How on earth do you search for .exe files in Windows 7 without running them? For example, I have a few self-extracting archives beginning with e, which I wnt to find and move somewhere else. if I try e*.exe into the search box on the start menu, Win7 runs explorer instead of giving me a list of all exe files beginning with e. How do you get round this? It almost works using the search box in Explorer, but returns any exe file, not just those beginning with e. If I search for something I expect to find it, not run it.

Hi One thing to consider when you search from the Start/Search box is that you are searching 'everywhere'. Also, you need to tell windows exactly what you are searching for. The search syntax you are using is too broad. Try narrowing the search by adding quotes. Type "e*.exe" (including the quotes) to see the results. This will tell the search component that you want the results for that exact term. The results from the Start/Search box are always returned in Categories. Select the Files category and this will open Windows Explorer with the results. This will give you a more persistent result that will not disappear or start when you select one of the items. You can also select the See more results link directly above the search box to open the results in Windows Explorer showing all of the categories. The search component in Windows 7 is much more advanced than it was in previous versions. Here are some links with more complete information and tips to get a better search result. Advanced tips for searching in Windows Searching in Windows: frequently asked questions Files, folders, and search - Help & How-to Hope this helps. Thank You for using Windows 7 Ronnie Vernon MVP