I have a question about Get 
Find/Search to Look Where You Want:




I spend a huge amount of time looking for the files I have to work on, on my hard 
drive--because the Microsoft built-in "search" function is both slow and  clumsy. 
Isn't there a good utility that searches for files really rapidly? (If the whole 
internet can be searched in 2 seconds or so, why does searching my hard drive take 
so long?...I think it must be a bit smaller than the internet.)

(FYI: I have an XP operating system on a Dell PC)

I should explain the details:

1. I have files mostly well-organized in folders. But I work on a lot of different 
projects, with hundreds (thousands? I dunno) of files. And even when I  know where 
certain file are, by the time I "drill down"  to find the ones I have to work on, 
it takes forever. I'm looking for a program to which I can say, for example, "find 
files with HISTORY in the name" -- and which will then find them all, fast. (i.e., 
within 4 or 5 seconds.)

(I know about "saving searches" and I've used that option, but I wind up with a lot 
of saved searches, and then I spend time keeping track of those. So it's just more 
housekeeping. I want a utility that will just do any requested search, fast.)


2. I also do have most of my files well-named for searching...if the search engine 
were just fast enough (the Microsoft one takes forever.)

3. The utility I'm hoping to find would look through file names WITHOUT the need 
for indexing. That way, when I've just created a bunch of new files, they'll show 
up in a search immediately--which is what I need. And since I'd only be searching 
file names (most of the time) and not text, that search should be very fast.

(More on indexing: Because my files are mostly named with a search in mind, ass in 
point #2, I don't really need to search for (or through) the text WITHIN files very 
often. That's why I can generally avoid using a program that depends on indexing. 
Of course, if I find one I like, I'd run it every few days, I suppose. But I definitely 
and continually need the other kind of  file search, all day long).

Can I be the only person around who needs to search for file names often? That seems 
impossible...so then there must be such a utility... no?

Help! 

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I'm sure you are not alone. I have seen several programs aimed at finding files or organizing them or both. Try searching in Google and look in Amazon.com Software. The last real good one that I used was Quickfind and that has been discontinued as far as I know. Someone may come along with more help.


On Sunday, December 8, 2002 at 3:01 pm, Brad Burg wrote:

>I have a question about Get 
>Find/Search to Look Where You Want:

>
>
>
>I spend a huge amount of time looking for the files I have to work on, on my hard 
>drive--because the Microsoft built-in "search" function is both slow and  clumsy. 
>Isn't there a good utility that searches for files really rapidly? (If the whole 
>internet can be searched in 2 seconds or so, why does searching my hard drive take 
>so long?...I think it must be a bit smaller than the internet.)
>
>(FYI: I have an XP operating system on a Dell PC)
>
>I should explain the details:
>
>1. I have files mostly well-organized in folders. But I work on a lot of different 
>projects, with hundreds (thousands? I dunno) of files. And even when I  know where 
>certain file are, by the time I "drill down"  to find the ones I have to work on, 
>it takes forever. I'm looking for a program to which I can say, for example, "find 
>files with HISTORY in the name" -- and which will then find them all, fast. (i.e., 
>within 4 or 5 seconds.)
>
>(I know about "saving searches" and I've used that option, but I wind up with a 
lot 
>of saved searches, and then I spend time keeping track of those. So it's just more 
>housekeeping. I want a utility that will just do any requested search, fast.)
>
>
>2. I also do have most of my files well-named for searching...if the search engine 
>were just fast enough (the Microsoft one takes forever.)
>
>3. The utility I'm hoping to find would look through file names WITHOUT the need 
>for indexing. That way, when I've just created a bunch of new files, they'll show 
>up in a search immediately--which is what I need. And since I'd only be searching 
>file names (most of the time) and not text, that search should be very fast.
>
>(More on indexing: Because my files are mostly named with a search in mind, ass 
in 
>point #2, I don't really need to search for (or through) the text WITHIN files very 
>often. That's why I can generally avoid using a program that depends on indexing. 
>Of course, if I find one I like, I'd run it every few days, I suppose. But I definitely 
>and continually need the other kind of  file search, all day long).
>
>Can I be the only person around who needs to search for file names often? That seems 
>impossible...so then there must be such a utility... no?
>
>Help! 
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Something that is well worthwhile and would improve your search performance (but is a bit painful to setup) is to get your data files off of the system drive. MShas a stupid software design that mixes data witrh system files. Professionally run computers are not setup this way. D&S folders belong on a separate drive from the system disk. Why search through all of the system and program files everytime you do a search? You can partition your drive and with tools like TweakUI and Tweak-XP move the special folders to a separate data drive.


