NONE of the ones on my C drive but all of the ones on my USB drive, yet I have thousands of them on my C drive. How is that explained???? I find myself screaming at the computer I am so mad and frustrated. An OS that does not have a usable file search is an OS that is useless. This, and the Explorer in general have turned me from a MS supporter to a MS hater. And I mean vitriolic, unbridled hate. My computer is my livlihood and I cannot stand not being able to do the most basic things with it. Man, am I upset! What the h*ll were you smoking when you praised this file search? Just freaking braindead stupid! The non-functional file search and the lack of tree-view in the Explorer are fatal flaws that I think will lead to the eventual downfall of Microsoft. It is that bad!

Cheers Dave, I'm a computing student and I still didn't know how to access this link, it's under MORE!? The start bar search isn't up to much either, but if this is progression I'll let you know

How can i search the documents in windows Vista on the basis of contents/word/phrase i specifiy.

i like xp style search as well but love speed of index search.
one is no substitute for other -I agree both would be nice and am going to be trying ransack
I recommend whereisit which allows multiple indexes (catalogs) as I think its a much better index search than vista search tool

I find vista search not so bad
Just be aware that you are searching an index not the drive itself
To get index search working right try some of following -works for me.

make sure the index suits you and your search suits you as well
try some\all of following
add c:
add search system folders
click search tools button
maske sure index is recent enough

When should I rebuild my index?
Your index requires virtually no maintenance. However, if the index has problems finding files that you know should be located in an indexed location, you might need to rebuild the index. This can take a long time to complete, so avoid performing this step unless you have given the index enough time (several hours) to correct any problems first. To rebuild the index:

click search tools button | modify index locations

Click Advanced, click the Index Settings tab, and then click Rebuild. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

I was having kittens with the Vista "advanced" (haha!) search facility, trying to look for "*.dat" files in a particular location. It used to be a piece of p1ss in XP or 2K. At first I thought it couldn't be done, but then I realised it's even easier...

Just type in *.dat [or whatever] into the search box in the top right. Tried it with *.exe and it found hundreds within seconds.

I loathe Vista. I loved Windows XP. None of the new features of Vista are usable or appealing. That's what happens when you over-improve something just to make it different and then you force everyone who's buying a new computer to get it. Did I happen to say that I loathe Vista?

I must concur with lots and lots of people, the Vista search feature is useless... I really don't need to search programs... I know where they are, the only reason for the search function must be to find files, anywhere, indexed or not. And it just doesn't work...

I was searching for files on my pc which i knew were there and of course vista could not find. and found this thread on google by searching "vista search files is stupid". I felt ill when i read the top article praising the search and claiming its better and more powerful then the xp search. (At least the xp search found our files)

All i want is to be able to search for a file, it searches the pc and finds it. Just keep it simple and working. Flashy interfaces is not needed.

The file search and UAC (user account control) the 2 worst things about vista. UAC is easily disabled, but its an annoyance.

It seems Vista was made for retards that don't know how to use a pc. To avoid them deleting important system files and such.

As a result we get a "user friendly" interface. Which really means more filters and blocks and hidden stuff, with less power to the admin accounts.

I agree. Vista search is a horrible piece of crap. At first I was serching for *.bat (i.e. a batch file) but get nothing. Then bat but I get all kinds of files with BAT in them. Then .bat but it does not find the batch file I was looking for that I had to find without search. What do these morons think? Every windows release they pull this crap and change stuff that works well enough as is. I don't recall having any "nightmares" with the XP search capability except that trick you have to do one so it will search inside all files (not just files with known extensions). Other than that is was monkey simple, just type text in one or both boxes, maybe select file dates and that is it. Now it tries to do all the thinking for us dumb clucks and happily returns nothing.

Did you say the XP version was a nightmare? WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING? It was soooooo simple, why the _(*#%&*#%#% did you change it? Now I can't find anything!

There is a simple solution, however. Take Vista off your computer and get XP installed again. Progress is not always progress.

Bill

Uses ubuntu to create a partition for xp and installs ;)

Dear Dave,

(1) Thanks for the advice on how to search.
(2) I HATE VISTA!

Best wishes,
Richard Stansfield
UK

Looks like a class action law suit.

No fix in sight.

Consumers rise.

Any Atty's here?

Given a choice between chewing broken glass and using Vista search, I would choose broken glass. Vista search is rubbish.

