Windows 10: Windows search misses really obvious results

Consider an example directory containing:
IMG_0209.JPG
IMG_0210.JPG
Some_PDF-numKK.pdf

If I want to find the pdf, and happen to remember that it had "numKK" in the filename, I might reasonably search "numKK" and expect to find it. In practice though, this will return 0 results. A search for *numKK will return the pdf though. Okay, so maybe there's something weird going on having a "-" in the filename, those images should be very searchable though. I remember that I liked image 209, so let me search "209". Weird, no results. But I know it was there, how about "*209"? Or "*209*"? Neither returns results. I need to search "0209" to find that image.
This is just a quick example, but in retrospect I'm certain there are other problematic filename/search combos that seem like they should really work but don't. I only found out about both of these behaviors recently. Are there any other search query quirks I should be aware of? And why are there such basic shortcomings in the current implementation of the search feature?
Directory was indexed in case that question arises.

:)

 

Windows search misses some results on windows 10 computer

Just to confirm, have you followed the correct steps on
reinstalling Windows 10?

If yes, we suggest that you run
System File Checker again and
DISM or System Update Readiness tool.

Let us know how the result.

Regards.

 

Windows search misses some results on windows 10 computer

Thank you Yashwanth for your prompt reply. I had already tried Method 1 that you suggested, without success. However I had high hopes that Method 2 would do the trick, but unfortunately it didn't.

Some other points have come to light since I first wrote:

• I'd thought at first that this was a problem that was time-related, since the files that Windows search had difficulty with were recent ones. When I looked more closely at the various folders I discovered that this was not necessarily the case. Searches
  for a specific word in two documents created on 1st March and 16th May of this year gave positive hits, yet searches on documents created on other dates this year were unsuccessful, as were searches on some documents created last year and the year before.

• On 10 January 2014 I'd created the document concerning work being carried out on my house. Searches on the (uncommon) name of the contractor and on that of the bank to which he directed payment should be made, were both negative. However, for the same document
  a search on a word related to the work being carried out produced a positive result.

• As an experiment I made a copy of the recent .docx document in RTF format, and saved the copy in the same directory as the original .docx and then repeated the search on the recipient's name; immediate positive result.

• I have on my computer another desktop search program of good report,
  dtSearch, that came bundled with a file management program that I bought recently. I decided to retry the search on the recipient's name using dtSearch and got an immediate positive hit on both the .rtf and .docx versions of the document.

I suppose one answer to my problem would be to use dtSearch for searches in future, but it would be nice to get Windows search working properly again.

 

Agent Ransack. It will find stuff on your system you didn't even know you had! *Wink

 

Fifty bucks for what should be really basic Windows functionality.... :X (yes, I see there's a lite version, but it doesn't even have indexing which is almost essential for a functional everyday search tool).

 

The free version runs circles around Windows search. I use it all the time.

 

Windows search is powerful, but it requires some knowledge to use.

There are niggles such as special characters that aren't well explained.

Some members prefer Everything: Everything Search Engine

 

Slarty,
Like I said in my first post, I could see if a dash or some other character made it finnicky, but underscores are part and parcel of filenames. And even still, if I had to surround every search term in wild characters that would be one (silly but doable) thing, but "*209*" being insufficient to find a filename with "0209" in it is ridiculous.

Thank you for the recommendation. I'm already playing with Agent Ransack, but I'll give Everything a shot too and see which I like better. It's just silly that I can't trust Windows search results for really, really basic searching = /

 

I use File Locator Lite, it's the same as Agent Ransack, with a different name.
These search programs don't use the Windows index, or any index.
They can search file contents, and much more.

Everything uses it's own index.
It can't search file contents.

It depends how and what you search for, what is best for you.
You can use both of them, if you want to.
Each has pro's and con's.

I also use Windows search sometimes, depending on what i'm doing and looking for.

 

Tried to search out something on 'Secure Boot" . Typed it in and it found nothing. (Searching C drive)
Tried the wild card, nothing again. After reading your post, I went back and searched "Boot", knowing I'd get a million finds, and I did. Two of the finds were "SecureBoot", with no space.
Go figure. I'm going to try the NON-Windows search tools too.
Gotta say thanks for your help, even though you were looking for help.*sarc

Just went back and searched "SecureBoot" and got 49 results. Persnickety little critter.