Questions tagged [file-search]

Questions related to searching a filesystem, either live searches or indexed file searches.

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How to search for underscores to select file duplicates, whilst leaving out original files that may have underscores in them?

I have a bunch of files that have duplicated, with an "_1", "_2" etc added to the end. I know I can do a search to show everything with _1, but there are some files that also have ...
Nathaniel Pillar's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
43 views

Awk command to find the most common word in a file?

Lets say i have a file that is simply a list full of dates and names, And i need to look for the "team name" that is repeated most in that list? Player name is located at position $1 and ...
Andre Freitas's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
45 views

Is it possible to replace windows search with another software like Agent ransack?

For example in Explorer, the search uses Windows Search under the hood to display the results. Is there a way to have it use a different search like X1 or Masterseeker instead and display the results ...
Nossy Drelich's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
43 views

Finding folders on PC with fewer than five files inside [closed]

Is it possible to find folders that contain fewer than five files inside?
King Mustard's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
48 views

Searching for mp3 files without matching cdg file

I use Windows 10, and have about 15,000 mp3's in one folder, some of which have matching cdg's that show lyrics. I would like to search the folder to find mp3's which DO NOT have matching cdg files ...
Manfred Humphries's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

How to search only for folders in the search bar = Windows File Explorer Search Box of Windows 10

I wonder what I am doing wrong or whether the search bar has changed. I need to make a search from the search bar of the Windows Explorer that puts out only folders. There is quite some rough research ...
questionto42's user avatar
  • 2,257
1 vote
2 answers
745 views

Test-Path on multiple computers of an AD

I'm trying to find out how to make a Test-Path against a list of computers via PowerShell and receive a "false" or "true" for each computer. For example, to do something like this: ...
Sergio Yepes's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
5k views

How to list (search) files with a certain name

i'm trying to get a list of all the files with a certain name in a project i opened with VS Code. For example, all the .gitignore files in my project. I know i can ctrl+p and type ".gitignore&...
aetonsi's user avatar
  • 163
2 votes
1 answer
85 views

Search for installed applications execution path

I do not only want to find what is installed, but also show the path to execute the application as results of my search. So I thought about using dpkg -l combined with the which command. I would like ...
user avatar
-1 votes
3 answers
131 views

Is it possible to prevent files on a usb drive from being searched on any computer?

I have searched, but all methods that I found need to be done on computers. I have a usb drive, and I may use it on different computers. It's impossible to set "Indexing Option" on every ...
Ryan's user avatar
  • 33
0 votes
0 answers
159 views

Perform Windows File Search from Terminal/cmd/PowerShell

How do I perform an indexed Windows File Search from Terminal (like cmd or Powershell)? I'm looking for an equivalent of mdfind of MacOS.
Thomas's user avatar
  • 201
1 vote
2 answers
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How can I launch an application with PowerToys Run after changing the application file path?

I have an application in a folder on my Desktop. After changing the name of the folder, PowerToys Run cannot find it at the old address and is unable to run it from the most relevant search result. In ...
carbonguac's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
867 views

Searching for a file in specific folder, with specific extension containing specific word

I know I created a file in November / December 2021. I know it contained a specific word and I also know its extension. Also I know its folder. But the folder has many subdirectories. How can I narrow ...
Mahesha999's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
1k views

How to copy files from sub directories to one directory

Hi I have a folder full of music files on an ubuntu server. I am trying to copy all said music files *.mp3/flac to one directory without there subfolders. I used this command in rsync, which works to ...
uNsTuCkMelody_'s user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
2k views

How to search for files that e.g. contain one word, but not another one, in Visual Studio Code?

I am looking for a quick way to perform complicated text search within VSCode. Some examples: Multiple keywords (file contains both apple and orange anywhere in the text file) Negative keywords (file ...
Nathan's user avatar
  • 481
0 votes
1 answer
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search tool - ugrep: simply command to search all subdirectories?

Question: How to tell ugrep to always search complete subfolder structure in general? So instead of defining specific levels of subdirectories how do I simply command to search all subdirectories ...
atereou's user avatar
  • 359
0 votes
0 answers
314 views

How do I limit Explorer File Search to file names and directory names only? Deactivating "Search in file contents" does not work

In Windows 10, when I enter "wheel", it finds files which are not related to my search. This does not make sense to me, and I don't want that. I have deactived the search option "Search ...
AntonioC's user avatar
  • 187
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0 answers
34 views

Finding similar images in specfic parent folder to specific only image

I have a photo, I want to search an entire directory for similar photos to this photo. Having the same image quality/image name is not guaranteed. they are basically the same image but being uploaded ...
Adam John's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
941 views

How to find a multiline partial regex match in multiple files?

