Search (file explorer) broken in 9879


  1. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #1

    Search (file explorer) broken in 9879


    Hi there

    I think the search is broken in file explorer in 9879

    Say I'm just looking for all my ISO files -- I used to type in the search argument *.iso or even .iso and it would list all files xxxxxx.iso

    Now the search returns ANY STRING CONTAINING iso in it such as xxxxxxisonluxxxxxxx etc -- totally USELESS.

    I think also a space now is treated as a wild card so you also get xxxxx.iso.xxxxx too which is NOT what I want either.

    Don't developers ever need to use a search or are their brains hard wired so that they know where every file is on their machines. Surely this is one of the basic elements of "An Explorer" - to search and find !!!!. They surely must have a test script or checksheet to go through before allowing a build out of the door.

    (Fortunately I can just do the search from a Linux server using the windows drives as network shared drives - the DOLPHIN file browser search WORKS the way it should !!!! - but I shouldn't have to use another machine for a basic function like this).

    Cheers
    jimbo
    Last edited by jimbo45; 13 Dec 2014 at 04:07.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 19
       #2

    Jimbo45

    The search is different in Windows 10. Here are a few example searches:

    A minimum file size, simply type size:>30,000KB into the Search box and press Enter. A size range search would be size:750MB..2GB.
    type:=.pdf or type:=.doc will display specific file types.
    filename:x will display files using a partial filename. x represents the partial filename you want to search for.
    kind:video, kind:music or kindictures will find all the videos, music or pictures.

    If you just click or tap in the Search box, Search Tools will appear which allows the choosing of a Kind, a Size, Date Modified, Other Properties and Advanced search. In Folder Options > Search Tab, the search options can be changed, e.g. Find partial matches.

    Providing the location is indexed, you can search in File Explorer for a specific word or phrase by typing content: followed by your phrase enclosed in double quotes. This will produce a list of files matching the criterion.

    Speed up the search by opening File Explorer (was Windows Explorer) at the folder you want to search, rather than at the root folder. Also, pressing F3 will show Search options like Date Modified and Size.

    After displaying the search results, click or tap the heading of the field you want the results sorted by. If the field is not showing, click or tap View > Sort by > More, scroll down and put a tick in, say, Path. This will add the Path column to the display. Press Alt if the Menu bar is not showing.
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  3. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hi there

    Thanks for the info

    However it's not really intuitive -- I think ever since I first started using windows (windows 3.11 !!!!) I've been used to file searches of the type *.* or *a*c.iso where a space at the end is the delimiter - rather than *aa*iso * which is how it seems to behave now.

    I'm not sure really whether searches on file size are really useful - especially in these days of very large storage volumes.

    never mind - we all have to get used to new stuff.

    I believe IBM back in the days when they were a REAL computing company ("Big Blue") used to say -- that's not an ERROR but a "Feature"!!!.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 19
       #4

    IBM eh?

    Fifty years ago I started my working life as an IBM mainframe programmer.

    C++ and Java are a doddle these days, do you remember the difficulties of the Assembler BXLE (back axle) instruction?
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  5. Posts : 3,257
    Windows 10 Pro
       #5

    Those old search patterns were based on the old DOS requirements and don't really make sense anymore. filenames don't have the restrictions they once had, and you can now connect to filesystems that don't even have NTFS filename restrictions.

    The idea here is that you let the filesystem work out how to search for a type.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hi there

    Actually the whole idea of a TYPE might become redundant soon -- an OS could simply know by CONTENT what a file was so you could give it any name you liked - so it wouldn't matter if it's FLAC / MKV / EXE or even an ISO.

    I use Storage spaces now more and more so location of files for me is unimportant --the OS handles all that brilliantly -- for data backup I just schedule what I need and when usually by a range of directories. It's brilliant being freed from the constraints of the physical space on a HDD --- my music and video libraries can now easily span several physical volumes.

    I run the OS from a small SSD (120 GB) which is the only volume I need to image. I don't bother now with partitions / volume physical size etc.

    If I want more space I simply add another HDD to the storage pool (and unlike RAID you can use DIFFERENT size volumes in the mix).

    Storage Spaces Overview - TechNet Articles - United States (English) - TechNet Wiki

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 248
    W10 Pro/W7 Pro 64-bit
       #7

    I just tried that "*.iso" and the only thing that it found were the ISO files although I had no ISO files on my W10 physical HD so I search my W7 physical HD.

    Thinking that I may not have a file with "iso" in its name. I created a text file "testisotestfile.txt" on my W10 HD, searched for "*.iso" and it found nothing.
    Last edited by wptski; 14 Dec 2014 at 11:35.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 524
    Windows 11 Pro x64, Windows 10 Pro x64
       #8

    With my system Windows 10 technical Preview 9879, when I search my 4 disks for *.iso, all that is returned are the *.iso files. If I change the search to *iso, then files with the letters iso are returned as well. It seems to function as expected for me.
      My Computers


 

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