• Windows 7 search doesn’t find text strings

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    #491650

    I’m not able to find any text strings starting not from the beginning of word in filename or in file content using Windows 7 search.

    My Windows 7 search configuration:

    Let’s say I’m searching for a documents containing word “content”.

    I’m able to find those documents when searching for “content”, “conte”, “con” (as long as the string includes the beginning of the word).

    “content”

    “con”

    But if I search for “ontent”, “tent” or any other combination that doesn’t include the beginning of the word, Windows search won’t find it.

    I’ve tried other indexing/searching software such as Copernic Desktop search, Google desktop search.
    Those programs also weren’t able to find part of the word starting from the middle of the word. For instance, it finds “conte”, but doesn’t find “onte”.

    Finds “conte”

    Doesn’t find “onte”

    I got the same problem using Copernic desktop search.

    On the other hand, when I use non-indexing content search software such as Agent Ransack or FileSeek, I get the same results when searching for “conte” or “onte”:

    “conte”

    “onte”

    Why do all pre-indexing content search applications (Windows search, Google desktop, Copernic desktop search) fail to search for a string inside the words?

    Why do non-indexing applications find text strings wherever they are: in the beginning, middle or end of the word?

    How can I make Windows search find strings from any part of words?

    Thank you.

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    • #1419313

      I’ve tried using wildcards and other constructions with no luck.

      *onte
      *onte*
      “onte”
      content: onte
      content:*onte*
      content:~*onte*

      All these searches doesn’t find the word “content” when searching inside files.

      However, I’ve found that *onte will find the word “content” in the filename, but I’m mainly interested in searching inside text files not in the filenames.

      Could somebody try the search examples I’ve made and see if Windows 7 search will give correct search results for you and find a string in the middle of word inside text files like txt, docx, pdf?

      • #1419596

        My HDD contains 37,502 files in 2,502 folders, including 152 NotePad (txt) files, do I decided to test out a search. I opened a text file at random, and selected the word ‘carpenter’ then, in the Folder view Search box (at the top-right of the screen) I entered: Type:txt content:carpenter

        It trawled though the whole disk, and came up with the ‘test’ file I had picked, plus a few others, which also contained the word ‘carpenter’.

        Then I tried a search string using a partial word, but you have to add a * symbol to act as a wildcard. Example: Type:txt content: *carp

        Again, the search came up with a favourable result.

        • #1419598

          In my case, Windows 7 search finds results if I use the text string starting from the beginning of word. If I search for “carp”, Windows search will find all documents containing the word “carpenter”. But if I search for “rpent” (this is the middle of the word “carpenter”) I would get no results.

          *rpent, *rpent* doesn’t work for me either.

          Try if Windows search will find the same amount of results when you search for “rpent” as it did when you searched for “carpenter”.

          Thank you.

          • #1419600

            Mmmm, I see what you mean, it found no results at all.
            Maybe Microsoft’s programers didn’t think that anyone would want to do such a search.

    • #1419604

      At first it might look silly to search for a middle of word, but I’ll give a pratical example:

      Let’s say I’m searching for the term “phleb”.

      Windows search would give me results only with the words “phlebitis” or “phlebitic”. But I know that in my papers there are other words such as “thrombophlebitis”, “postphlebitic syndrome” etc. and windows search would miss all those documents containing these words.

      Searching for a text strings inside words has a practical value for some people. I understand that it consumes resources and makes the search longer, but ability to select an option to search inside the words and not only in the beginning of word in your indexed documents would be nice.

      Is this possible?

    • #1423542

      Archivarius 3000

      I’ve been recommended to try Archivarius 3000.

      I’ve tested Archivarius 3000 and I must say it’s amazing!

      Archivarius 3000 does exactly what I wanted: it indexes my text containing files and search their contents for a text string anywhere in the word.
      That is: if I search for *phleb* I would get text files containing “postphlebitic”, “thrombophlebitic”, “phlebitis” etc.

