# Why is windows file explorer doing this **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 27, 2023, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-file-explorer-doing-this/993753 "2023-11-27T03:37:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-file-explorer-doing-this/993753/1 "2023-11-27T03:37:32Z")
Just trying to find a filename in file explorer. “ProductivityPayGap.jpg” If I type “pro” I get that file along with “kevin\_prom” but if I try “pay” or “gap” or “PayGap” I get nothing. I’ve tried to find some search option but no luck. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-file-explorer-doing-this/993753/2 "2023-11-27T03:44:41Z")
I’m a Windows as a second language kind of computer user. But it seems to me that typing “pay” or “gap” would get your file as a result if your file were named “Productivity Pay Gap.jpg”. But it isn’t. And I don’t think it’s unreasonable that the search algorithm doesn’t look for strings _within_ a filename. If you were looking for “Duct Tape Brand Comparisons” and typed “duct”, would you want “ProductivityPayGap.jpg” among the search results? ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-file-explorer-doing-this/993753/3 "2023-11-27T03:47:59Z")
But it found “kevin\_prom” from “pro” ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-file-explorer-doing-this/993753/4 "2023-11-27T03:52:55Z")
Underscores and spaces are treated as separations between words. You don’t have any kind of word separation in ProductivityPayGap. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-file-explorer-doing-this/993753/5 "2023-11-27T04:07:13Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > If you were looking for “Duct Tape Brand Comparisons” and typed “duct”, would you want “ProductivityPayGap.jpg” among the search results? I actually would. That’s what I’m looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-file-explorer-doing-this/993753/6 "2023-11-27T04:10:45Z")
I think the search will work if you add wildcard characters, such as _duct_. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-file-explorer-doing-this/993753/7 "2023-11-27T04:31:59Z")
Yep. Thank you. The good ole asterisk. Guess they couldn’t fit “any match” in the 3 dozen other search options. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-file-explorer-doing-this/993753/8 "2023-11-27T16:04:49Z")
This sort of thing is why you are supposed to install [https://www.voidtools.com/support/everything/](https://www.voidtools.com/support/everything/) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-file-explorer-doing-this/993753/9 "2023-11-27T16:59:17Z")
Yeah, just install Everything and be done with Windows Explorer search forever.