There is a bug in search in Windows 8.1.  Will this be fixed?

I have tried searching for few program like msconfig, eventvwr, etc and it takes the whole spelled out program name to find it. Why is this? It seems to be a bug. In Windows XP, typing the first few letters got all the programs with that name. There was no need to type all letters to get the program to show up.

I have tried searching for few program like msconfig, eventvwr, etc and it takes the whole spelled out program name to find it. Why is this?

The two specific examples you gave would be called Administrative tools.   There is an option which controls that and it is off by default.  It was there in W8 too but the UI may be different.   Win-I (on Start Screen) Settings, Tiles, Show administrative tools.  I still have to type  regedit  in full?   (What we actually see for that has always seemed backwards to me.)   telnet and wmic  need to be typed in full.   At least we don't need to add the  .exe  which was the case in W7 for some things.   gpedit.msc  needs to be typed in full.  So the obvious complete answer now is that you need to have a shortcut somewhere in order for it to be matched by partial typing.

BTW related to this, something that I have asked before, what happened to the No Partial Matches Windows Search option?  It used to be that if that was on, your MUF Search UX would be affected by that accordingly (and at least initially, confusingly <w>).

I have tried searching for few program like msconfig, eventvwr, etc and it takes the whole spelled out program name to find it. Why is this?

The two specific examples you gave would be called Administrative tools.   There is an option which controls that and it is off by default.  It was there in W8 too but the UI may be different.   Win-I (on Start Screen) Settings, Tiles, Show administrative tools.  I still have to type  regedit  in full?   (What we actually see for that has always seemed backwards to me.)   telnet and wmic  need to be typed in full.   At least we don't need to add the  .exe  which was the case in W7 for some things.   gpedit.msc  needs to be typed in full.  So the obvious complete answer now is that you need to have a shortcut somewhere in order for it to be matched by partial typing.

BTW related to this, something that I have asked before, what happened to the No Partial Matches Windows Search option?  It used to be that if that was on, your MUF Search UX would be affected by that accordingly (and at least initially, confusingly <w>).

Hi,

I have tested the Windows 8.1 and have not found the search issue.

You don't need to type the full name. For msconfig, just type msco and it shows the result.

Hi,

I have tested the Windows 8.1 and have not found the search issue.

You don't need to type the full name. For msconfig, just type msco and it shows the r

For msconfig, just type msco and it shows the result.

I can search for 'msc' and uniquely identify System Configuration too.  The only customization I've applied to 8.1 is 'boot to desktop'.  I did enable 'Show Administration Tools' sometime in the past or it was set on by default.

Start Screen, Win-I, Settings-Tiles, Show administrative tools.

I can search for 'msc' and uniquely identify System Configuration too.  The only customization I've applied to 8.1 is 'boot to desktop'.  I did enable 'Show Administration Tools' sometime in the past or it was set on by default.

Start Screen, Win-I, Settings-Tiles, Show administrative tools.

For msconfig, just type msco and it shows the result.

In what context?   In Apps, with Show Administrative tools option enabled, I get an apparent match after typing just  ms   E.g. it shows up as  System Configuration.   Adding just the c to that uniquely shows that item.   Only by typing  msconfig.exe  in full do I see that item listed, again, of course, uniq

Would there be some other thing that might impact this?

Yes.  The sort of thing that I was speculating about: the state of partial match searching in Windows Search after W8.1 is installed, e.g. if partial match searching was off before it was installed and if that functionality was preserved.  I can't find any UI features left in W8.1 which would allow us to control this and I don't know where it was in the registry.  We would need to have someone who still has W8 installed make that change using the UI and trace it with ProcMon, e.g. using filter Operation Is RegSetValue, then try to see if that same value still exists and still has the same effect in W8.1.

However, now that we see that  System Configuration  would be another way of finding the same thing, can you do partial match searching for it at least?  Heh.  Getting a unique match that way takes more characters:  sy conf

 
FYI

Would there be some other thing that might impact this?

Yes.  The sort of thing that I was speculating about: the state of partial match searching in Windows Search after W8.1 is installed, e.g. if partial match searching was off before it was installed and if that functionality was preserved.  I can't find any UI features left in W8.1 which would allow us to control this and I don't know where it was in the registry.  We would need to have someone who still has W8 installed make that change using the UI and trace it with ProcMon, e.g. using filter Operation Is RegSetValue, then try to see if that same value still exists and still has the same effect in W8.1.

However, now that we see that  System Configuration  would be another way of finding the same thing, can you do partial match searching for it at least?  Heh.  Getting a unique match that way takes more characters:  sy conf

FYI

However, now that we see that  System Configuration  would be another way of finding the same thing, can you do partial match searching for it at least?  Heh.  Getting a unique match that way takes more characters:  sy conf

Partial matching works for some things but not all.

That does not answer my question or acknowledge my example.

FWIW I suspect the reaction to your "bug" would be to assume that it is a problem with your environment and ask you if you can reproduce it from a clean install, e.g. not an update to whatever you have been using.