On Sunday, December 8, 2002 at 3:01 pm, Brad Burg wrote:

>I have a question about Get 
>Find/Search to Look Where You Want:

>
>
>
>I spend a huge amount of time looking for the files I have to work on, on my hard 
>drive--because the Microsoft built-in "search" function is both slow and  clumsy. 
>Isn't there a good utility that searches for files really rapidly? (If the whole 
>internet can be searched in 2 seconds or so, why does searching my hard drive take 
>so long?...I think it must be a bit smaller than the internet.)
>
>(FYI: I have an XP operating system on a Dell PC)
>
>I should explain the details:
>
>1. I have files mostly well-organized in folders. But I work on a lot of different 
>projects, with hundreds (thousands? I dunno) of files. And even when I  know where 
>certain file are, by the time I "drill down"  to find the ones I have to work on, 
>it takes forever. I'm looking for a program to which I can say, for example, "find 
>files with HISTORY in the name" -- and which will then find them all, fast. (i.e., 
>within 4 or 5 seconds.)
>
>(I know about "saving searches" and I've used that option, but I wind up with a 
lot 
>of saved searches, and then I spend time keeping track of those. So it's just more 
>housekeeping. I want a utility that will just do any requested search, fast.)
>
>
>2. I also do have most of my files well-named for searching...if the search engine 
>were just fast enough (the Microsoft one takes forever.)
>
>3. The utility I'm hoping to find would look through file names WITHOUT the need 
>for indexing. That way, when I've just created a bunch of new files, they'll show 
>up in a search immediately--which is what I need. And since I'd only be searching 
>file names (most of the time) and not text, that search should be very fast.
>
>(More on indexing: Because my files are mostly named with a search in mind, ass 
in 
>point #2, I don't really need to search for (or through) the text WITHIN files very 
>often. That's why I can generally avoid using a program that depends on indexing. 
>Of course, if I find one I like, I'd run it every few days, I suppose. But I definitely 
>and continually need the other kind of  file search, all day long).
>
>Can I be the only person around who needs to search for file names often? That seems 
>impossible...so then there must be such a utility... no?
>
>Help! 
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

To Ricer46: Thanks a lot. I will definitely consider this in the long run (because, 
like you, I'm smarter than Microdumb). I wonder if there's any tradeoff since each 
program then has to search its data on a different drive. My guess is--that's NOT 
a problem, or if it is, it's a smaller problem than the backup mess we get this way. 
Anybody else want to comment on Ricer46's good idea? 





On Monday, December 9, 2002 at 7:39 am, Ricer46 wrote:
>Something that is well worthwhile and would improve your search performance (but 
>is a bit painful to setup) is to get your data files off of the system drive. MShas 
>a stupid software design that mixes data witrh system files. Professionally run 
computers 
>are not setup this way. D&S folders belong on a separate drive from the system disk. 
>Why search through all of the system and program files everytime you do a search? 
>You can partition your drive and with tools like TweakUI and Tweak-XP move the special 
>folders to a separate data drive.
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I don't think anyone actually answered the original question. Why does xp take so much longer than any other windows operating systems ever did? Did MS screw something up in their search engine. A search on Windows 98 took less than 30 seconds while on xp a similar search takes 10 minutes. ???????


On Sunday, December 8, 2002 at 3:01 pm, Brad Burg wrote:

>I have a question about Get 
>Find/Search to Look Where You Want:

>
>
>
>I spend a huge amount of time looking for the files I have to work on, on my hard 
>drive--because the Microsoft built-in "search" function is both slow and  clumsy. 
>Isn't there a good utility that searches for files really rapidly? (If the whole 
>internet can be searched in 2 seconds or so, why does searching my hard drive take 
>so long?...I think it must be a bit smaller than the internet.)
>
>(FYI: I have an XP operating system on a Dell PC)
>
>I should explain the details:
>
>1. I have files mostly well-organized in folders. But I work on a lot of different 
>projects, with hundreds (thousands? I dunno) of files. And even when I  know where 
>certain file are, by the time I "drill down"  to find the ones I have to work on, 
>it takes forever. I'm looking for a program to which I can say, for example, "find 
>files with HISTORY in the name" -- and which will then find them all, fast. (i.e., 
>within 4 or 5 seconds.)
>
>(I know about "saving searches" and I've used that option, but I wind up with a 
lot 
>of saved searches, and then I spend time keeping track of those. So it's just more 
>housekeeping. I want a utility that will just do any requested search, fast.)
>
>
>2. I also do have most of my files well-named for searching...if the search engine 
>were just fast enough (the Microsoft one takes forever.)
>
>3. The utility I'm hoping to find would look through file names WITHOUT the need 
>for indexing. That way, when I've just created a bunch of new files, they'll show 
>up in a search immediately--which is what I need. And since I'd only be searching 
>file names (most of the time) and not text, that search should be very fast.
>
>(More on indexing: Because my files are mostly named with a search in mind, ass 
in 
>point #2, I don't really need to search for (or through) the text WITHIN files very 
>often. That's why I can generally avoid using a program that depends on indexing. 
>Of course, if I find one I like, I'd run it every few days, I suppose. But I definitely 
>and continually need the other kind of  file search, all day long).
>
>Can I be the only person around who needs to search for file names often? That seems 
>impossible...so then there must be such a utility... no?
>
>Help! 
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I've run WinME on my system for the longest time and have put off upgrading to XP or Win2k because of the searching capabilities of 2k or XP but couldn't prolong it any more. WinME would do a search of my 3 drives totalling 100MB partitioned in 2, in about 30 seconds or so. Once the search was complete it would take 2 seconds if I didn't close the original search page. Win2k and XP are very slow in searching even with Indexing turned on. I am currently doing a search for a file on my system and it hasn't finished yet. It is just not inconvenient but down right ridiculus. I finally found the file now but it is only on my D drive. If anyone has a solution please give it up!


On Sunday, December 8, 2002 at 3:01 pm, Brad Burg wrote:

>I have a question about Get 
>Find/Search to Look Where You Want:

>
>
>
>I spend a huge amount of time looking for the files I have to work on, on my hard 
>drive--because the Microsoft built-in "search" function is both slow and  clumsy. 
>Isn't there a good utility that searches for files really rapidly? (If the whole 
>internet can be searched in 2 seconds or so, why does searching my hard drive take 
>so long?...I think it must be a bit smaller than the internet.)
>
>(FYI: I have an XP operating system on a Dell PC)
>
>I should explain the details:
>
>1. I have files mostly well-organized in folders. But I work on a lot of different 
>projects, with hundreds (thousands? I dunno) of files. And even when I  know where 
>certain file are, by the time I "drill down"  to find the ones I have to work on, 
>it takes forever. I'm looking for a program to which I can say, for example, "find 
>files with HISTORY in the name" -- and which will then find them all, fast. (i.e., 
>within 4 or 5 seconds.)
>
>(I know about "saving searches" and I've used that option, but I wind up with a 
lot 
>of saved searches, and then I spend time keeping track of those. So it's just more 
>housekeeping. I want a utility that will just do any requested search, fast.)
>
>
>2. I also do have most of my files well-named for searching...if the search engine 
>were just fast enough (the Microsoft one takes forever.)
>
>3. The utility I'm hoping to find would look through file names WITHOUT the need 
>for indexing. That way, when I've just created a bunch of new files, they'll show 
>up in a search immediately--which is what I need. And since I'd only be searching 
>file names (most of the time) and not text, that search should be very fast.
>
>(More on indexing: Because my files are mostly named with a search in mind, ass 
in 
>point #2, I don't really need to search for (or through) the text WITHIN files very 
>often. That's why I can generally avoid using a program that depends on indexing. 
>Of course, if I find one I like, I'd run it every few days, I suppose. But I definitely 
>and continually need the other kind of  file search, all day long).
>
>Can I be the only person around who needs to search for file names often? That seems 
>impossible...so then there must be such a utility... no?
>
>Help! 
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Here's what I've worked with my XP machine "Enfish find" www.enfish.com and "DTsearch" www.dtsearch.com Both are very powerful utilities. (dtsearch is very fast) I've also partitioned out my drive c:\ (0S) d:\ (program files) e:\ (Data) z:\ (Page file)

