Windows search text in files

To search for multiple strings in a set of files, you must create a text file that contains each search criterion on a separate line. To find all occurrences of the word Windows with an initial capital letter W in the file proposal. To search every file in the current directory and all subdirectories that contained the word Windows , regardless of the letter case, type:. To find all occurrences of lines that begin with FOR and are preceded by zero or more spaces as in a computer program loop , and to display the line number where each occurrence is found, type:.

To list the exact files that you want to search in a text file, use the search criteria in the file stringlist. To list every file containing the word computer within the current directory and all subdirectories, regardless of case, type:. To list every file containing the word computer and any other words that begin with comp, such as compliment and compete , type:. Skip to main content.

This browser is no longer supported. Download Microsoft Edge More info. It should be the first result in the list and it may be the only result. Click Advanced. Depending on your settings, you may also be asked to confirm the action or enter your administrator password. Click the File Types tab. A list of file types on your computer will appear. Select Index Properties and File Contents. Click OK. Windows will now begin to index the text within your documents instead of just their titles.

This opens the search box. Just type your search criteria into the search bar at the top-right corner of the window. Windows will return a list of files that contain the text you entered.

This tool will only return exact matches. Double-click the file to open it. The file should open in its default application, such as Microsoft Word or Notepad.

See this method to learn how to search the currently-open document for a string of text. Method 2. Open your document in its default application. This opens the Find or Find and Replace dialog. Enter the text you want to find. Be specific—this tool will only return exact matches. The application should now display the text you searched for highlighted in a different color. Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site. In reply to GordonB-P's post on February 25, Thank you, Gordon but I have tried that and nothing has changed.

I am currently trying a rebuild for the 4th time. I always restart after the index is complete. Nothing I have tried seems to help. You need to tell us what program you use to work with documents. For example, I use Word To search for a word or phrase I do this: 1- Open the document in Word In reply to A. User's post on February 25, Thank you for the response, I am using Word I can search within a document when I know the document name.

What I am looking to do is search for a document with a word or phrase when I don't know the name of the document. In reply to Jo Chat's post on February 25, Thanks again but that didn't work either. There must be some setting on my computer that is blocking the search function completely.