I love satire! I agree Dave, Vista search horribly sucks. Before you just had to press F3 or Ctrl+F in the window you wanted to search, but now it wastes resources pre-searching before I even typed the entire phrase - and it used to attach to the folder you were searching, not pointlessly open up an entirely new SEPERATE window - and I still can't find the Vista equivalent to search a text phrase in all files of a specific directory heirarchy. It used to be a simple checkbox, now it's NOWHERE to be found! While I mostly like the rest of Vista, now I have to pointlessly download a grep. Nothing like resorting to unix tools for windows to replace a hard to find/removed functionality you previously had.

I think VISTA is much harder to use than XP when it comes to searching for files. In VISTA, searches are limited to files of a single user. Not so in XP.
Suppose you download a document. No other user can find it using VISTA Search, but in XP, you need only type the name of the file.. XP searches the entire computer until it finds it.

This article is unreal. Prior to Vista I could go to any directory in Windows Explorer, right click and select Search, input criteria (string, file size, date range, etc.) and very quickly have a search completed. It took me 20 minutes to even find the Advanced Search utility. No search option appears at all when I right click on a directory! Am I missing something? Plus, apparently, you can no longer search date ranges. There is no spot to enter the second date!

"There’s also the Search feature available in the Start menu. The Advanced feature button lets you supply additional information that can facilitate searches, as shown below."

Show me where there is an Advanced Search button on the Start menu. I sure don't see it. There isn't even a Search button. You have to enter a search string in the text box to initiate the search function. I don't want to search by file name! Hello!?

I'm also wondering how you could possibly come to the inane conclusion that Vista's search is a lot better than XP's "nightmarish" search. In XP, you could at least customize your search options in such a way that you would be using advanced search all the time. In Vista, search is scattered throughout the system and the UI (somewhere), while all I want is advanced search *all the time*. How hard can it be?

I hate vista search!!!

With XP ALL I HAD to do was hit what hard drive I wanted to search. Now its a f-ing maze and ALL I want to do is search my external hard drive.

WHY OH WHY by God does Microsoft THINK of new crap and THINK we want it??

Maybe they have MAC envy, I dobt know, but what I DO know, is if they keep trying to be like their rivals, I just may well buy a damn mac.

Get your heads out of your arses Microsoft.......we PC users are STILL here for the ease of the PC. Take that away and I WILL buy a mac.

Vista search is very bad. I work in IT and I understand what its doing with indexed locations e.t.c but I must say that its just going to result in a lot of confused people. Its overcomplicating things in an effort to be better/faster, when neither were required.

Its not the first problem I've had with Vista and I wish I'd never bought it, but then I had to see for myself ...

Dave :- I respect the fact that you've had the guts to leave this up here and take the critisism posted here without censoring it.

On a positive note, this thread has given me a bit of a chuckle

I am no longer able to find *.wmv files on my PC with Vista!!!! The files are right there in the directory I'm staring at, yet when I try to find *.wmv, nothing comes back!

Interesting - when I convert the *.wmv files to *.mp3, I can find all the *.mp3 files but I am still unable to find the *.wmv files so I can delete them from the PC after being converted.

I'm not a knocker of Microsoft, I know it's not fashionable but I like most of what they produce......but,, what can I say about Vista Search?

I have files in open windows which I can see and Vista can't find them. All these months I thought it was my fault -until I found this site.

Anyone who thinks that searching with Vista is now an easily accomplished task hasn't given it more than a cursory glance. If they had they'd have spotted these flaws themselves.

It's time Microsoft admitted they've made a mistake and produced a upgrade to rectify it.

Agent Ransack isn't perfect but since I installed it it's always worked for me

Mmm..
when I try to find a file within the open window, vista search returns "no found", while I scroll down and look for it manually I DO find it.

If I want to find a file in the entire disk, for example a file.dcp (a delphi file) vista can find anything. My disk is plenty of this files.

I'm looking for a external util that works finding a file.
Meanwhile dir *.dcp /s does work fine.

Dave,
With all due respects, you shouldn't have written the article. It is simply misleading and undefendable. The fact you like Macs says it all :-) I guess you would like Vista Search if you like Macs... Even microsoft hang their heads when we discuss Vista Search and its not going to get better any time soon...

