Trying to find a name in a file

[Native2904]

Hello,
to 99.9% I find anything with EV, but sometimes when I search for text or a name on my PC (e.g., I installed a tool and linked it to another one, but weeks later I can't remember why I did it — so I'm unsure whether I can safely delete it or not.), I can't find it — maybe because I'm doing something wrong. But what exactly?
For example, when I use the search function in Notepad++ (Ctrl+Shift+F) to look for “HxD”, two minutes later I get a list of all files containing this entry.

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notepad++_xVODw1Yb0J.png (154.43 KiB) Viewed 5609 times

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When I try to find the same with EV (which I think is actually designed for this), it doesn’t show me the same results.
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Everything64_o478Y4oRgH.png (152.82 KiB) Viewed 5609 times

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I’ve used several how-tos from this forum.

Speed ​​up file content search
Can content and a normal file search be performed together in one operation?

I have tried all this filters.
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JnHYnPYtVy.png (28.86 KiB) Viewed 5609 times

Everything64_bf9kNk58gg.png (11 KiB) Viewed 5609 times

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How would I need to search in order to find, for example, the text 'nhrt' in a configuration file within the folder C:\tcmd — e.g., in C:\tcmd\plugins\WFX\Startups\Startups.ini (5 matches)— especially if I don’t even know beforehand whether or where the name appears?

Thank you in advance!

[void]

You should be seeing the same results.

There's something off with the content:HxD search matching folders.
content: should only be matching files in your content index.
Do you have a bookmark macro overwriting your content function?

[tuska]

2Native2904

Compare your settings in “Include only folders” with my settings and please also note the tooltip.
Then correct your settings.
 

2025-06-20_CONTENT Indexing - Include only folders.png (32.68 KiB) Viewed 5601 times

How would I need to search in order to find, for example, the text 'nhrt' in a configuration file within the folder C:\tcmd — e.g., in C:\tcmd\plugins\WFX\Startups\Startups.ini (5 matches)— especially if I don’t even know beforehand whether or where the name appears?

Code: Select all

C:\tcmd ext:ini content:nhrt
- OR -
ext:ini content:nhrt

PS:
“OMIT” is visible in your status bar...

[tuska]

2Native2904

You should be seeing the same results.
...
content: should only be matching files in your content index.
...

I think that searching with the search term: HxD in Everything or Windows Search is "not ideal"
for obtaining identical search results for the text editor mentioned.

1. The file content search in ‘Everything’ should be indexed.
    In your image, there are also *.idb, *.dll, *.ax files, etc.
    In theory, you would have to enter many file extensions that you would not otherwise need for file contents.
    Everything is not suitable for this.

2. Even with a search in Windows ("Windows Search"), you would have to specify the file extensions
    (unknown before the search query) in which the file contents should also be searched.
    Search query in ‘Everything’ -> si:searchword

[Native2904]

Thank you for your effort.

As *tuska says i search:

Code: Select all

C:\tcmd content:nhrt

and then i became this result:

vivaldi_tP7k6b8CaD.png (26.36 KiB) Viewed 5577 times

my Include only files are at Strg+P\Content:

Code: Select all

*.ahk;*.bar;*.csv;*.doc;*.docx;*.eml;*.ini;*.ion;*.md;*.mdb;*.msg;*.odt;*.pdf;*.pps;*.ppt;*.pptx;*.txt;*.xls;*.xlsm;*.xlsx;*.xlt;*.xltm;*.xltx

and the Bookmarks are:

Code: Select all

\\Amsterdam\Kodi\	0											\\Amsterdam\Kodi\				0					0		1345	%SystemRoot%\System32\SHELL32.dll,150
Dateiinhalte\Content: https://www.voidtools.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=33633#p33633 mycontent:mytext: | ansicontent:mytext: | utf8content:mytext: | utf16content:mytext: |  unicodecontent:mytext: | ifilter-content:mytext: | mc:Suchwort | https://www.voidtools.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13506	0		0	0	0	0					0	content:mytext: | plain-text-content:mytext: | unicodecontent:mytext: | ifilter-content:mytext:	EVERYTHING			0					0	mc<mytext>		
c:\Users\Home\Music\	0											c:\Users\Home\Music\	AUDIO	Name;Size;Audio Channels;Length;Path	Path	0	0				0		1357	%SystemRoot%\System32\SHELL32.dll,119
Pictures	0											c:\Users\Home\Pictures\	IMAGE	Camera Model;Longitude;Latitude;Altitude;Height;Width;Aspect Ratio	Path	0	0				0		1360	%SystemRoot%\System32\SHELL32.dll,139
Everything	0		0	0	0	0					0	!FileHistory\ file: | folder:	EVERYTHING		Name	0		0			0	all	1329	
Everything by Size	0		0	0	0	0					0	!FileHistory\ file: | folder:	EVERYTHING		Size	1		0			0	ebs	1330	

