I must be missing something! Almost everything I read talks about how search has been improved in Vista and Windows 7, but I find the opposite.As a support person I frequently search for hidden/system files. In XP all I needed to do was check off system files and hidden files and folders, supply the file name or a wild card version of it and Windows quickly found what I was looking for, granted sometimes with considerable extra stuff. With Vista and "7" from what I can see, I have to wait to get into Advanced Search, then check several boxes and wait a much longer time for poorer results.Recentlywas askedto search a drive from a dead machine for "pictures". In XP I would have chosen Pictures, music or video|Pictures and Photos, selected the drive letter and been supplied with names of all pictures on the entire drive wherever they might have been saved. When I attempted this search with Windows 7, all I got was a list of files with the word pictures in the filename or contents, not what I needed at all.I repeat, what amI missing here?Thanks

I repeat, what amI missing here?Thanks Ron,You are not missing anything. For something that should not require attention, and should be intuitive, SEARCH has severely missed the mark.This link might help:http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/technicalresources/advquery.mspxDoc

Having a Windows XP search option for local files would be a step up over the current Windows 7's. As a semi-pro photographer, it sure is hard to do a search for a word in the picture file name on the data drive.

Having a Windows XP search option for local files would be a step up over the current Windows 7's. . . . Having a Windows XP style Start Menu and Explorer would also be a step up.

I stumbled onto SevenClassicStart_Setup.exe here but "search" doesn't find it in the forums. A Google search did locate it! I took a dinner break so haven't yet tested it. The screen shot showed XP style Start Menu. I hope the search part is also classic (XP).

Sorry to be so long getting back here. I am not receiving notifications.Sure is nice to see some agreement with my opinion.Ron