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metacharacter

About this tag
The metacharacter tag on WindowsForum.com covers discussions about special characters in Windows file search, particularly how symbols like the plus sign (+) are interpreted as metacharacters in Windows 7 and later versions. Users report that searching for filenames containing literal plus signs or dashes returns unexpected results because the search engine treats these characters as wildcards or global metacharacters, similar to asterisks. This tag is relevant for troubleshooting search behavior in Windows Explorer, understanding how to escape or handle metacharacters in file name queries, and adapting search strategies when upgrading from older Windows versions like XP to Windows 7 or newer.
  1. W

    Windows 7 Search files with metachars in filename (ex: "+")

    Greetings! I just upgraded from WinXP to Windows 7. I have a folder with a lot of files that have either plus or minus/dashes ("-") in the file name, sometimes more than one. For example, some filenames might be: Matterhorn +++.wmv Space Mountain ++-.avi Star Tours +.mp3 Star Tours (second...
    • westies
    • Thread
    • escape characters file management file names file search file sorting metacharacter search issues user experience windows 7 xp to 7
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  2. W

    Windows 7 Greetings! I just upgraded from WinXP to Windows 7. I have a folder with a lot of files that have e

    Greetings! I just upgraded from WinXP to Windows 7. I have a folder with a lot of files that have either plus or minus/dashes ("-") in the file name, sometimes more than one. For example, some filenames might be: Matterhorn +++.wmv Space Mountain ++-.avi Star Tours +.mp3 Star Tours (second...
    • westies
    • Thread
    • escaping characters file management file names file search metacharacter search functionality search issues upgrade windows 7 windows xp
    • Replies: 2
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
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