Windows 7 Search

JonathanAnon

Well done again Windows.. One step forward, two steps back... the completely fkn stupid changes to Windows Search are just ridiculous.. It worked in XP, and it worked WELL, why change the fkn thing... I now end up opening up command prompt and searching that way... However, I cant search by file size using this method..

Has anybody got any suggestions or improvements on Windows 7 Search.. I've looked it up on youtube and theres nothing much..

RolandIRL

Everything is much better than the windows search imo. once it scans the first time on loading it, it's very fast

BostonB

What do you use it for? Search is some thing I rarely use.

JonathanAnon

I'd use the search quite a bit..

I used to like the old XP options ..
- particularly the way they allowed you to view files over x KBs, which was very handy when trying to find out where the space is gone on a PC I'm fixing.. (I know they are other tools, but they require download/install)
- Right click on a folder and search it .. this was very very handy.. why the hell did they get rid of this feature.. Windows 7 just gives you the "search computer" ... Why would you want to search the whole computer every time when you know what folder the required file is in...

I googled previously and it seems there is no way to restore XP search either..

BostonB

I use tree size to find out where space is gone.

I see some people who can't find anything on their computers and are constantly searching for things. Personally I pretty much know where everything is.

RolandIRL

you can search just a folder in 7. you have to open that folder in Explorer, and then just type what you want in the bar next to the address bar, then follow it with size: and a drop down thing will appear telling you what range to select.

line6

whiteman19 wrote: »

you can search just a folder in 7. you have to open that folder in Explorer, and then just type what you want in the bar next to the address bar, then follow it with size: and a drop down thing will appear telling you what range to select.

what a joke - you have to know the size of the file before you can search for it by size lol

RolandIRL

line6 wrote: »

what a joke - you have to know the size of the file before you can search for it by size lol

well, don't you as well in XP search? you specify a range for it same as in win7

line6

er can't remember - all i remember is it was all a lot easier and intuitive:(

JonathanAnon

JonathanAnon wrote: »

- Right click on a folder and search it .. this was very very handy.. why the hell did they get rid of this feature..

The original "SP0" release of Vista had this but it was removed in SP1. I remember reading of complaints from Google that MS were trying to dominate desktop search.

JonathanAnon

BostonB wrote: »

I use tree size to find out where space is gone. I see some people who can't find anything on their computers and are constantly searching for things. Personally I pretty much know where everything is.

Well like I said above.. when I get in a PC or laptop to fix.. the search to find and remove big files would be a common thing ... looks like I now will have to download tree size .. install it, run it... then uninstall it... an overhead that I dont need... particularly when the solution was built in to XP..

BostonB

I take your point. But personally I think treesize is worth it.

line6

- You can now choose to install the Professional Edition as portable version, e.g. on an USB stick. The settings are stored in the application path in this case

according to their website

Overheal

JonathanAnon wrote: »

I used to like the old XP options ..
- particularly the way they allowed you to view files over x KBs, which was very handy when trying to find out where the space is gone on a PC I'm fixing.. (I know they are other tools, but they require download/install)

False, Windirstat Portable: http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/windirstat_portable

- Right click on a folder and search it .. this was very very handy.. why the hell did they get rid of this feature.. Windows 7 just gives you the "search computer" ... Why would you want to search the whole computer every time when you know what folder the required file is in...

It's there Jim, but not as we know it.

Enter the folder you wish to search, and your search bar is in the top right of the explorer window:





Which is a really intuitive way to do with it when you think about how we now react with internet browsers and everything else, it's become the defacto screenspace to initiate searches from.

Roots-Sinead

Well it's great to know you all search by the size of your files but personally I'd love to be able to search just by using keywords from the file content....why isn't there a 'keyword' search in Wins 7 Ess.... Seems completely daft.

How to you encourage new students to the world of computing when they're beign given instructions to search for files using keywords and they can't perform that search!???? The ECDL courses being run currently require this action as part of the exam.........love to know how they're going to mark that one!!!

Overheal

Can't speak for 7 Essentials. Home Premium certainly appears to.

yoyo

Roots-Sinead wrote: »

Well it's great to know you all search by the size of your files but personally I'd love to be able to search just by using keywords from the file content....why isn't there a 'keyword' search in Wins 7 Ess.... Seems completely daft.

How to you encourage new students to the world of computing when they're beign given instructions to search for files using keywords and they can't perform that search!???? The ECDL courses being run currently require this action as part of the exam.........love to know how they're going to mark that one!!!

This certainly is available in the search that overheal described, its very useful for searching through lecture notes, power points while doing exam study

Nick

Dude111

whiteman19 wrote:

Everything is much better than the windows search imo. once it scans the first time on loading it, it's very fast

That seems to be pretty good,i saw that mentioned on another site i just sailed ashore on the other day

As to why they changed it?? EVERYTHING SEEMS TO GET WORSE.... NEW IS NOT BETTER IN MY OPINION..

jay93

I don't get it whats wrong with the serch in windows 7 i find it great and the re design to explorer makes it way way easier to find files than it was in windows xp ..

The new is better microsoft could hardly keep us using that dreadful serch feature in XP which most the times would never find what your looking for !!
Windows 7 search alsways finds the files im looking for and i find it great.

ressem

The search is way more capable than the old XP one if you take the time to note a few terms.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/technicalresources/advquery.mspx

You can just write into the search bar size:>2000MB
Doesn't recognise GBs.

There is a 'keywords:', but it refers to something else.

BostonB

Very handy.

Though for what the OP was doing, finding where disk space is gone, something like treesize is more useful. IMO.

evolutionqy7

Idk search sort of got redudant in Win7.

With the Taskbar providing all recent files i barely ever go into the file explorer. Generally works well for me though for my needs to find pics music or videos or word files