I have a bunch of files. Every file can contain one or more matches for the following regex pattern: (foo)([\s\S]+)(bar) The matches can contain line breaks / multiple lines. I want to extract all ...
automatix's user avatar
  • 1,411
0 votes
0 answers
2k views

Display folders first in File Explorer search

Whenever I search for something (in this case "*") in File Explorer, folders appear mixed in with files: Is there a way to make it display all folders at the top like it does outside of ...
gargoylebident's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Find stale installed programs with PowerShell

Is there an easier way to find stale installed programs with PowerShell than recursively visiting each sub-folder of Program Files for the newest access date? It seems this is such a basic common need,...
Ted Shaneyfelt's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

Find files by contents (Windows 11)

I'm trying to search through 15 years of bank statements (PDF) for a specific payment amount, $42.69. I used Windows explorer file search (bar in upper right corner of file explorer) in the folder ...
bigjoec's user avatar
  • 43
0 votes
1 answer
118 views

Append Character to specific Part of name using Rename Command

I am stock on a question using the rename command. I am having a list of files which are named as followed : FT_440210.jpg FT_4302110.jpg I need to append "AGF" between FT_ and 440210. ...
Inès Zarka's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
25 views

Is there a way to hide a folder from searches but can still be searched manually?

I am working on a number of manuscripts in Word using Windows 10. I have taken to storing older versions of these manuscripts in a particular folder labelled "Older Versions of Manuscript" ...
user2352714's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
35 views

Is there an easy Windows equivalent to this search in Bash?

If I type locate something | grep "someEnding$" in a shell it will take a second to give me a list of every file on my system where the absolute path contains 'something' and ends '...
AML's user avatar
  • 113
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

Windows 10 File Explorer- File Metadata not showing

Recently moved a user from Win 7 to Win 10 (fresh win10 install) and for some reason after installing apps on the win10, when I add a column to display any type of file medatada like; TAGS, Author or ...
SDNetwork_N00b's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is there a way to list all excel files containing Macros in a Folder and Subfolders?

I would like to list all Excel Files containing Macros in a Folder and Subfolders. Is it possible to do it with Windows Search or Agent Ransack or Filesearch Pro?
nostromo's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

How to find files bigger than 2gb Windows command line? (32 bit overflow prevents the well known method working)

I am using the following well known solution to recursively find files greater than a specified value: forfiles /S /M * /C "cmd /c if @fsize GEQ 2000000000 echo @path" This perfectly works ...
g.pickardou's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
100 views

Search bar in Windows 10 plain doesn't work (and other assorted functions)

No, this issue didn't appear after an update. The search function features are also still there, they just don't start. I know reinstalling Windows fixes most things, I just wanted a second opinion on ...
WG481's user avatar
  • 250
2 votes
1 answer
777 views

How to search for a quotation mark in windows search file explorer

I'm trying to filter out search results in windows explorer, in such a way that it should retrieve only the files containing a " character. e.g. Document 001 "sendto" jane.pdf I've ...
Tiago Duarte's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
263 views

KDE5 Plasma Launcher does not find some files, but baloosearch does - how to fix?

The Plasma Launcher and KRunner of KDE5 have a plugin providing indexed file search. To the best of my knowledge, they use baloo as their backend. In my literature directory, I have many files named ...
kdb's user avatar
  • 2,252
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

How can I access the Windows search database in order to learn about files on a broken hard drive?

I have a Windows 10 PC and one of my hard discs broke completely (as in not recognized by the BIOS, makes funny noises and cannot be used). It was not the system disc but contained mostly private data....
NoDataDumpNoContribution's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Find folders with no files (empty) or only with "thumbs.db"

I recently did a photo cleanup and removed duplicates/similar using different tools. Now I'm conscious that I might have been left with empty folders, or folders with just the "thumbs.db" ...
elTanqueAU's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
4k views

Searching inside PDFs using the BuiltIn Windows search - Windows 10

This is one of the few moments I miss MacOS. Background - I have an archive of several thousand research papers that are saved as PDFs. To be able to find things I need a working search function. When ...
Mark Levison's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to delete all files inside a directory except some extensions?

