Hello, Looking for options that previous versions of windows server had for the Search. Currently, it just allows you to type away and not specify search details (i.e.: Advanced search). There are options within the global settings in the "folder options" - Search tab, but that's global settings. :( Need something on-the-fly just like before. Why would Microsoft remove this?

Hi, In Windows Server 2008 R2, you can always use more advanced search queries in both the start menu but also in the top right search box of Windows Explorer. Please refer to the following articles: Advanced tips for searching in Windows http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Advanced-tips-for-searching-in-Windows Windows Search Advanced Query Syntax http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/technicalresources/advquery.mspx Hope it helps. Regards, BruceThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

What are your thoughts on this? http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itproui/thread/ecbecc00-f3e7-429f-87cd-8900fc313add

Based on lack of response to the above question (reference to other article), I take it that Microsoft Windows 2008 Server / Windows 7 "Search" straight-up sucks? And that means we probably need to: a) Wait until microsoft fixes this poop b) User another search tool ?? Thanks.

Microsoft needs to have a better classic search, that allows you to see the status. Horrible.

I can't comment on search in Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, since I abandoned Windows Search for finding files according to their contents in Windows XP. What was particularly annoying is that search would find some files, and report no errors or warnings, but clearly not find all files, even if I pointed to the folder where I knew the files resided. The issue at the time was indexing and the search service consuming a lot of cpu and memory, plus the fact that you had to configure it, including specifying which files to index. You have to do this on every computer you use. I never had to do that in Windows 2000, where search worked fine (although hard drives were much smaller). I coded my own script to find text files based on matches with search strings in the contents. I've used my script for years (and depend on it). However, I believe the findstr command (introduced in Windows Vista) can do the same thing, and is just about as fast. Check syntax help for findstr at a command prompt. Richard Mueller - MVP Directory Services

Not sure if the was added since your post... but there is an advanced search... it is just about impossible to find though. You'll be more accurate but a lot slower if you do not have indexing turned on. First right click explore.exe under the Windows folder and select run as administrator. Then click Ctrl + F. Then in the upper right hand corner select "Advanced Search". Then select Search Tools | Search Options | Always search file names and contents. Then you can enter the parameters you want and enter the search criteria in the upper right hand corner. Voila! It is a faster than doing a UNC search from an older server. Seems to work like the old versions... slow and everything. ;-) Richard Mueller, you should package your script and sell it to us.