"Search" in Windows 7

**attyallanlatras** · April 26th, 2010 09:01 AM

I have been acquainted with win xp and after installing win 7, I find one component in win xp which I have not found in win 7, or I am not just quite familiar with the latter.

The "search" option in win xp, where one can search files or folders and even word/s in a document....however, the search box in win 7 is not that helpful, or again it might just be me, not a techie...

Can anyone help me on how to search files/folders or just by mere word in a document using the search box of win 7?

Are there software which could perform similar "search" like that of win xp?

**C#@RD** · April 26th, 2010 09:32 AM

The search option was made simpler in windows 7 since you don't need to type in search strings like *.exe, *.doc etc..

Just click on the windows pearl button then right below all programs just type in the file, document or folder you want to search

**attyallanlatras** · April 26th, 2010 09:45 AM

C#*RD:

I used that and the search box, but they are not so helpful....like if I could no longer recall the file name, what I do in win xp was type in the word, which is contained in the document, and viola...I can now access the file...

**C#@RD** · April 26th, 2010 10:11 AM

I see, if your searching for a word or a phrase just type in the search box

content:"your word/phrase"

The search program should show all the files with the word/phrase you just typed.

**attyallanlatras** · April 26th, 2010 10:39 AM

Thanks, I'll try it later

**attyallanlatras** · April 28th, 2010 11:05 AM

I find windows xp search tool better than 7 in the area of searching files. I tried the search of a file on an external hard drive and for reason I really do not know, I cannot search the file on the said drive. In fact I tried searching a file name of a folder in that external hard drive which I just created and saved in that drive, but after the search in the search box, it says no item/s found in the display...

I don't really get it...

Is there another software which I can use as a search tool for files in my hard drives- internal and external?

**ghosthunter** · April 28th, 2010 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by attyallanlatras

Is there another software which I can use as a search tool for files in my hard drives- internal and external?

you can try Google Desktop.

**digitalron** · April 28th, 2010 11:45 AM

You can also use Windows Grep: http://www.wingrep.com/

Windows Grep is a graphical global find-and-replace application that's fast and very versatile. I've used it for several years and am very happy with it. Finds both files and contents of files. Very useful if you're a programmer and/or sys ad, but is also usable for day-to-day file/content searches as well