Windows 10: Search not finding files in best match from the Start Menu

Discus and support Search not finding files in best match from the Start Menu in Windows 10 Support to solve the problem; Every time I open the start menu and type a few characters of a file I'm looking for Windows doesn't find it. For example if I type 'art' Windows shows... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Support' started by damole, Sep 30, 2016.

  1. damole Win User

    Search not finding files in best match from the Start Menu


    Every time I open the start menu and type a few characters of a file I'm looking for Windows doesn't find it. For example if I type 'art' Windows shows me the Paint app whereas I am looking for a file in my documents that contains the word 'Art', now if I click the find results in documents icon it will show me the file. Why does it not search in the all the folders that are selected in Control Panel->Indexing Options?

    Is there anything I can do to disable best match?

    :)
     
    damole, Sep 30, 2016
    #1
  2. fshrago Win User

    Change Windows Search to be documents not Best Match

    When I click Start and start typing to search for a file, it never finds the file, only comes up with "Best Match" from the web. If I click on the documents icon, then it finds the correct file.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks

    Francis
     
    fshrago, Sep 30, 2016
    #2
  3. BobSlee Win User
    How to make Windows Search look in all drives with "Best Match"

    So I noticed that when I use the search function in the Start menu, only programs and settings show up in the "Best Match" section. Any files that are on a secondary hard drive (which in my case is ALL of my files) don't show up in the "Best Match" section.
    I have indexed the secondary hard drive, and the documents/movies/music do show up when I click on the corresponding category on the top of the search menu, so they are properly indexed.

    Is there any way to make them also show up in the "Best Match" section? It's a bit useless to have to sift through a menu and select my search item category before it shows up.

    I'm running Windows 10 (Version 1709, build 16299.64)

    **Moved from: (Windows / Windows 10 / Cortana & search ).**
     
    BobSlee, Sep 30, 2016
    #3
  4. dalchina New Member

    Search not finding files in best match from the Start Menu

    Hi Cortana search is a mix of settings, internet, apps, files and folders.
    As such you have to tell it the subset you are interested in. When it works, it's fast and convenient.

    Have you noticed its search of files and folders is limited to only what's indexed?

    Do search the so much better way- use one of these free find-as-you-type programs: across all your disks. Much faster 1 time inexing than Windows search, and far more flexibility (date, size, extension, location...) in specifying what you want to find.

    Everything by Void Tools (v1.4b or better)
    Ultrasearch
    Locate32 (older, but the one I prefer).
     
    dalchina, Sep 30, 2016
    #4
  5. damole Win User
    Cortana is turned off. Yes but why can't I choose the default subset. Best Match is just not best for me. I'd rather it just searched apps and documents which is what I think Windows 8 used to do.
     
    damole, Oct 1, 2016
    #5
  6. dalchina New Member
    if you want something that works as you wish, use Classic Shell (free) - a start menu that properly reflects a structured start menu, highly configurable, like XP expanding across the screen or like Win 7..

    Here are its search options:

    Search not finding files in best match from the Start Menu [​IMG]


    Otherwise please feel free to give feedback to MS
     
    dalchina, Oct 1, 2016
    #6
  7. damole Win User
    I used to use ClassicShell with Windows 8/8.1 but thought I wouldn't need it now. Just installed it and it's doing the job. Thanks!
     
    damole, Apr 5, 2018
    #7
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Search not finding files in best match from the Start Menu

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