Question for those intensely interested in computers

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I am not intensely interested in computer software and programs. But I am earnestly curious if anyone who is could help me by answering with this situation.

Recently, I have transfered some of my Grade Eleven Physics notes onto the computer (in Microsoft Word format) in a folder called "Physics". I am wondering if there is any way whatsoever that I could search this folder (not manually, but through a simple, google-wikipedia like search) for specific terms.

Typing out this question, I realize how naive and technically impossible a project this would be. Nevertheless, it never hurts to ask.*

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*Actually, come to think of it, it does hurt your ego to ask such (to an expert) silly questions, as it displays fully your sheer and pervasive ignorance of the subject. But I'll take an ego blow for the information.

If you download and install Google Desktop

http://desktop.google.com/

It will index your computer and allow you to quickly and easily full text search everything on your hard drive.

You can even set it to allow you to access your results over the internet, though unless you have a need, I'd recommend that you don't bother with that feature. Turning that bit on without knowing what you're doing could open a security risk.

You can also limit the search area, so perhaps you'll want to exclude most areas of your hard drive except the physics folder.

Good luck.

Thanks!

in windows search you can search for word or phase in a file. try that!

Indeed. in fact, you can even go to the folder you wish to search and hit ctrl-f and it will open windows search for that folder.

Depending on the version of Windows that you're running Windows search is notoriously bad. I've seen it skip over files that I know either contain a given phrase or have it as part of their file names. Also the options for windows search have poor defaults. I'd still recommend google desktop.

Thanks for the help!

While windows search worked a very common term (waves) it utterly failed when I attempted to find something less common, but still included in the folder (transverse wave).

And just to clarify, I used the actual word, capitalization and all, in the search (I copied the term directly from the document).

I am only left to conclude that gbollard was right and I have a version of windows with notoriously defective search functions.