However, now that we see that  System Configuration  would be another way of finding the same thing, can you do partial match searching for it at least?  Heh.  Getting a unique match that way takes more characters:  sy conf

Partial matching works for some things but not all.

That does not answer my question or acknowledge my example.

FWIW I suspect the reaction to your "bug" would be to assume that it is a problem with your environment and ask you if you can reproduce it from a clean install, e.g. not an update to whatever you have been using.

However, now that we see that  System Configuration  would be another way of finding the same thing, can you do partial match searching for it at least?  Heh.  Getting a unique match that way takes more characters:  sy conf

Partial matching works for some things but not all.

That does not answer my question or acknowledge my example.

FWIW I suspect the reaction to your "bug" would be to assume that it is a problem with your environment and ask you if you can reproduce it from a clean install, e.g. not an update to whatever you have been using.

What else to try to fix this bug or does MS needs to fix this bug?

The fact that it is not generally reproducible makes it hard to fix.  I suspect any problem report opened with just the description we have so far would just be closed: no repro.

FWIW thinking that it might be a problem with account class I just started my Guest account and it worked as expected, e.g. once Show admin tools was turned on both  msc and sy co  worked as searches for  msconfig.exe

Is there anything else about your install that you can think of which could account for your discrepancy?

I just realized that you probably installed an ISO and what I am using is whatever update the Store gives me.   So that might be one.  What if we compared by the first two lines of  msinfo32.exe  System Summary?

OS Name Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro Preview
Version 6.3.9431 Build 9431

BTW I figured out a wmic query to get the version but not the OS Name, so this less elegant method will have to do for now.   ; )

What else to try to fix this bug or does MS needs to fix this bug?

The fact that it is not generally reproducible makes it hard to fix.  I suspect any problem report opened with just the description we have so far would just be closed: no repro.

FWIW thinking that it might be a problem with account class I just started my Guest account and it worked as expected, e.g. once Show admin tools was turned on both  msc and sy co  worked as searches for  msconfig.exe

Is there anything else about your install that you can think of which could account for your discrepancy?

I just realized that you probably installed an ISO and what I am using is whatever update the Store gives me.   So that might be one.  What if we compared by the first two lines of  msinfo32.exe  System Summary?

OS Name Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro Preview
Version 6.3.9431 Build 9431

BTW I figured out a wmic query to get the version but not the OS Name, so this less elegant method will have to do for now.   ; )

Have you test the enterprise version of Windows 8.1?

No and I cannot do this.   Perhaps Niki will see this and confirm for you?

Have you test the enterprise version of Windows 8.1?

No and I cannot do this.   Perhaps Niki will see this and confirm for you?

Your problem is that you're expecting Windows 8.1 to behave like an Operating System, not a toy.

There are a whole host of folks (not identifying anyone in this thread, specifically - Robert has his head screwed on straight) who would have you believe Windows 8 and 8.1 are the next big things in serious operating systems and that the problems are all yours.

Don't be duped.  It's really as wrong as it seems.

But regarding searching for a function by part of its name, and indeed migrating your people from older OSs in general, you really, REALLY need to embrace ClassicShell.  It's the most important piece of freeware you can add to Windows 8 to restore actual important functionality, such as being able to start programs by typing in a small part of their names...

Have you test the enterprise version of Windows 8.1?

I have, and I suppose if you're bent on using Microsoft's search, it does do what you expect...

Have you test the enterprise version of Windows 8.1?

I have, and I suppose if you're bent on using Microsoft's search, it does do what you expect...

I don't recall configuring anything in Windows 8.1 specifically to enable that functionality.

The only thing I can remember looking at w/regard to partial word matches is the configuration option in ClassicShell.  Ivo (the author) has been known to make use of standard Windows configuration options, but I don't know whether he has done so in this case.

But I am not using classic shell.

I am using Windows 8.1 default search.

Does this mean you need a third party app to get Windows 8.1 search to work?

No, but you might need it to get the functionality back.

I was just recounting the only config option I can recall seeing that affects search matching.

As a test, I reverted my test system back to infanthood...  At the very first start screen after installation of the Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview, I typed msco and got this:

Apparently you've done something to break it.  Microsoft treats "search" as a toy, so perhaps they don't care if it produces reasonable or repeatable results.

I did reinstall Windows 8.1. I tried the search  and still the same problem.

Not sure how it could have been broken. But the reinstall without any programs install still has the same problem. Well it seems I got a buggy iso version from MS.

Not sure how it could have been broken.

What did you install it from?  Perhaps that is where your search is broken?  E.g. as I mentioned in W8 there is a UI feature which would explain this and if that does not get changed by the install it would explain your symptom.  Did you try using the third-party tool that Noel mentioned?  Perhaps it is a way of accessing that now hidden registry value?  Then, as I suggested, you could use ProcMon to try to find out what it is and then be able to implement such a workaround yourself without resorting to installing such a program.

Good luck

I got the Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview iso. Put it on USB flash drive. Install from USB flash drive. The search does not work.

Does it mean I have to burn the ISO to DVD to get it to work?

Yes, I did try the trid party app after doing a new install. It still does not work.