# Windows 7 search won't find anything but program names-- help! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-search-wont-find-anything-but-program-names-help/708261 "2014-12-27T02:49:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-search-wont-find-anything-but-program-names-help/708261/1 "2014-12-27T02:49:56Z")
Hey all, The search function on the start menu on one of my computers refuses to search for/find anything except programs by name. (It’s Windows 7.) No file type ever seems to be coming up in a search. (“Photoshop”, for example, brings up nothing but the program, not word docs actually named “Photoshop”, not docs with the word “Photoshop” in them, etc. “Amy” doesn’t bring up documents named “Amy”, docs with the word “Amy” in them, OR jpgs/pngs/psd/pmd/pz3/anything else/ files named “Amy”, and there are a lot.) I just can’t find a solution to this. (Right clicking on Start Menu, Properties does not seem to be bringing up any options.) This obviously isn’t the way that the search function should be working, and it’s fine everywhere else. There HAS to be a way to fix this! And everyone here is so smart! 🙂 All suggestions appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-search-wont-find-anything-but-program-names-help/708261/2 "2014-12-27T03:00:14Z")
I’ve never been that impressed by Windows Search, but if I was searching for a document, I’d do it from Windows Explorer, not the start menu. If you go to My Computer, for instance, there should be a search box near the top right corner of that window, and you can try searching for ‘Amy’ there. And be prepared to wait for awhile. I also recommend the free search tool Agent Ransack! ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-search-wont-find-anything-but-program-names-help/708261/3 "2014-12-27T08:07:06Z")
> [@Anise](#): > > Hey all, > > The search function on the start menu on one of my computers refuses to search for/find anything except programs by name. (It’s Windows 7.) No file type ever seems to be coming up in a search. (“Photoshop”, for example, brings up nothing but the program, not word docs actually named “Photoshop”, not docs with the word “Photoshop” in them, etc. “Amy” doesn’t bring up documents named “Amy”, docs with the word “Amy” in them, OR jpgs/pngs/psd/pmd/pz3/anything else/ files named “Amy”, and there are a lot.) I just can’t find a solution to this. (Right clicking on Start Menu, Properties does not seem to be bringing up any options.) This obviously isn’t the way that the search function should be working, and it’s fine everywhere else. > > There HAS to be a way to fix this! And everyone here is so smart! 🙂 All suggestions appreciated. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature. Searching within the start menu only searches the start menu. This was changed to system-wide search in Win 8. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-search-wont-find-anything-but-program-names-help/708261/4 "2014-12-27T16:32:54Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > It’s not a bug, it’s a feature. Searching within the start menu only searches the start menu. This was changed to system-wide search in Win 8. Not quite right. Searching from the Win7 start menu only searches for programs. Which is what you do with the start menu: launch programs. It will find programs for which there is no shortcut in the start menu. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-search-wont-find-anything-but-program-names-help/708261/5 "2014-12-27T17:57:37Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Which is what you do with the start menu: launch programs. The prompt within the search box on Win7 is “Search programs and files”. I mostly use it to open up folders, once in a while files or programs. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-search-wont-find-anything-but-program-names-help/708261/6 "2014-12-28T06:59:52Z")
[Agent Ransack.](http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/agent_ransackfilelocator_lite.html) It’s a little over 13 mb, it’s free, and it does a Windows 7 search that actually makes sense. (link is to the download page at Major Geek’s, a safe and reputable comprehensive computer tool repository.)