Windows 11 search can't find a file.

[mcRYSHER]

Hey guys.

So, for example I have a file named Rage-Zoom-Greenscreen-effect.mp4 

The file is stored in a big folder where I have various green screen effects. I use windows search to quickly get to the file I need.

 

So, when I type "Zoom" in windows search bar I expect the search to show me every file that has a word "zoom" in its name. But I see "No items match your search"... It is very annoying.

 

I suppose it is because of "-" symbol. If the file is named "Zoom Effect.mp4" the search will find it. But I have hundreds of effects named like Cartoon-Smoke-Greenscreen-effect.mp4 

 

Can I change it somehow? I simply want the search to work as it used to be in Windows 7.

 

 

 

[Agall]

3 minutes ago, mcRYSHER said:

Hey guys.

So, for example I have a file named Rage-Zoom-Greenscreen-effect.mp4 

The file is stored in a big folder where I have various green screen effects. I use windows search to quickly get to the file I need.

 

So, when I type "Zoom" in windows search bar I expect the search to show me every file that has a word "zoom" in its name. But I see "No items match your search"... It is very annoying.

 

I suppose it is because of "-" symbol. If the file is named "Zoom Effect.mp4" the search will find it. But I have hundreds of effects named like Cartoon-Smoke-Greenscreen-effect.mp4 

 

Can I change it somehow? I simply want the search to work as it used to be in Windows 7.

 

 

 

Are you searching from the Windows search bar or from file explorer?

[tikker]

This is my experience with Windows search so often. At times it finds the most random files I didn't even know existed yet I can give it 99% of the full name and it won't show it to me.

[OhYou_]

windows search takes a while to scan and cache everything iirc. 
just use everything

[manikyath]

windows search is a horrid mess.

 

from my initial testing, PowerToys Run seems to be decent so far

[Radium_Angel]

Or UtraSearch...this is my goto since MS broke search since the XP days

[manikyath]

1 minute ago, Radium_Angel said:

since MS broke search since the XP days

the search from the XP days was basicly nonexistant.

 

this sort of implies that microsoft never did it right

[Radium_Angel]

Just now, manikyath said:

the search from the XP days was basicly nonexistant.

 

this sort of implies that microsoft never did it right

lol yeah I guess that's true!

[mcRYSHER]

15 minutes ago, Agall said:

Are you searching from the Windows search bar or from file explorer?

File Explorer. I go to folder and type the file name I need

[mcRYSHER]

Guys, is there a way to tweak the search somehow?

[Agall]

1 minute ago, mcRYSHER said:

Guys, is there a way to tweak the search somehow?

Looks about it when it comes to Win11 file explorer search options. This machine's GPO is managed but those should be default, and that last option is what you might want to enable.

 

[mcRYSHER]

15 minutes ago, Agall said:

that last option is what you might want to enable.

Thanks! Nice! This seem to work! You're awesome!

[Agall]

1 hour ago, mcRYSHER said:

Thanks! Nice! This seem to work! You're awesome!

Thank you for asking the question, pointing this out to some coworkers who also run win11 on their workstations.

[GoodBytes]

You can try this option:

 

Keep in mind that it will need to rebuild the index. So, it will take quite a bit of time to rebuild everything if you have a lot of files.

Especially if you set Windows to search everywhere in your system and not just Document, Start Menu folder, Downloads, Pictures, etc.