Search Function Fails to Find "Word or Phrase in the file"

Posted: 10-18-2003, 06:18 PM

Scott W.

Guest
Posts: n/a

I feel really silly having to ask for help on this but nothing I have tried
has resolved the problem.

I recently moved from Windows ME to XP Pro (with the change to a new
computer). I used the "Search for a File and Folders/Containing Test"
feature in ME extensively, frequently looking for what file contained a
particular piece of information in a directory that I knew contained the
file I needed. Always worked without a hitch.

Using the same process in XP I'm getting nothing, i.e. "Search is complete.
There are no results to display", even though I *know* (and have repeatedly
confirmed during test runs) that the "word or phrase in the file" exists
within at least one of the files in the specified directory.

I've tinkered around with all the available options under the Search
Companion, all to no avail. Searches based on filenames work prefectly, but
try to find word or phrase inside one of those files and it bombs out
everytime.

Obviously this is a case of User Error but this user cannot figure out where
he has gone astray.

Please help!

Responses to "Search Function Fails to Find "Word or Phrase in the file""

Guest
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Re: Search Function Fails to Find "Word or Phrase in the file"

Posted: 10-18-2003, 06:48 PM

You said that you tried all possible options, yet are you sure that you
enabled searching in hidden and system files and that your search doesn't
fail because of the case sensitivity?

/Mikhail

"Scott W." <hyjinkz@nospamcomcast.net> wrote in message
news:uqHvmvZlDHA.1764@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

> I feel really silly having to ask for help on this but nothing I have

tried

> has resolved the problem.
>
> I recently moved from Windows ME to XP Pro (with the change to a new
> computer). I used the "Search for a File and Folders/Containing Test"
> feature in ME extensively, frequently looking for what file contained a
> particular piece of information in a directory that I knew contained the
> file I needed. Always worked without a hitch.
>
> Using the same process in XP I'm getting nothing, i.e. "Search is

complete.

> There are no results to display", even though I *know* (and have

repeatedly

> confirmed during test runs) that the "word or phrase in the file" exists
> within at least one of the files in the specified directory.
>
> I've tinkered around with all the available options under the Search
> Companion, all to no avail. Searches based on filenames work prefectly,

but

> try to find word or phrase inside one of those files and it bombs out
> everytime.
>
> Obviously this is a case of User Error but this user cannot figure out

where

> he has gone astray.
>
> Please help!
>
>

noone@nowhere.com

Guest
Posts: n/a

Re: Search Function Fails to Find "Word or Phrase in the file"

Posted: 10-18-2003, 09:03 PM

This is a common complaint. XP only searches inside files with extensions
for which it has a "filter" installed. Before SP1 there were only a few
filters, SP1 added many more. There is a KB artical about this, and it
includes a way to add a filter for the * extension [ie, any file].

DO a google, you'll find it.

dev

Guest
Posts: n/a

Re: Search Function Fails to Find "Word or Phrase in the file"

Posted: 10-18-2003, 09:39 PM

Scott W. said:

> I feel really silly having to ask for help on this but nothing I have tried
> has resolved the problem.
>
> I recently moved from Windows ME to XP Pro (with the change to a new
> computer). I used the "Search for a File and Folders/Containing Test"
> feature in ME extensively, frequently looking for what file contained a
> particular piece of information in a directory that I knew contained the
> file I needed. Always worked without a hitch.
>
> Using the same process in XP I'm getting nothing, i.e. "Search is complete.
> There are no results to display", even though I *know* (and have repeatedly
> confirmed during test runs) that the "word or phrase in the file" exists
> within at least one of the files in the specified directory.
>
> I've tinkered around with all the available options under the Search
> Companion, all to no avail. Searches based on filenames work prefectly, but
> try to find word or phrase inside one of those files and it bombs out
> everytime.
>
> Obviously this is a case of User Error but this user cannot figure out where
> he has gone astray.

XP search is not ready for prime time. This utility, IMO, is. Try it...
http://WWW.AGENTRANSACK.COM/index.asp

--
For most XP answers and tweaks... http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm
http://dougknox.com http://aumha.org http://support.microsoft.com

Len Norton

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Posts: n/a

Re: Search Function Fails to Find "Word or Phrase in the file"

Posted: 10-19-2003, 12:46 AM

The XP "Containing Text" option only searches the registered filetypes
(design decision by Microsoft).
Could this be your problem?

Regards, Len

"Scott W." <hyjinkz@nospamcomcast.net> wrote in message
news:uqHvmvZlDHA.1764@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

> I feel really silly having to ask for help on this but nothing I have

tried

> has resolved the problem.
>
> I recently moved from Windows ME to XP Pro (with the change to a new
> computer). I used the "Search for a File and Folders/Containing Test"
> feature in ME extensively, frequently looking for what file contained a
> particular piece of information in a directory that I knew contained the
> file I needed. Always worked without a hitch.
>
> Using the same process in XP I'm getting nothing, i.e. "Search is

complete.

> There are no results to display", even though I *know* (and have

repeatedly

> confirmed during test runs) that the "word or phrase in the file" exists
> within at least one of the files in the specified directory.
>
> I've tinkered around with all the available options under the Search
> Companion, all to no avail. Searches based on filenames work prefectly,

but

> try to find word or phrase inside one of those files and it bombs out
> everytime.
>
> Obviously this is a case of User Error but this user cannot figure out

where

> he has gone astray.
>
> Please help!
>
>

noone@nowhere.com

Guest
Posts: n/a

Re: Search Function Fails to Find "Word or Phrase in the file"

Posted: 10-20-2003, 11:38 PM

See MSKB artical:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...B;EN-US;309173

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