Search file names question!

Hello, do you mean the search field in explorer?

You can use regular expressions and much more.. e.g.
*music?2

would match names with any number of characters, music, 1 character and 2
Advanced Query Syntax (Windows)

Not sure that's your question.

If by 'within the file names' you mean also search the file content, then I would recommend Locate32 (freeware).
This does a fast index of your files and folders, and the search fields and syntax support searching text file content as well as detailed specification of the names. I use this regularly.

(Everything by voidtools is similar and more modern, but does not support searching file contents).

Using explorer search to find file content
This is supported but little known, I think
See 'Using Windows Search" here:
How to Search the Content of Your Files on Windows

You will find e.g. doc, rtf, docx, txt marked as 'search contents' as well.
So open a folder that is indexed, which contains some file types like that.
Let's say one of them contains
765432abc

Type
"765432abc" in explorer's search field including "".
(Refer to Advanced Query Syntax (Windows) )
Your file should be listed.

Perfect question for me to start off with... since I had to sit down a couple of days ago and find the answers myself... it ain't easy ;-)

A big change in file searches that began with win7 was that windows not only searched for filenames, but would return every file that contained what you were searching for that was contained in any file. For example, search for "shirt" and not only would you get filenames containing "shirt" you would get any file that contained the word "shirt" in the file.

There is unfortunately no way to change this default behavior, but you can add "modifiers" to your search such as;
name:shirt
which will return only files that contain "shirt" in the filename at the beginning or after a space or underline in the filename.

The windows documentation is wrong about this modifer term... it states that you must use "filename:" but "name:" is functionally identical... four characters less at least.

Note, that if you are seeing only results that begin with your search term, remember that the column sort may be grouping them so that other filenames containing what you are searching for may not be easy to spot.

You can also specify folder names to search such as;
in:mywork

There are many other modifier terms that can be used when searching. You don't have to learn them because when you use file explorer's menu/search when you select on, windows will type out the modifier phrase in the search box.

More on this at;
Advanced Query Syntax (Windows)

I'll post more findings if anyone expresses interest.

Beverly Howard

Thing is though, the files have to be indexed, + the syntax is convoluted.

Therefore the 3rd party tool is definitely my preference, allowing specification by size, date, filename etc etc and then also by content.

Now... can Windows search search text-based pdf's? Er... actually yes, along with htm, html...