searching multiple excel and word files for certain keywords?

[katie279]

Hi folks,

Have got masses of word and excel files from a recovered disk (their filenames have been scrubbed) so I'm trying to locate a particular set of files.

What I'm wanting to do is search the directory using some software for words that I know occur in the files I need...

Does anyone know of any software that'll let me do this (ie search within word and excel files)?

 

[miniyazz]

as a matter of fact, vista/7s own search function. Change the search properties to search inside files even for non-indexed locations, point it to the folder where your recovered files are, put in your keywords, and bob's your uncle. It'll take a little while though, depending on how much there is, but just earlier today I think I searched the majority of my C:\ (only 30GB or so atm) like that in less than 2 hours, and much of it wasn't indexed, but it was on SSD..

 

[SourChipmunk]

If you don't have Vista or 7, use the Google Desktop and allow it to index your system.


edit: XP allows this also. Search | Files or Folders | All files and folders, then put in the search phrase in the "A word or phrase in the file:" field.

 

[vidda]

Doesn't the normal Windows search do this? At least on XP it does.

Just did a quick test then stopped it when it found a file, unsure how well it works with Word/Excel docs though.

 

[miniyazz]

I think word/excel docs have a lot of formatting in but when it comes to the text, it has it unencrypted or anything, just not in an easily readable way. So it will have lots of formatting text between words, that sort of thing.

 

[katie279]

hi guys - thanks for the tips! Yes, am on Vista - thought it did this, but it didn't seem to be scanning the excel/word docs (know it does for text-based formats like txt, html etc).

Tried a quick test with a word I knew was available, but didn't popped up (have turned on full indexing etc in advanced options)

Hmm, will play some more!

 

[katie279]

If you don't have Vista or 7, use the Google Desktop and allow it to index your system.


edit: XP allows this also. Search | Files or Folders | All files and folders, then put in the search phrase in the "A word or phrase in the file:" field.

Great thought Raist - forgot about Google Desktop - that definitely searches through word docs (though I'll have to wait for it to index!). Will investigate, owe you one!

 

[miniyazz]

If the file has a funny extension, it probably won't work - you'll have to dig deeper still into the search options and enable searching within files with that extension, else it'll just do file names. Don't even know if .doc/.docx is enabled by default..