      Archivarius 3000 searches in .pdf, .epub, .mobi, .chm, doc, docx., txt etc.
      To give you understanding how good Archivarius 3000 is I’ll give you this example:

      I’ve indexed 2031 ebooks in .pdf format. Of course, indexing took a while.

      Then I searched for *phleb*.

      Archivarius finished search in 0.859 second and gave me 169 ebooks containing the string “phleb”.

      It took 0.859 second to search through 2031 books!

      Just imagine how long would non indexed search take in order to complete this task… Imagine that you have search many times…

      Well this is the real power of indexed search. Spend some time building the index and then search in super fast speeds!

      Here’s a screenshot of this search example in Arhivarius 3000:

      Windows 7 search

      Now a short comment on Windows 7 search.

      I’ve found that if I index files, then Windows search would search for a text string only in beginning of the words, that is if I search for ball or ~~ball it won’t find text files containing the words “football”, “basketball” etc.

      On the other hand, if I don’t index files, and use non-indexed Windows 7 search, and search for ~~ball (~~ before ball is a must) then it would find text files containing the words “football”, “basketball” etc.

      Test it please. Do you experience the same?

      Short review of various search applications I’ve tested

      Non-indexing searches[/CENTER][/B]

      File Locator Lite (Former Agent Ransack)

      Sees .chm file as one file, therefore search in .chm files gives clean results.

      Nice and simple interface.

      Searches all mainstream text formats except .Epub

      Best for non-indexed search daily use.

      PowerGrep

      PowerGrep sees every .chm as many files, therefore search in one .chm file gives many different results showed as different files.

      PowerGrep searches in .epub and all other mainstream text formats. Searching in one .epub file also gives many different results showed as different files. The same as with .chm format.
      This complicates searching in .chm and .epub formats.

      Sometimes PowerGrep fails to search in .pdf, but gives a message that particular .pdf file was skipped, because it’s “proprietary format”. This problem only happens on particular pdf files. Other pdfs are fine. Don’t know why.

      PowerGREP is very powerful, therefore it has a little bit complicated interface for frequent use.

      Windows 7 search in non-indexing mode

      As other non-indexed search applications search is capable of searching for a text string anywhere in the word.

      ~~ should be used before the text string. For instance searching for ~~ball would find the words “football”, “basketball”. Searching for ‘ball’, won’t find the words “football”, “basketball”

      Indexing searches

      Archivarius 3000

      The only program I’ve found so far, that indexes files and searches in file contents for a text string in any part of the word, not just in the beginning of word, for instance the program would find the words “thrombophlebitis, “postphlebitic”, “phlebitis” if you search for *phleb*.

      Searches in .Epub and all other mainstream text formats.

      Archivarius 3000 sees every .chm and .epub as many files, therefore search in one .chm or .epub file gives many different results showed as different files. This complicates searching in .chm and .epub formats.

      Other indexed search applications

      [/B][/CENTER]

      All other indexed search applications I’ve tested: Windows 7 search in indexing mode, Copernic desktop search, Google desktop, X1 search only search for a text string in the beginning of the word.

      Let’s summarize this thread

      Application best suitable for file name search (for a regular search to find a particular file with specific filename) is Search Everything.

      Application best suitable for non-indexed file content search is File Locator Lite (former Agent Ransack).
      File Locator Lite searches in .pdf, .mobi, .chm, doc, docx., txt etc., but doesn’t search in .EPUB.

      PowerGREP is another very nice application for non-indexed file content search that searches everything that File Locator Lite does + .EPUB format.

      Application best suitable for indexed file content search is Archivarius 3000.
      Searches in .pdf, .epub, .mobi, .chm, doc, docx., txt etc. for a string anywhere in the word.

    • #1423582

      Google for ‘search everything’, works for me 😉

    • #1423623

      Hey Y’all,

      I found this document about Advanced Windows Search on the MSDN site and cleaned it up a little (to save pages) and saved it as a pdf so all could read. HTH :cheers:

      35526-Windows-Explorer-Advanced-Search

      May the Forces of good computing be with you!

      RG

      PowerShell & VBA Rule!
      Computer Specs

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