Kr's
Leon

I also hate Vista and was drawn to get answers on the search. My conclusion is that Vista is too customizable this makes the problem difficult to give one solution. Judging by the long list of complaints on this site the main problem is finding file type e.g. txt, doc and pdf. Second problem finding advanced search. So let me see if I can help sort out what Microsoft failed to explain. I use classic view folders so if you want to follow these instructions then I suggest you do the same. Use the control panel to select folder options. Under general tab select use Windows classic folders and apply, then click on view tab and clear tick box hide extensions for known file types and apply. Click on search tab under what to search and tick box for always search file names and contents or top option if you are not interested in the contents of files. Under how to search header tick include sub folders and partial matches. Finally under the “when searching non index locations” header, tick system directories and compressed files. Then apply changes and ok. Now open search from start menu and look for advanced search. If you don’t see advanced search, highlight and clear path and type desktop. Now advanced search should show below search window. If you had to do clear and type desktop then select organize and click on layout then search pane and toggle advance search off then back on. Now we are all looking at the same view we can adjust the details. Select view and click on choose details. My preferences are name, type, size, folder path and date modified. The rest I clear and move my selection to the order I want. Want to find files with exe then type exe in the search not the advance search. Before you all moan try putting exe type: app in search or exe type: -file see the different. Try putting type: doc or txt type: doc into search. Any field can be used for search and minus sign to reduce or trim results. Searches like exe size :> 12kb <1120kb can pin point the files you are looking for. As you can see the subject is far greater than I have explained but at least some of you will now find what you have been looking for. The advance search with the location set to everywhere and its show only menu, helps you to understand how your searches uses key words to find your files.

Trying to find files greater than 10000KB, results: 0???????? WTF!!!!
I have several files over that range. Video files, downloaded programs, etc...
I am considered to have greater than average computer skills and I am a programmer as well. Know several operating systems and I can;t find a GD file? WTF again!!!
Somebody please kill this pig called Vista. I have read the links shown in here. The MS link with the information about "advanced searches" says: "size: <5", "Finds items with a size less than 5"??????
Again, 5 what? KB, Kb, MB, GB, 5 what?
This is what happens when you put useless idiots to program in MS because of the pressure of the stock holders and come out with a blunder like Vista. Same thing that happened with Windows ME (replace Millennium Edition for Multiple Errors)
Over 4 months on the thread and there is still no "replacement article" like Dave said.
I know why, there is no FCKing way you can search $hit in Vista.

George try advanced search options location "everwhere" and type in search size:>10000k or gd size:>10000k also make so size details are selected so you can see results.Seaches sizes for size>9.7m or size:>0.0095g also work.

I agree that the search function in Vista and Windows 7 sucks/doesn't work.

I have no idea why Microsoft replaced the successful XP search program with a newer program that simply doesn't work.

You won't believe how to search for file extensions:
1. In the search box type in:

ext:(*.xlsx)

this will find all extensions xlsx
If you want to find xls and xlsx type in:

ext:(*.xls OR *.xlsx)

Doug

"what used to be a nightmare is now an easily accomplished task using Vista’s powerful new Search features."

I think you mean "what was fairly simple is now a complete nightmare". Honestly, I'm using third party applications to search where as in XP Windows Explorer was just fine.

(Otherwise am fairly happy with Vista).1

It's been said a thousand times already but I am saying it again. VISTA SEARCH SUCKS.

I am trying to find duplicates files (ending in (1), (2), etc. In Xp iw as able to search for:

(1; (2; (3; (4; 5; etc

and it was perfect.

If i add more than just (1 it returns nothing.

If I use just (1 it returns things like

Filename(1).ext
Filename1.ext
File1Name.ext

WTF?

Micro$oft Sucks. I am not a violent guy in ANY WAY, but if i ever met Bill Gates I would slap him until he couldn't see then steal his wallet (if i could lift it)

Mitch
You have come across Microsoft’s biggest f*ck ups. Trying to introducing logic operands into searches and making them a key part was a mistake. Having seen how the big boys do it they tried to copy them. NOT, AND, OR <> = +- work fine because they are tried and tested methods from the eighties. Keywords like type:, size:, name:, ext: and date: also work, but left and right parenthesis as a token or keyword is just stupid. When a left and a right parenthesis are used they find a list of all words in any order.

An example of this would be (Is Vista Crap) as a search and returning Vista Is Crap. So when you used (1 (2 as a search Vista can’t manage the ( so ignores it and returns any file with a name 1 or 2. It get worse if you are searching content of files then any file with 1 or 2 which would take forever on non index files and return just about every file on your hard drive.

