Windows 7 Improving Windows 7 search?!??

[Siciliano]

I'm talking about the start button (orb) search built into the start menu - it's HORRIBLE! I just installed 7 the other day, and I immediately noticed the search is severely lacking when compared to Vista. One major thing that seems to be missing is searching the control panel, which it most definitely did in Vista - the control panel should absolutely, 100%, be included in all searches by default!!!

For example, if I type in "firewall" in the start search box, I get ONE RESULT! Some random read me .txt file from a program I downloaded. In Vista, one of the first results when typing "firewall" is the windows firewall, which it should be!! Typing "index" yields similar nonsense/unrelated results, when the very first thing on the list in Vista, as far as I remember, was the windows index!

What's the deal here? Can I modify it to include ALL areas of the computer, including the control panel? I really don't know why they would handicap the search like this - it's such a shame because I use it a LOT...

 

[tblount]

When you click Start and type.. it starts making suggestions.... which are better than searching because you get a menu... for example.. you want the firewall, just click start and type "fi" .. there it is, enter "ev" for Event Viewer you want to modify file associations.. just type "asso" type "ad" and you see administrative tools ...

and all the programs under Accessories.. "pa" for paint, "co" command prompt, "ca" calculator, "ru" run, "fo" folders and options, "pr" programs and features .. well you get the idea. This new method is much easier when you get familiar with it because the search results are instant. I don't see how it can possible be made any easier or better.

 

[Siciliano]

When you click Start and type.. it starts making suggestions.... which are better than searching because you get a menu... for example.. you want the firewall, just click start and type "fi" .. there it is, enter "ev" for Event Viewer you want to modify file associations.. just type "asso" type "ad" and you see administrative tools ...

and all the programs under Accessories.. "pa" for paint, "co" command prompt, "ca" calculator, "ru" run, "fo" folders and options, "pr" programs and features .. well you get the idea. This new method is much easier when you get familiar with it because the search results are instant. I don't see how it can possible be made any easier or better.

Ok, then something is wrong because when I type "fi", firewall doesn't come up. At the very top, is Documents (2316), with only 3 suggestions which are FAR off from Windows firewall. "pa" brings up a bunch of things, starting with documents, but paint is nowhere on the list... the same results apply to all the others ("co", "ca"). There must be a way to tweak it to work like it did in Vista!

And I also just typed "msconfig" in the search and it yielded NO results!!?? I know for a FACT Vista finds it immediately because I frequently used it, even when I typed it out entirely, it was always the first result on the list.

Something is def wrong here!!

 

[tblount]

Ok, then something is wrong because when I type "fi", firewall doesn't come up. At the very top, is Documents (2316), with only 3 suggestions which are FAR off from Windows firewall. "pa" brings up a bunch of things, starting with documents, but paint is nowhere on the list... the same results apply to all the others ("co", "ca"). There must be a way to tweak it to work like it did in Vista!

And I also just typed "msconfig" in the search and it yielded NO results!!?? I know for a FACT Vista finds it immediately because I frequently used it, even when I typed it out entirely, it was always the first result on the list.

Something is def wrong here!!

Yeah.. something is definitely wrong there. Are you really doing this from typing in the field when you click "START" on the bottom left of your taskbar? ...or did you upgraed Vista.... that's kinda a joke here because we have seen upgrades do some very strange things.

I've clicked Start and typed Msconfig and pressed enter over 1,000 times and it always runs Msconfig... every example I used in the other post works.. not always pressig enter but what you want it listed.... that's all a search would do anyway... most of the time they come up on top.. especially when you enter a few more characters.

 

[Siciliano]

Yeah.. something is definitely wrong there. Are you really doing this from typing in the field when you click "START" on the bottom left of your taskbar? ...or did you upgraed Vista.... that's kinda a joke here because we have seen upgrades do some very strange things.

I've clicked Start and typed Msconfig and pressed enter over 1,000 times and it always runs Msconfig... every example I used in the other post works.. not always pressig enter but what you want it listed.... that's all a search would do anyway... most of the time they come up on top.. especially when you enter a few more characters.

