Searching for specific group of words in html file in Windows Explorer

DickinSD · 21 Feb 2020

Back again to the fountain of experience. I'm trying to find "currently no text" in files in one folder. I know there to be many files containing that exact phrase in this folder. I've gone into Settings/Search Options/Advanced and checked "Index File Properties and Contents". I've verified "html" is in the list of file types, with filter identified as "HTML Filter". Then I rebuilt the (22330 items) index. Then retarted. I've tried 'content:"currently no text"' and 'keywords:"currently no text"' (ideas seen elsewhere online) in the search box. Nada. Then I went back into Explorer/View/Folder Options/Search and checked "Always search file names and contents...". Restarted. Nada. Thoughts? Think I need to rebuild the index again after having made the change in Folder Options? Windows 10 Pro v.1909

dalchina · 21 Feb 2020

Hi, worked for me (in 1903- I reverted from 1909 given the file explorer search issues) - after I added the folder containing html files to the folders being indexed as they weren't currently being indexed.

You might try watching the number of items indexed in Indexing Options, deselecting the folder of interest, see the number of items indexed decrease, then the converse.

I think these show the conditions necessary, preceded by an example of successful content search (note the "" around the search string on the left, html document on the right)

Searching for specific group of words in html file in Windows Explorer-1.png

Searching for specific group of words in html file in Windows Explorer-2.png

Searching for specific group of words in html file in Windows Explorer-3.png

Searching for specific group of words in html file in Windows Explorer-4.png

DickinSD · 22 Feb 2020

Interesting thought -- I'll try it tonight!

- - - Updated - - -

Tried that last night, and saw Items Indexed drop by approximately the number of files in that folder (there were over 8000 so easy to recognize whether gone or not!). Further thoughts?

dalchina · 22 Feb 2020

You are using build 1909- not 1903- and MS made changes to file explorer search. However I've not heard of your particular symptom.

I suggest you put a txt file in the same folder with the text string in that, check the indexed items increments, then search for your string.

That will prove that contents are being indexed in that folder.

Post a screenshot of what you're seeing including how you are formulating the search.

Note you can e.g. search for
type:txt "---- some text string----"

DickinSD · 22 Feb 2020

OK -- created "New Text Document" containing only "Currently no text" This is the phrase found in numerous files in this folder. For example, see first image in attached (I think I did it right) doc file with screen shots. This is an html file. The next image down is the search run using 'content:"Currently no text"' It found the text file but nothing else. The next one was with 'type:txt "Currently no text"' Again, just the text file.

Try3 · 22 Feb 2020

Given the current problems with File explorer search [ver 1909] you might be best off sitting it out until MS fix the problems and then see how your particular type of search behaves.

In the meantime, you could use a third-party search utility. There are lots to choose from. I use NirSoft's SearchMyFiles and it can handle what you want to do.

Denis

dalchina · 23 Feb 2020

@Try3 - could you please advise whether content search in .html works in 1909? Thanks.

@DickinSD Your screenshots seem to be some sort of saved web search. There's only one image.

The appropriate way to upload a screenshot (as I did for you) is to use the icon above your post left of the video icon, tooltip 'Insert Image'. If you need more help there's a tutorial (in the Tutorial section) on how to create and upload a screenshot.

The next image down is the search run using 'content:"Currently no text"' It found the text file but nothing else. The next one was with 'type:txt "Currently no text"' Again, just the text file.

This sounds as if content search is enabled for that folder and is working for txt files.

I suggest now you work back through the tick boxes needed for html indexing and check them, and also upload one of your html files. You may need to zip it to upload it as only certain file types are permitted. To upload it as an attachment use the paperclip icon above your post.

Note that search in file explorer is not case sensitive.

Are you certain the text you are searching for is text, not part of a graphic (image)?

Try3 · 23 Feb 2020

dalchina said:

@Try3 - could you please advise whether content search in .html works in 1909?

dalchina - Yes, it works for me at the moment.

DickinSD - see How to Upload and Post Screenshots and Files - TenForumsTutorials

Denis

DickinSD · 23 Feb 2020

Dalchina: Jumping to the question at the end of your response, since I can "select" text out of that sentence, I presume it to be actual text, and not an image. A portion of the file is shown below. I'll work on the rest of your points later today. I've tried to insert the actual file, following the guidelines in the tutorial, with the extension changed to jpg, but the file doesn't show up when I press "Upload." I'll keep trying.

<div class="noarticletext">
<p>There is currently no text in this page.
You can <a href="/wiki/index.php?title=Special:Search/GlTexCoord3sv" title="Special:Search/GlTexCoord3sv">search for this page title</a> in other pages,
<span class="plainlinks"><a href="http://qb64.net/wiki/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=GlTexCoord3sv" class="external text" title="http://qb64.net/wiki/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=GlTexCoord3sv" rel="nofollow">search the related logs</a>,
or <a href="http://qb64.net/wiki/index.php?title=GlTexCoord3sv&action=edit" class="external text" title="http://qb64.net/wiki/index.php?title=GlTexCoord3sv&action=edit" rel="nofollow">edit this page</a></span>.
</p>

dalchina · 23 Feb 2020

Please zip the file- 7-zip is free if you don't have a compression program. Then upload that using the paperclip or Go Advanced below your post. The site may be sensitive to certain file formats- not just extensions.