The Microsoft boys have sat on their hands for over 12 months believing that they haven’t got a problem. We will see if there is a problem when nobody upgrades or buys any of their newer software. Car manufacture is a good example of this, plenty of cars but they are sat in lots going rusty. Wrong product wrong timing and no faith in the product just goes to show guy at the top has no idea.

I can’t wait for Google’s Operating system and Nintendo’s Office Applications to suit the customer’s needs and desires. Microsoft is currently working on the “search brain teaser” and “gates needed to hold windows together”. The easy answer is drop the parenthesis and use keyword i.e. MIXED: which would take a small mod that could patch the MISTAKE.

Going back to poor Mitch, Vista will copy files and add –copy to the file name so searching for that will find some newer duplicates. Older duplicates and programs that use the (1) methods, are still with us. If your files are like these name(1).ext and name(2).ext then

1. NOT type:windows NOT type:security NOT type:png NOT type:license NOT type:profile NOT type:file.

This is not neat by any means but reduces the amount of crap you will need to look at. If you are brave you can remove the last NOT type:file as this is the biggest filter. Once you have customized the search maybe put 1. OR 2. OR 3. in it, then save it for next time. If you have no faith in search then download a third party software like Instant File Name Search free and forget about Microsoft. One brave step for Microsoft is one step into a deep pile of horse $#@$ for mankind. If you find any files that have no type and no path, don’t open them because explorer app.exe crashes every time. This is just another added value Easter bad egg.

Vista’s search is bad - It is complicated and does not work.

For the general public, a search engine should involve 2-3 steps.

1. Type word
2. Click “Enter” –> find file.
3. (Optional) Refine default search options.

Anything beyond that is instant FAIL!

When no one at my company (even IT) can figure out how to get good results, something is wrong.

I actually thought that the vista search was horrible too for the longest time. but I just found out that if you want to search in "non indexed" places (which is probably why you arent finding files) You have to click advanced search, then make sure you check the box that says "include non-indexed, hidden, and system files"

then it will work and search whichever drive you'd like it to FULLY.

Dave Taylor, so prior to your original article did you even fiddle with the search features? Did you even take the time to make a substantial opinion? Or was it a quick, superifical "awe" you were caught in because of this OS's nice looks that rendered your resulting article entirely inaccurate?

XP nightmare? Really? Compared to 2k it wasn't a nightmare, just not as good! What are you talking about, really? Who are you? Where do you get your slanted info? It sounds like pro-MS propaganda, yet you say they don't pay you.

So how did you come to your objective conclusion, anyway? You haven't touched on this at all.

Levi, I can't say what was running through my head when I wrote the original article - it was a long time ago. I will say that now that I am using Vista more extensively I am quite shocked at how terrible the search system is, and I have said more than once that I'll be updating this with a new article that talks about how to cope with the goofy, stupid Vista search system...

Mr Taylor is a Microsoft lackey. Vista search does not work.

Perhaps there is some secret to Vista's search that I am not seeing that makes it good. I write for my paycheck. I wrote a story some time ago and I need to find it. I don't know the filename. How do I search based on words in the document?

Johnny I could just say read my entry above but I suppose that would be lazy. So here goes, open Search from Start taskbar then click on Organize and select Folder and Search Options. Select Search tab then select Always search file name and contents and select Include subfolders. Type the phrase you are looking for example; missing story type:doc in the search window. Make sure you are searching Everywhere and this will return all documents files types containing your phrase.

I just had this Dell with Vista64 and i7 processor and 6 gb 3 months ago. Fisrt thing I did was to install Windows Commander (not even the newer version called Total Commander) a good ol' file utility 16 bit application. And you what? it finds things just fine and in no time! Ha ha ha! LOL

Did someone say that searching on vista SUCKS?

As others have commented, I too was extremely heartened to find this page. Like others, I thought it was my fault (at first anyway) but most of the issues I've had appear here! I had googled on this subject countless times in vain since May 2007. I finally tried and somehow found this page (hmm, "hosed" doesn't appear here; go figure).

So, has anyone tried Google Desktop Search? How about Z-Tree?

Hi Dave,

I read your article and the comments including your follow-up comments. Have you come up with the new article or is Vista so terrible that there are no work-arounds that you've found? It's been about 1 1/2 years since the original article.

