Search only filenames, not contents

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  1. Posts : 75
    21H1 (19043.1415)
       #1

    Search only filenames, not contents


    Is it possible to prevent Windows search from indexing the contents of documents and archives, restricting results to filenames only?
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  2. Posts : 14,046
    Windows 11 Pro X64 22H2 22621.1848
       #2

    Turn off Windows Search.
    Install Everything Search. Let it start after install to build it's index. Great program for finding files.
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  3. Posts : 436
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #3

    Use the prefix name:
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  4. Posts : 75
    21H1 (19043.1415)
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Only problem with "name:" is that it will only search from the beginning of the filename, as opposed to anywhere within it. So, searching "test" would return "test.doc" and "sample-test.doc", but "name:test" would only return "test.doc". Plus it's just inconvenient to type at the beginning of every search.

    There really ought to be a way to turn off content indexing altogether. This feature just produces too many non-relevant search results.

    Thanks for the tip about "Everything", Ztruker. I'm liking it so far. Super straightforward and fast. I think it's bound to be my new search app.
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  5. Posts : 14,046
    Windows 11 Pro X64 22H2 22621.1848
       #5

    I find I can't live without it any more. So easy to find files using any part of a name or extension.
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  6. Posts : 21
    Windows 10 x64
       #6

    Give FileSearchEX a look too.
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  7. Posts : 2
    Win10
       #7

    Michael said:
    Only problem with "name:" is that it will only search from the beginning of the filename, as opposed to anywhere within it. So, searching "test" would return "test.doc" and "sample-test.doc", but "name:test" would only return "test.doc". Plus it's just inconvenient to type at the beginning of every search.
    Just FYI for anyone stumbling across this (as I did), this isn't the case any more - using "name:xxx" will return any hits where xxx appears anywhere in the file name
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  8. Posts : 16,784
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #8

    jpmoriarty said:
    Just FYI for anyone stumbling across this (as I did), this isn't the case any more - using "name:xxx" will return any hits where xxx appears anywhere in the file name
    You are almost correct.

    name:most would find the most useful example.doc but not the almost useful example.doc

    Folder contents
    Search only filenames, not contents-search-name-example-folder-contents.png

    Search results
    Search only filenames, not contents-search-name-example-results.png

    Denis
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  9. Posts : 2
    Win10
       #9

    Ah good point. So it turns out you want name:~=xxx, (or name:~=most in @Try3 's example) which I think will give the desired result, and search for "xxx" (or "most") in the name, wherever it appears.

    H/T to @cody.codes at Search partial filenames in windows explorer - Super User
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  10. Posts : 42,735
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #10

    Is it possible to prevent Windows search from indexing the contents of documents and archives, restricting results to filenames only?
    Content indexing can be disabled in various ways e.g.
    - at drive level (Properties)
    - at folder level (Properties)
    - at file type level (Indexing Options)
    - in Properties of an individual file.

    Interestingly
    name:*ally is not the same as name~=ally and only the latter yields
    WallySetup-2.4.5.exe

    Whereas
    file:*ally yields
    WallySetup-2.4.5.exe
    but
    file:~=ally does not

    Whilst both filename:*ally and filename~=ally yield WallySetup-2.4.5.exe
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