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

There is a utility called ZTree which is a 32-bit resurrection of the venerable XTreeGold, but written for windows. In fact, I have resorted to using it recently since my XP search engine won't work. When I first got XP on my system, I noticed that the search function would search for strings within the file name, rather than in the contents of the file. Then, mysteriously, it corrected itself and searched within the files for a couple of months. About a week ago, all on it's own, it decided to start searching within the file NAME again. Any clue as to this behavior? I'm amazed that I do not find it posted on this site, as every system I check does this (within as well as outside the company).


On Sunday, December 8, 2002 at 3:01 pm, Brad Burg wrote:
>
>I have a question about Get
>Find/Search to Look Where You Want:

>
>
>
>I spend a huge amount of time looking for the files I have to work on, on my hard
>drive--because the Microsoft built-in "search" function is both slow and clumsy.
>Isn't there a good utility that searches for files really rapidly? (If the whole
>internet can be searched in 2 seconds or so, why does searching my hard drive take
>so long?...I think it must be a bit smaller than the internet.)
>
>(FYI: I have an XP operating system on a Dell PC)
>
>I should explain the details:
>
>1. I have files mostly well-organized in folders. But I work on a lot of different
>projects, with hundreds (thousands? I dunno) of files. And even when I know where
>certain file are, by the time I "drill down" to find the ones I have to work on,
>it takes forever. I'm looking for a program to which I can say, for example, "find
>files with HISTORY in the name" -- and which will then find them all, fast. (i.e.,
>within 4 or 5 seconds.)
>
>(I know about "saving searches" and I've used that option, but I wind up with a lot
>of saved searches, and then I spend time keeping track of those. So it's just more
>housekeeping. I want a utility that will just do any requested search, fast.)
>
>
>2. I also do have most of my files well-named for searching...if the search engine
>were just fast enough (the Microsoft one takes forever.)
>
>3. The utility I'm hoping to find would look through file names WITHOUT the need
>for indexing. That way, when I've just created a bunch of new files, they'll show
>up in a search immediately--which is what I need. And since I'd only be searching
>file names (most of the time) and not text, that search should be very fast.
>
>(More on indexing: Because my files are mostly named with a search in mind, ass in
>point #2, I don't really need to search for (or through) the text WITHIN files very
>often. That's why I can generally avoid using a program that depends on indexing.
>Of course, if I find one I like, I'd run it every few days, I suppose. But I definitely
>and continually need the other kind of file search, all day long).
>
>Can I be the only person around who needs to search for file names often? That seems
>impossible...so then there must be such a utility... no?
>
>Help!

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I found the utility 'Agent Ransack' does exactly what you want. ie. when I specify to search ALL folders - it does exactly that


On Friday, June 11, 2004 at 11:41 am, Marv wrote:
>There is a utility called ZTree which is a 32-bit resurrection of the venerable XTreeGold,
>but written for windows. In fact, I have resorted to using it recently since my XP
>search engine won't work. When I first got XP on my system, I noticed that the search
>function would search for strings within the file name, rather than in the contents
>of the file. Then, mysteriously, it corrected itself and searched within the files
>for a couple of months. About a week ago, all on it's own, it decided to start searching
>within the file NAME again. Any clue as to this behavior? I'm amazed that I do not
>find it posted on this site, as every system I check does this (within as well as
>outside the company).
>
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Ronnie (& others), Thanks for the tips. I think I have resolved my original issue. It would seem that WindowsXP comes default with a search engine that searches very few file types. That, apparently, was their solution to make it appear to perform a rapid search. Sadly, they left out many file types that we programmers tend to search. To add them, one must alter the registry (scary, I know) to add persistant handlers to all the file types you wish to search for. There are a number of articles out on the web that show you how to do this. I've done it, and it works. Alternatively, you can choose to use a utility such as ZTree for Windows (which you may really like if you are a child of DOS and XTreeGold).


On Thursday, April 7, 2005 at 2:18 am, Ronnie Guthrie wrote:
>I found the utility 'Agent Ransack' does exactly what you want. ie. when I specify
>to search ALL folders - it does exactly that
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

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