I will say that I got it to work somewhat by always reindexing everything. However, that's a considerable amount of time wasted compared to Windows XP. Similar to 100x or greater what it takes with XP.

Otherwise, I use a 3rd party tool.

"Dave's Answer:

No! Performing searches has drastically changed in Windows Vista; what used to be a nightmare is now an easily accomplished task using Vista’s powerful new Search features."

You are such a ridiculous person to dare believe that you are talking to monkeys. Search in Vista never works. It sucks. and as you said, to do one search you have to try many different ways to accomplish it.

Vista search is awful. I could cite the specifics, but if you're here you already know them.

The bigger problem is that this same type of thinking flows all aspects of the operating system design.

The real issue is: Whose computer is it, anyway? I believe that it belongs to me, since I bought it. Microsoft doesn't believe likewise. The arrogant jerks who brough us Vista, then had the gall to say how great it was want to dictate how to use your computer.

Vist has a lot of nice features, but it is terrible in so many ways. I have worked on computers for a living for over 20 years, and I understand all the techniques mentioned here about how to actually use the search, yet I find it so frustrating. It is just barely usable.

I have installed one third party product and use it some, which helps. I have also installed the above mentioned Agent Ransack, but I was not impressed with it. To me all the comments about it seemed like shills, but who knows.

Thought I was crazy...yay I am not. Vista sucks.
If I were Dave Taylor I would delete this thread. I might even delete this whole website.

I agree Vista search still sucks even after SP2.

I have a 1 Gig folder on my drive that an self-extracting file put on my drive. I just extracted it, assuming it would go into the same directory that is was downloaded into. Was I wrong. Here I have 1 Gig of space being occupied, and I cannot even find that monster!

Thanks Dave
I have a question
How to menimize temporary files space in vista

Seriously, Dave Taylor could not have been more off! I almost didn't read the posts cuz of the flakeyness of the article, but thanks to the posts, I see that I am not alone in the frustration. I suppose if I needed a $120 OS to make panoramic pictures instead of functions like searching for files by date and content, I wouldn't feel like kicking myself for continuing to use Vista.

If you are a geek and have to find a file, I recommend downloading cygwin and using the find command like this:

find /cygdrive/c -name "*.avi" -print

This will get you all the avi files in a specific directory for example. Windows Vista has lost the ability to search in a specific directory, it seems.

Vista search totally sucks.

I understand file structures and have been using computers all the way back to the original DOS operating system, - understand programming code and database programming - and I can't peform a simple search on this piece of crap.

XP at least would go looking for what was there. I've got no idea how this thing determines anything.

unbelievably aggravating.....

it´s terrible enough I got used to the windows XP Interface. Now Microsoft creates this nightmare? I don´t know if i´ll stand it.

I don't know if it is like this in the rest of the world, but in South Africa if you buy a PC, the price of this Vista crap is already included. I'm really starting to dislike Microsoft with a PASSION!!!!! They're a bunch of bullies, leaving us with no alternatives... I wonder how much I would have saved on my brand new laptop if I could install Linux right from the start!!

Vista sucks!!! I am looking at the file RIGHT HERE and when I do a search it sits there for a good five minutes, then returns NOTHING!!! I hate Macs, but I am seriously considering getting one based on the fact that this is the worst computer I have EVER HAD!!! Even my old Commodore 64 works better than this!!!

The problem with this post is that it starts with the assumption that the XP search engine was a "nightmare."

You know what I want? The ability to right click on a folder and have the word "search" be in the drop down. THAT is the simplest, most intuitive way to search for something. If you want to add all of the other BS, have at it, but stop taking away the simple stuff.

Uhhh.... I am not so sure about better... it is very unintuitive compared to XP. I can't figure out how to search for files that contain a string of text. On the old XP I'd select the folder and search for files that contain the text string. I am a little pissed I can't do this and had to resort to searching on Google to find a solution - which I have niot dopne yet. Man... Vista has been a huge disappointment in so many ways. Why do I have to relearn things that were sensible before... oh well...

Even now after 18 months of frustration with Vista I am still baffled at Vista's file search. What should be a most basic operation for an O/S is terrible in Vista. I can't see any way to differentiate between upper and lower case when searching for a substring. I will have to go back to what I have been doing for the last 18 months; copying my files to a flash drive plugging them into my XP machine and searching for this way. I do hope some people got fired for Vista - it must have cost the world economy billion's $ in wasted hours. Pray tell Windows 7 is better, else I am buying a Mac!

