Searching, but why can't I find them?

chipwood · 31 Jan 2018

I have folders that contain daily files of data from my router. I have been trying to files named ConnectionStats that are followed by a date, so the full nam would be for example: ConnectionStats-yyyy-mm-dd-hh.mm.ss.
Searches on ConnectionStats-yyyy succeed if the yyyy is 2018, but fail if 2017.
Why?

What am I missing?
PS it may look silly to be looking for files, when I know their locations, but they are among numerous others in the daily folders, so I intend to copy the files to elsewhere for easier access.

dalchina · 31 Jan 2018

Hi, searching is less straightforward than it might appear.

1. Are you using file explorer search or Cortana?
2. Whilst both use Windows search, they behave differently. Cortana search has file type filters, and it makes a big difference what you select.
Compare these:

Searching, but why can't I find them?-1.png

Searching, but why can't I find them?-2.png

3. Cortana will only find indexed files, whereas a file explorer search finds both indexed and non-indexed.
Are your files indexed by Windows search?
a. Is their location specified to be indexed in Indexing Options?
b. Has the index been able to update?

4. File explorer search works down from the point in the file structure at which explorer is open. Thus your location ustbe below that point in the file system hierarchy.

5. The file name looks odd - is there an extension?

6. In a previous Windows build Cortana would not find any form of executable file. That restriction has been removed.

What is your Windows build?
Windows key + R, winver

7. What search strings have you tried?
Have you tried using * as a wild card?

chipwood · 01 Feb 2018

Thank for that very detailed reply. It happens that I have found the source of my problem.

The program permits snapshot files in the daily folder as either date, time, name; or name, date, time. January files are in the former style, earlier in the latter. Renaming all would be a gargantuan task.

I'll copy your reply for reference. :)

lx07 · 01 Feb 2018

chipwood said:

Renaming all would be a gargantuan task.

You could look into Bulk Rename Utility

It lets you reformat file names in bulk and you can add/remove rearrange bits of your file names based on criteria you supply.

Best to backup first in case you get your renaming criteria wrong though.

dalchina · 01 Feb 2018

Glad you resolved it.

Very commonly recommended here: 1 of the extremely useful free search tools that index files and folders (not content) then provide find-as-you-type results (instant).

I like Locate32 - older, but does everything you need, including FAT32 which Everything doesn't.
Everything by void tools (uses more resources)
Ultrasearch

Some optionally add search found text documents (not indexed by content)

These just work.

chipwood · 01 Feb 2018

lx07 said:

You could look into Bulk Rename Utility

It lets you reformat file names in bulk and you can add/remove rearrange bits of your file names based on criteria you supply.

Best to backup first in case you get your renaming criteria wrong though.

The name parts of the files vary in length. I'm not sure if Bulk rename could cope with that.

lx07 · 01 Feb 2018

chipwood said:

The name parts of the files vary in length. I'm not sure if Bulk rename could cope with that.

It can.

You would need to identify the date part (using a mask like "d/mm/YYYY") and then move it. Similarly with time masking perhaps "12:12:12".

It will only work if you have some consistent standards you can change. It only changes text with no validation so it would happily change 01/31/2018 to 31/01/2018 if that is what you asked. It doesn't know if 31 is a month or a day.

If not you can split them (so files with dates in DDMMYY are in a different directory to files with MMDDYY). After that swapping order is easy.

Likewise - if you have a space or some other separator at some point it should be possible to see where file name ends and date begins. This needs to be a specific character combination. For example a period and a space followed by a number or some such.

They have good forums or (if you want) you can explain your format here and I'll try to help.

chipwood · 01 Feb 2018

Thanks for suggestion.