But the entry I'm looking for is in the Default.bar file
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dwm_Ibs3AAb1jm.png (25.59 KiB) Viewed 5575 times

notepad++_K50S1mxxBM.png (57.01 KiB) Viewed 5577 times

PS:
“OMIT” is visible in your status bar...

Yes, I excluded *.db files

[Native2904]

2Native2904

You should be seeing the same results.
...
content: should only be matching files in your content index.
...

I think that searching with the search term: HxD in Everything or Windows Search is "not ideal"
for obtaining identical search results for the text editor mentioned.

1. The file content search in ‘Everything’ should be indexed.
    In your image, there are also *.idb, *.dll, *.ax files, etc.
    In theory, you would have to enter many file extensions that you would not otherwise need for file contents.
    Everything is not suitable for this.

2. Even with a search in Windows ("Windows Search"), you would have to specify the file extensions
    (unknown before the search query) in which the file contents should also be searched.
    Search query in ‘Everything’ -> si:searchword

Okay, that makes sense.

[tuska]

The bookmark made it possible to find what you and I were looking for.
I narrowed down the search with the parameter parent: because the file DEFAULT.BAR is located in C:\totalcmd on my computer.

Including the macro for the bookmark, four search queries were successful.

This example shows why a search query for multiple encodings is advantageous.
 

2025-06-20_Bookmark - Macro mc - Search query_mcColonSearchword .png (51.31 KiB) Viewed 5563 times

[Native2904]

2 tsuka
it's working!
However, in this case, the search seems to be too precise – it's still running after 20 minutes. As you mentioned, using Total Commander or Notepad++ might be more efficient in such situations.

[tuska]

2 tuska
it's working!
However, in this case, the search seems to be too precise – it's still running after 20 minutes.

If I know which directory the file “DEFAULT.BAR” is located in and use this search in Everything:
parent:C:\totalcmd\ mc:nhrt then the search result is available in a few seconds. <-- This search is precise!

If I perform this search: C:\totalcmd\ mc:nhrt ... then the search naturally takes a long time,
because all indexed files *) in C:\totalcmd and subdirectories are searched for content and, in addition,
various encodings are also taken into account! Example: For me, such a query takes about 1 hour for approximately 43,000 files.

*) In addition, when searching for file contents, it is likely that NON-indexed files will also be searched/found:

1. I had only added the file extension .bar under ‘Everything Options’ - 1.5.0.1396a (x64) > Content > Index file content
    > Include only files: ... after I found the file “DEFAULT.BAR” (please see the picture above). Please see also point 2. ...

2.

    content doesn't need to be indexed.
    It will just be a little slower.

    Combine with as many other filters as possible..

3. I'm not sure, but I keep getting the impression that Everything needs focus when searching for file contents
    so that the search for file contents continues quickly.
    a) When ‘Everything’ has the focus, I hear a noise coming from the PC (which is a sign to me that the PC is very busy).
    b) When I open another task, the noise from the PC stops very quickly.
    But maybe my impression is wrong, because the search for the file contents was carried out in the background until the end!

2 tuska
However, in this case, the search seems to be too precise – it's still running after 20 minutes.
As you mentioned, using Total Commander or Notepad++ might be more efficient in such situations.

I think you've misunderstood something. I didn't make that statement.

Everything can be used in Total Commander to achieve search results that are almost as fast as those achieved directly in Everything.
Total Commander first has to process the search results from ‘Everything’, which takes a little time...

[Native2904]

I didn't mean to be rude, I should have expressed myself differently.
As I said, I assumed that the fault lay with me, in my wrong Modus operandi.
Without reducing EV in any way, the way to the target with EV is clearly more complex than with the TC or NP++; in other words, this is only the case every 0.001 time and I can really live with that.

[tuska]

I didn't mean to be rude, I should have expressed myself differently.

I didn't find your statement rude at all
and just wanted to clarify that I didn't make such a statement.

Everything is fine, no problem.