Vista search is the worst nightmare someone ever could imagine.
Use search to save time,but end up waisting more time trying to find it via search...Fetching it yourself then waiting for the EXTREEMLY SLOW SEARCH and getting end up with another NOTHING found when you are sure you have this file!

Then lets type in a phew letters and get end up with 1000's of found files,even files that have nothing to do with the search you just typed thej still SHOW UP and fill up the list making search slower and slower it even makes your pc run slow.

If i need a review from something i be sure to NOT get it from this site because it fails as mush as the windows search does.

I've been in IT for over 15 years, and Vista search is the worst single tool I have ever had the misfortune to use. It would better to have no search tool than this, at least I would not be tempted to "try it one more time" in the vain hope it was miracously (silently) fixed by monthly patch.

It begs the quesiton how did this ever get past end-user testing before going commercial? Surely the guest/beta-testers must have marked this down as a showstopper.

I was forced off 2000 at work, and run XP at home. No problems. Now Vista and a world of pain for what should be a routine, simple need - i.e. I want to find something on my hard drive.

Ye gods. M

Better? Right. Searching with w2k search under XP and in W2k (and before): simply right click folder, select 'search', zap, there it is. Now in Vista, W2k8 and 7? Stupid clumpsy interface, and the stupid thing does not find files that exist. Yeah, even with selecting, deselecting and tweaking all the stupid, partly hidden options. I also miss the annoying dog, but that will probably be restored with an essential 120Mb Windows Update.

Microsoft, if we want to SEACH for a FILE NAME we want to FIND the FILE NAME. We don't want indexing (come back next week and say bye bye to your resources), adding extensions to be found when 'everything' is selected, unhide hidden files and folders, include folders and all that kind of stupidity while the freaking thing doesn't even work after all the efforts! We want W2K search back. Plain and simple. We don't mind how long a query takes, HDD's and CPU are fast enough not to have it last for ages. The best thing, sigh, W2K and before search does WORK.

It's absolutely fabulous, Microsoft. As ICT professionals we go to older machines in networks in order to find things on newer machines. Just because the simple 'SEARCH' is still an option in these explorer versions and it works fine in that way, even with the machines with the new Search which isn't working. Isn't that great? Somehow the functionality is still there in newer OS-es, but it has been obscured beyond recognition just because one of your bright heads happen to see Google Desktop and thought 'mee too mee too'.

Why are you aways trying to cripple down user experience? Cripple functionality, invoke extra extra extra steps when there is nothing added? You hate your customers, don't you? You know, I'll install a virtual PC with XP. I'll start that up whenever I need to find a freaking file.

MS, please fire the incompetent engineers who come up with marvelous ideas like this. Listen to you customers. And please, fire the childish mind who came up with animated dogs or paperclips. Send him to Disney Land or something. We don't want nor need gimmicks and jokes in serious business environments. We need OSes that work. Plain and simple, without gadgets and disfunctionality. Most of us -including tech savvy users- are grown ups who understand that you shouldn't delete the Windows folder, change the name of Program Files, throw water in the PC to cool it down or smash the monitor in order to turn it off. And you know what, even with all your efforts people still manage to render their PC's useless. Useless. Rant is off now.

