Search on: A word of phrase in the document

[T Carrie]

I'm trying to get my system to search several Word docs
and PowerPoint presentations for a certain word in the
files and it will not give me any results. I can do the
same search from a different PC searching the same
directory and criteria and it returns several hits.

Any ideas as to what my be causing this?

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

T Carrie wrote:

> I'm trying to get my system to search several Word docs
> and PowerPoint presentations for a certain word in the
> files and it will not give me any results. I can do the
> same search from a different PC searching the same
> directory and criteria and it returns several hits.
>
> Any ideas as to what my be causing this?

Hi

WinXP's search function filters out files to search in based on file
extensions (see further below).

Install the free Agent Ransack, it searches for text strings in *all*
types of files, and not just in a selection of "approved" file extensions
as the built-in search does. It's a *much* better search tool as well...

http://www.agentransack.com/default.aspx

Agent Ransack can save the search result to a file (or clipboard), as text,
comma separated text or tab separated text. E.g. Excel reads comma separated
text (csv) very well.

When searching for text inside files, Agent Ransack is also able to do a
preview of the lines the text was found in (just do a single click on the
found file).
Also, you can use regular expression on both the file name part and the find
text in files part.


If you still want to use the not so good search tool that comes with WinXP to
search for text in files, take a look at this:

Using the "A Word or Phrase in the File" Search Criterion May Not Work
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;309173

Or this:

Add Files to Containing text Searches
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/xp_fix_search.htm



--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter