Text String Searches in Windows XP

[RBB]

Up until this year I was using a Dell Windows 98 machine. Whenever I wanted to get rid of obsolete includes on my Web site, I would just go into the File Find function on the Start Menu, and enter the text string, like so:

require ("filename.php");

And the search function would find every page on my site that contained this text string.

Now I am using a Dell Windows XP machine. When I click the START button, go to Search, and search in All Files and Folders with the same text string, I get NO results, even though I know there are dozens of pages that contain the text string.

Can anyone explain what is the difference, and what I might be doing wrong, or is it just that XP can't do this simple search function any more??? Thanks!

--Bob

[patrickpawlowsk]

Sorry, I don't have the answer, but I would just like to comiserate and throw in that what they did to the search function in XP is bewildering. How do you take something as simple and easy to understand as the windows search function and **** it up? But they did it. Now when I want to search for a file, I have to take a brief interview first. Ok, it's really just one additional click, but it still bugs the heck out of every time I use the search function.

[TheCave]

The following Microsoft KB article might help explain the problem and it offers a couple of solutions that may or may not solve the problem.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309173

[RBB]

If you think the search function is bewildering, try to do a basic Mail Merge in the XP version of Microsoft Word. They have taken a simple 3-step process that took just a few seconds and completely destroyed it. You are right: now you have to go through this exhaustive interview process so that MS Word can attempt to guess what you were trying to do (and it usually guesses wrong). When they first switched in our office to XP, my administrative assistant got so upset by this that she broke the mouse when she slammed it down on her desk!!!

Thanks for the link to Microsoft's Web site. I'll see if it is of any use. I appreciate it.

[RBB]

Here's what I found:

Method 2
To configure Windows XP to search all files no matter what the file type, obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP and then turn on the Index file types with unknown extensions option.

If you use this method, Windows XP searches all file types for the text that you specify. This can affect the performance of the search functionality. To do this:
1. Click Start, and then click Search (or point to Search, and then click For Files or Folders).
2. Click Change preferences, and then click With Indexing Service (for faster local searches).
3. Click Change Indexing Service Settings (Advanced). Note that you do not have to turn on the Index service.
4. On the toolbar, click Show/Hide Console Tree.
5. In the left pane, right-click Indexing Service on Local Machine, and then click Properties.
6. On the Generation tab, click to select the Index files with unknown extensions check box, and then click OK.
7. Close the Indexing Service console.

I'm not at my XP computer right now, but I'll let you now how this works when I get back to it. Thanks again!

[fluKe]

Yes, unfortunatley I don't think XP looks inside files that are not native to the OS or some other MS product you have installed. I think the method above should fix this.

I think it's also a good idea to make sure indexing is turned on if you do this kind of search a lot as it does speed it up.

[RBB]

The method described above works PERFECTLY!! Windows XP will now search for the text strings in my files and actually FIND them!

THANK YOU!

I don't know how in the world the average computer user would ever find a deeply buried fix like this on his or her computer. Why couldn't Microsoft configure it correctly in the first place? Astonishingly shortsighted, if you ask me. :confused:

[TheCave]

I'm glad the solution worked for you.

Why couldn't Microsoft configure it correctly in the first place?

There is probably some security vulneravility associated with this fix that they aren't telling you about.

[RBB]

I don't know how "reputation" is awarded around here, but you ought to get a couple of extra points just for this information and advice. This is something I use every day to update my site, and you just made my life so much easier. I truly appreciate it.

[patrickpawlowsk]

I'm not for sure but I think Reputation is awarded by clicking the little treasure chest icon on the bottom left of their post.

-pat