Yes, I'm doing this all from the start menu search (by clicking the bottom left start orb). Something is definitely wrong with it. =(

lol I just noticed your sig! Yes, unfortunately for me I did do an upgrade. I've been using 7 for a few days pretty extensively now, and that's the only major problem I've come across (so far). Unless there's some sort of way to tweak the search behavior, perhaps in the registry, I'll just have to decide if this is a big enough problem for me to do a clean install. I purposely did an upgrade because I have a LOT of programs installed.. I've done so many painstaking clean installs in the past, I'm just really tired of re-installing everything! =\

 

[tblount]

Yes, I'm doing this all from the start menu search (by clicking the bottom left start orb). Something is definitely wrong with it. =(

lol I just noticed your sig! Yes, unfortunately for me I did do an upgrade. I've been using 7 for a few days pretty extensively now, and that's the only major problem I've come across (so far). Unless there's some sort of way to tweak the search behavior, perhaps in the registry, I'll just have to decide if this is a big enough problem for me to do a clean install. I purposely did an upgrade because I have a LOT of programs installed.. I've done so many painstaking clean installs in the past, I'm just really tired of re-installing everything! =\

Let's see it open and type fire .. press print screen.. open paint... if you can and press ctrl +v to paste the iamge... save as jpg and reply to this using quote and add the image under manage attachments

 

[reghakr]

Windows 7 search sucks.

Try downloading this free program and use it's file Finder feature:
So many powerful options i's unbelievable.

Link Removed

Or this free search engine called Everything:

Download Everything

 

[Siciliano]

Let's see it open and type fire .. press print screen.. open paint... if you can and press ctrl +v to paste the iamge... save as jpg and reply to this using quote and add the image under manage attachments

Is this what you wanted to see?

I also forgot to mention problem # 2 - firefox is partially freezing every now and then, forcing me to end the firefox.exe process in task manager. It just happened now... this could however be a problem with firefox itself and this new theme I'm experimenting with.

 

[tblount]

Is this what you wanted to see?

I also forgot to mention problem # 2 - firefox is partially freezing every now and then, forcing me to end the firefox.exe process in task manager. It just happened now... this could however be a problem with firefox itself and this new theme I'm experimenting with.

Here is what it should look like.

 

[Siciliano]

Solved...

FYI - someone over at MS TechNet posted a solution - simply create another user account, and switch to that. Believe it or not, that worked!!!

Now, on the other user account, I have a weird issue with all the desktop icons displaying a "tickable" checkbox in the top left area of each icon... it's very odd. I actually think I remember seeing that in Vista before, but I forgot how I got rid of the checkboxes!

(no I'm not confusing the checkmark boxes with the shortcut arrows. These checkboxes are actually "tickable", meaning you can click to place a checkmark, and click again to remove it on EACH icon...)

 

[tblount]

FYI - someone over at MS TechNet posted a solution - simply create another user account, and switch to that. Believe it or not, that worked!!!

Now, on the other user account, I have a weird issue with all the desktop icons displaying a "tickable" checkbox in the top left area of each icon... it's very odd. I actually think I remember seeing that in Vista before, but I forgot how I got rid of the checkboxes!

(no I'm not confusing the checkmark boxes with the shortcut arrows. These checkboxes are actually "tickable", meaning you can click to place a checkmark, and click again to remove it on EACH icon...)

At some point you are going to realize that the upgrade is going to keep you running around "putting out fires" until you do a clean install.

 

[reghakr]

Go to Control Panel > Folder Options, click the View tab, scroll down until you see Use Checkboxes to Select Items, then uncheck it.

 

[Siciliano]

SOLVED (the correct way).

Guys, believe it or not, I figured out what the exact problem was on my own through sheer luck when I stumbled upon it - this entire issue was caused by ONE CHECKMARK BOX not being ticked...

Start Menu.. Options.. Customize.. SEARCH PROGRAMS AND CONTROL PANEL!!!!!!!!!!!! lol Can you believe that? No one seemed to be able to pinpoint it. I don't blame any of you because I'm at a very high tech level, and I didn't spot it at first either!

So, after all, we can conclude that there's nothing wrong the the Win 7 upgrade (at least not for me) Now I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I definitely want to thank Tblount, and others who have took their time out to try to help... I appreciate it.