I am doing a merge of some backups and those folders have user profile files. I just need all .mp3 or .wav or .doc or .docx. I don't need photos, pictures and videos. I want to search on my main ...
Thiago Moraes's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
165 views

How to automatically search for a users files - unknown user and unknown file type

I have a tricky question to ask: is there some software that can search for all the possible user created file types across an entire hard disk? Specifically: I have no idea where they have stored ...
Tim's user avatar
  • 21
0 votes
0 answers
844 views

Exclude Indexing of Files Without Extensions in Void Tools' Everything Search

How can I prevent Everything Search Engine (a Windows file and folder search utility by Void Tools) from indexing files without extensions? In other words, I want the index to include only (1) files ...
ChrisB's user avatar
  • 281
2 votes
0 answers
126 views

Full-text searching, how fast one can find "Linus Torvalds" into the linux kernel? [closed]

Three things: Currently, what are the fastest full-text search tools? Are there full-text search tools capable of reporting fullpaths of files containing hit(s), FAST? Is Linus Torvalds right about ...
Georgi's user avatar
  • 21
0 votes
2 answers
73 views

I renamed my photos last year including extension too, Now I am not able to recall a name of photos,How can I find my photos on windows 7?

I renamed my photos last year including extension too, Now I am not able to recall a name of photos or directory where it was stored, How can I find my photos on windows 7? Is there any tool to do ...
kish's user avatar
  • 1
1 vote
1 answer
178 views

Tuning vim's less.sh: enabling persistent search history

So, I'm using vim's less.sh in place of standard less pager: alias less=/usr/share/vim/vim81/macros/less.sh However, I have a major and a minor problem with it. The major issue is that it does not ...
alamar's user avatar
  • 133
1 vote
0 answers
274 views

A better way how to view *.chm files [closed]

I'm able to decompile *.chm file using hh -decompile <target_folder> <help_file.chm> in help_file.chm location (see Question: decompiling chm file: hh.exe requires only the filename. no ...
Lluser's user avatar
  • 855
0 votes
1 answer
146 views

Looking for specific characters in the filename in a directory (powershell)

Trying to get a list of all USA Titles in the text file this is what i have : $Path = "f:\Test\ $Text = "(USA)" $Results = "C:\Temp\test.txt" clear Get-ChildItem $Path | Where-Object {$_.Name -...
Vinocamp's user avatar
30 votes
3 answers
6k views

How to stop Windows Search from auto excluding repository folders?

Windows search indexer is adding most paths to repository folders (both .git and .svn) to the exclusion list. I can remove them manually of course, but each time i rebuild the index - they are re-...
klepp0906's user avatar
  • 1,055
0 votes
2 answers
742 views

Windows: Search through file contents except images

I need to search for the string 60 in some files. Many of these files are images. Is there a way to exclude by file extension while searching in windows explorer? Or I suppose there's a way with ...
xdhmoore's user avatar
  • 665
0 votes
2 answers
742 views

Search throughout an chm file

I need to know the "pages" of an chm file which contain a certain word, as one regularly does in pdfs or word docs using a regular search. The chm file does not allow me to do this. How should I ...
user580054's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
377 views

Revert Windows 10 File Explorer to Previous Behaviour

Windows 10 Version 1909 introduced a new feature in File Explorer. Previously, when you searched in a File Explorer window, the contents of that folder/window would automatically change along with ...
Undistinguished's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
134 views

How to search for more than one file at a time using Windows? [duplicate]

I have 1,015 images in a folder and these images is classified into seven categories of medical diagnoses of skin cancer, and the same images are classified in the Excel file by number (the number of ...
Ahmad Sarairah's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
348 views

External Disk shows used up space but i am not able to find any files inside

I have a MacBook Pro with Mac OS 10.14.6. My external hard disk was working fine until one day all of a sudden it went blank, it doesn't show files anymore... I have a WD external HD and I am using ...
Vishnu's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
1 answer
3k views

How to search in all files using Finder?

I need to find all files on my Mac using some search criteria. I open Finder I press Cmd+F Using "+" button I add any search criteria, even stack of them but the search does not start – because in ...
Kibernetik's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
185 views

Windows Search Does Not Find Text in PDFs (Applies to Callouts, Text Boxes, and Typewriter Text Boxes)

What settings or steps, if any, can I use so that "annotation" types of text are found when using Windows to search PDFs for a specific word or words? Environment Windows 10 Acrobat 10 (Acrobat X) ...
RJo's user avatar
  • 553

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