Windows 10: Trouble searching file explorer using number keys; duplicate numerals not accepted in sequence.

Our company uses numeric codes to identify projects.

For example, a specific project, assigned the job number 111-44-23, will be found here:

P:\111\44\23


When navigating File Explorer, I find it very helpful to use the number keys; for example I would enter: "111" <Enter> "44" <Enter> "23" <Enter> to navigate to this job folder. However, I've found that any time I enter two duplicate numerals in sequence 11 or 44 in this example the second keystroke starts moving the selection down one folder as if I were pressing the down arrow key.


For example; when I enter "111" in file explorer, the first stroke selects folder "110", the second stroke moves the selection down to "111" and the third moves the selection down to folder "112".


Whereas; if I enter "121", the folder "121" is selected.

:)

 

File Explorer Search fails wildcard partial numeric name search.

The indexing trouble shooter did not find any problem.
System File Check result was: Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 10.0.10586.0 found No component store corruption detected.

I do not believe that my system has any problem as the wildcard partial numeric name search issue occurs on all Windows 10 systems of family and friends.
I believe the priority of this issue should be raised because the Search Results vary depending on the number of files involved creating confusion and incorrect results. With less than 40 files the wildcard partial numeric name search returns the correct
results. With more than 50 files the wildcard search becomes a whole number search only listing files that have the exact number. With *2345 in the search box and more than 50 files in focus, Search will Not list 123456.txt but will only list 2345.txt.
With less than 40 files in focus All files with any numeric string containing 2345 will be listed.

 

Numerical Sorting in File Explorer - Change the Collating Sequence


I was checking out the collating sequence on Windows 7 for a friend and found this post on SevenForums:

Numerical Sorting in Windows Explorer - Enable or Disable - Windows 7 Help Forums

Curious, I decided to give it a go on W10 even though this computer did not have the full key in the registry. I was not especially brave since I had saved a full image this morning. (You do have to reboot between changes for them to take effect.)

I created 8 files numbered 01, 1, 02, 2, 4, 15, 25, and 45. Then I downloaded the .reg files from that web site and applied them to see what happens. It appears W10 changed the default. It also appears the changes are still valid choices.

Anyway, W10 default is definitely with numeric sort enabled. As I created them, they came out in 01, 1, 02, 2, 4, 15, 25, and 45. (I don't know if the leading 0 is disregarded completely and might sort differently at some times, but they are in true numeric sequence since lead 0s should be disregarded.)

I ran the one to enable them first since disabled was the W7 default, and nothing changed. That reinforced that the defaults have been switched.

Then I ran the one to disable the numeric sort and the sequence changed to 01, 02, 1, 15, 2, 25, 4, 45. Basically straight ASCII collating sequence, not the numeric sequence Windows provides.

Anyway, I thought someone might be interested, and perhaps the equivalent information could be added to the Tutorials for W10 (reversing the default spec).

(edited to clean up mixed fonts)

 

File Explorer Search fails wildcard partial numeric name search.

The Clean Boot procedure at KB929135 does not cover Windows 10. So I just installed Windows 10 to a new hard drive. There was no change in the File Explorer Wildcard numeric Search issue. I expected that because I had already tested numerous other Windows
10 systems and all worked the same way. File Explorer with a wildcard numeric search like *234 will Not See a filename like ABC123456789.txt when there are more than 50 files in the Search window. But if there are less than 40 files in the Search window
then the Search results will show the file. To see the number of files in the Search window, select a folder like Documents then put * in the Search box. The number in the File Explorer Status bar, bottom Left, is the number of files to be searched. For
less than 40 files just make a New Folder and then in that folder make a New Text Document with the name like ABC123456789.txt.

It seems that with less than 40 files, File Explorer is Not using Indexing but is doing a character by character search. With more than 50 files, File Explorer is using Indexing which is replacing the numeric characters with their binary value making the partial
string search fail.

To prove this I rebuilt the Search Index table using Control Panel, Indexing Options, Modify and Unchecked the Selection Box for my Documents folder and then in Advanced Settings, clicked on Rebuild. When it completed I opened File Explorer, selected Documents,
entered *234 in the Search box and filename ABC123456789.txt was displayed in Search Results. This is not a fix, it takes a long time to Rebuild the Index table and without it all searches are slow, accurate but slow.

When there is an * with numbers in the Search box, File Explorer should be doing a character by character search regardless of the number of files to be searched.

Can you escalate this and create a case for the File Explorer support team?