XP Search Utility Preferences

XP Search Utility Preferences

*** make sure your Search utility is in Advanced Mode ***

By default, XP's search utility opens in "Standard Mode" and does not look through hidden files/folders. This actually includes many areas of your file system - even files that always show up with a Win98 search, such as Word's default template, "normal.dot", will not be found with XP. Although the searches take longer, you want to make sure your entire drive is examined.

You also want to keep the search utility in "Advanced Mode" to allow you to perform more powerful searches.

To permanently configure search to stay in Advanced Mode and to look through all folders and files:

Start/Search
Change Preferences
Change Files and Folders Search Behavior
Advanced
OK
More Advanced Options
Search Hidden Files and Folders
DONE - the next time you open Explorer, right-click on a Drive or Folder - these options will stick

NOTE1: the "Look In" box will, by default, show all drives - click to change it to the drive you wish to search

NOTE2: if you know the file or folder you are looking for is not a system or hidden file/folder - click "More Advanced Options" and uncheck "Search System Folders" and "Search Hidden Files and Folders" for a fast search.

Saving Searches

You can perform a search and click "File/Save Search" to save it as a ".fnd" file and then create a shortcut on your desktop. This is useful for searches that you find yourself repeating on a regular basis.

Customize Appearance and Behavior to Search Companion

Click Start, click Search, and then click Change preferences.
Click With an animated screen character or click Without an animated screen character to add or remove the animated screen character.
Click With a different character to change the animated character.
NOTE: This option appears only if you the animated screen character is enabled.
Click With indexing services to speed up searches on the local drives.
Click Change files and folders search behavior to change the way the search companion searches for files and folders, and then click one of the following options:

Click Standard to be able to search for a variety of things, such as files, folders, and people, from one location.
Click Advanced to quickly display the options to search for files and folders.

Click Change Internet search behavior to change the way you search for objects on the Internet, and then click one of the following options:

Click With search companion to have the search feature offer suggestions and automatically send your search to other search engines
Click With Classic Internet search to use the search window that appears in earlier versions of Windows.

Select the default Internet search engine, and then click OK.
Click Don't show balloon tips or Show balloon tips, and then click Turn AutoComplete off or Turn AutoComplete on for use with your search entries.