Microsoft Vista is not fit for purpose so why have the regulator allowed us to be ripped off. No refunds for all those unhappy customers and no replacements of OS with one that works and functions correctly.
Windows 7 is ready for release and Microsoft knows we are not happy about Vista so they intend to preinstall every PC with their next money making scam and pretend it’s the best thing ever invented. They don’t care about past customers only future sales of bloated spy ware. Microsoft undermine our freedom to privacy and think their agreements strategy is some god given right to run services to report any details they want from our PCs.
Their security had been lacking for all of the lifetime of Windows products. If someone hacks into the customers of Microsoft and empties all the banks of the world and turns off all the power plants then maybe someone might notice. By the time anyone can work out what has happen it will be too late. Sounds like science fiction couldn’t happen I hear you cry. Well how would anyone of you know, you are still using software that you can’t use and don’t know how most of the software on your systems works. When you bought this hardware did you get an operating manual that informs you how it supposed to work. Were you offered an advance user’s manual to help configure your needs and requirements? So we all believe and put our faith in a company that never gets it right first time or for that matter any time in the last fifteen years.
Microsoft releases fixes for their software every week then tries to tell us it not their fault. It’s about time they got it right and put their money where their mouth is and give Vista users a full refund or fix all the problems before they release any more of their software. It’s also about time the regulators woke up smelt the coffee and force this company to stop all of its bad practices and fine them so that customers can have compensation for the unnecessary stress and suffering that we all go through every day.
The Microsoft products are poor value for money but because of the tactics of the past fifteen years of bullying and backward engineering of other companies products they have eliminated most of the competition.
Any business who owns Microsoft products is in danger of losing all it private information and finding it spread across the globe because Microsoft can’t see or fix the obvious vulnerabilities they have caused. While you are in bed fast asleep one of your PCs wakes up from shutdown logs on as admin and connects to the internet. Once connected rogue PC starts running a list of tasks to give away all those juicy bits of information on your network. When that’s has finished logs on to another network and starts disrupting the control function of the countries power generators finally turning off the servers and ending with all the power off. All the above can be done and one day soon will be done. Microsoft is the Cybernet of today that need a kick up the arse now! When any of you go out to buy a new PC “SAY NO TO WINDOWS” before it’s too late. Vista is a flop and Windows 7 is a cover up just like ME was with XP. So Dave Taylor please don’t review any more OSes because you and Mircoflop have lost credibility. Suggest you buy an eye patch and become a pirate then we might change our minds. To all you Americans that think Vista sucks try a vacuum cleaner now they really suck.
Yours Sincerely
Willy Stage
Ex Microsoft CEO

I have found that windows vista search sucks as well. I try to find a word in a document or folder and there is no place to in the vista search to search this way. Windows XP search and the companion is way better then the vista search. As with other commenter's the search can't even find files and folders that are right in front of it's face LOL. Vista search is useless. With XP search I could ask to look for files and folders containing words inside the documents or folders and it would find all such items No Problem. I hate vista and would trade my vista for XP any day if i didn't have to pay a bunch of money just to get a user friendly OS.

SO...I installed the Windows 7 Release Candidate over my Vista JUST because of the "SEARCH" Issue.
It's looking like I'm going to have to spend $5,000 for employee re-education...

MS did NOT Change anything in Search Features on Windows 7; and admits failure by INSERTING an XP emulator?!
To Hell...I say

Dave,
I used to clean out temp files using the entry: %temp%

What only came up listed were those files with some space, eg. 32 KB.

Now when I look at the list, the first 30 or so lists of temp files are those temp files with usage, then the rest of the list..in the thousands... has temp files, oh about every 1 or two minutes, with 0 KB's. Why do I suddenly have these other, zero usage temp files in the list? I tried to delete but it takes far too long. The temp files with space used are the only ones I delete.

I tumbled into this page because of search, and other monumental changes in Vista's menu arrangements compared to earlier versions. Ever notice just after you have found the locations of all the stuff you need in the grocery, they completely change everything around? That's Vista.

I think you can get MS to downgrade Vista to WinXP. I was going to try Win7 which came in CDs on the cover of a couple of computer mags (August 2009), but now I think my time is better spent just downgrading.

I've read the comments on a class action lawsuit, and that is a possibility. But I think all MS would do is either up to Win7, or down to WinXP. So, I'll try to opt for the down to WinXP.

I downloaded SaveAsPDF.exe from Microsoft. Since the download wizard did not tell me where the download went, I used Vista Search with saveas*.exe as search criteria. Vista did not find the file with a full Computer search (which took a long time), so I used the trusty command prompt and typed dir saveas*.exe /s and it found the file for me pretty fast. Maybe Vista search needs the whole name or maybe it is case sensitive? Don't Know.

Dave, I'm at home but have lost my car. I'm sure it's in the driveway but can't find it...What type of search should I use?

Wow, better? Shill for Microsoft much? Yeah, who would want to do something crazy like right-click on a folder and choose search... I'd rather dig around in the start menu and search the whole box. :-/

I have never seen such a piece of sh*% as Vista.
Search is the absolute worstit is useless
even typing in an exact name and searching the exact folder i put the file in search comes up blank it can not find it i have yet to find any file on my pc using search so i have to hunt through hundreds of folders and hope i can find what i need i never cared for mac but now i wish i had one :-(
I have never been so dissapointed with anything like i am with vista i am angry Bill Gated NEEDS a good bitch slapping

HEY I FOUND a FIX for Search in Vista right click your toolbar select properties select start menu
select classic start menu and apply now open start menue and you will see search and amazingly i used it and it actually found my stuff :-)
don't get me wrong I Still Hate no LOATHE Vista
but this works hope this helps you all here

Mr. Taylor describes searching for an application program or a document in the documents file. Shucks, I can find either of those quickly with explorer. I want to find some downloaded files, or some files from OpenOffice. just try finding your spreadsheet files if they aren't in documents.

There is a great free search tool called "Everything" that finally found my files! Check it out at http://www.voidtools.com/

There is a great free search tool called "Everything" that finally found my files! Check it out at http://www.voidtools.com/

Vista document search is terrible. Of course Vista in itself is an engineering disaster - much as MS Millineum. Vista came on my new HP pc - I'm investigating reformatting my hard drive, backing up, getting new dirvers and and load the XP Pro I used before. No wonder MS came out with a replacement for Vista.

Sorry, dude - Vista search sucks. It doesn't even work. "dir /s" works better, that's how crappy it is.

I agree with the above.. vista search is horrible, I tried finding "scanpst" with *scanpst* and just scanpst and it didnt find anything at all.. but the file actually existed on the hard drive i just had to find it manually.. I can't believe how junky they made this search, DAVE please update this article! vista search doesn't work.. much worse than xp

If the new Vista search is so good and easy to use
why oh why does this page exist!!!
and why am I,(an experienced user of computers) reading it and trying to figure out how to use search, If I am having problems, what about my customers who have less experience than myself, Vista is a poor replacement for XP, that is now common knowledge, and just for the record I have never been asked to install Vista, but I have been begged to remove it and replace it with XP, I dont re-call that happening when changing from 98 to XP, people may have resisted change but few reverted back in my experience.

Searching for a file or folder in Windows Vista or Windows 7 is now an impossible task. The search finds nothing, try finding normal.dot on a computer with Office installed and you will never find it. Hopefully Google will write a simple search tool to find files on a hard drive soon, where you can type the name of the file you want, use an asterisk for a wildcard and set some basic parameters on size and if you want to search hidden locations....

The single biggest problem with the Vista search facility is that to find something, its location must already be "indexed." If you saved a file yesterday in some directory and Vista has not indexed that directory yet, then the search engine will not find the file, period. If you search for it a few days later, when Vista has indexed the directory, lo and behold the file shows up in your search. In summary, whoever thinks the search facility in Vista is an improvement over previous operating systems must have his head up Microsoft's behind and not know anything about search engines.

SOLUTION! FIND THE VIRTUALSTORE FOLDER!
See below.

This is really terrible how the original 2.5-year old question has not been answered. I too have been frustrated trying to find files in Vista, also not being allowed to access my own files, and am furious that I will have to pay to upgrade to 7 for all my computers. I may just try to learn Linux instead because I'm so sick of Microsoft and their crappy OSs.

Anyways, I have found a solution for finding files, here it is.

Go to My Computer\[Your Drive Letter]:\Users\[Your User Name]\AppData\Local\VirtualStore

once in the VirtualStore, keep going down your flowchart, depending on what file you're looking for. For example,
\Program Files\App\file

Hope this helps. It works for me.

To add to what I said above,

Those instructions will work if you know what file you're looking for and what folder it should be located in. Vista hides some of your files in this VirtualStore. It's as if it turns the correct location into a facade and hides the actual file behind a hidden wall behind the facade. So the file is exactly where it should be, but you'll never be able to find it unless you know there is a Virtual Store.

Unfortunately if you have no idea what folder your file might be located in, even knowing there is a VirtualStore might not help you.

I think Vista hides certain files for security. For this reason, if you disable the User Account Control (UAC) in CONTROL PANEL, searching for files should work better - it worked for me once. Doing this also has the added benefit of giving you more normal access to the files on your own computer - something Vista purposely prevents.

Actually what i hate most about vista is the only thing i hate about my MAC.. the search!!
I cant find S**T with my MAC neither.. and now VIsta and Windows 7 Copy their search system? WHY?? Now i cant search my drives and external drives on neither MAC nor Windows.. i have to connect them to my old desktop PC with windows xp just to look for files... I hate indexing!!! hated it in leopard and hate it in windows vista/7

I can't find anything with vista! Here is my solution: when I try to find something in vista, I have to copy all the possible folds, files to my linux machine and perform a find in linux command line.