Vista integrated search function

[zig3695]

i love how you dont have to explore for programs in vista. simply type (or speak) what you want in search and it almost always figures it out. you dont have to enter the full file names, usually just type what the program is called. "firefox" opens firefox of course, "paint" works, "toca3" opens the game, all without any setting it up to do so.

but there are still some programs it just doesnt like to find. for example, if i type in "cd label print" it cannot find anything, but if i type in "cd-labelprint" it works fine.

my question is, can i teach windows search to recognize what i want it to? or does it learn automatically, eventually or something?

 

[blackangst1]

Yes. This function is called indexing. When you search it only searches in indexed locations. There is a button for advanced searched where you can tell it to look in all locations. The other option is to manually have it index your entire drive so it searches the fast way in the future.

 

[zig3695]

ahhh. i had thought i already had my entire system indexed. i must recheck then. thanks!


edit- nope thats not the problem. the problem is it cannot tell the difference, or similarity in this case, between something like "cdlabelprint" and "cd-labelprint". its a minor inconvenience in any case, but i would think there is a way to tell it that next time, "cdlabelprint" is the same things as "cd-labelprint".

 

[zig3695]

apparently windows doesnt do much guessing outside of taking the file extension off. i copied "cd-labelprint.exe" into the same directory with the name "cdlabelprint.exe" and now the search bar opens up either or, whichever i type. not really a solution, because a lot of programs wont work with copied exe's but for the few that its ok with, it works.

 

[Skeeedunt]

Are you talking about the full-blown windows search, or the search box on the start menu? For the one on the start menu, I think you can just change the name of the shortcut to whatever you want to type.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

Originally posted by: zig3695
apparently windows doesnt do much guessing outside of taking the file extension off. i copied "cd-labelprint.exe" into the same directory with the name "cdlabelprint.exe" and now the search bar opens up either or, whichever i type. not really a solution, because a lot of programs wont work with copied exe's but for the few that its ok with, it works.

try creating a shortcut and name it what you want to be able to search for

 

[Smilin]

Use the full search instead of just a start menu search.

The full search is very powerful (beyond even what the gui would seem to indicate). It will perform full boolean searches with multiple fields and all that stuff. See helpfiles.

If you are hitting certain things frequently either do a pin-to or add to explorer favorites pane (putting you just a Windows+E key away from them)

Also check your indexing options. My entire machine is indexed (no idea how long it took with just background priority but it was completed long ago).

 

[zig3695]

Originally posted by: JonnyBlaze

Originally posted by: zig3695
apparently windows doesnt do much guessing outside of taking the file extension off. i copied "cd-labelprint.exe" into the same directory with the name "cdlabelprint.exe" and now the search bar opens up either or, whichever i type. not really a solution, because a lot of programs wont work with copied exe's but for the few that its ok with, it works.

try creating a shortcut and name it what you want to be able to search for

uhhhh.... duh. haha, thanks man i guess that would have to work. i feel stupid. 🙂