search in files with strange characters

cokedude · Dec 10, 2024

Normally windows can search in files. Some programs add a `~` to the beginning of backup files. I would like to search in these files. Is this possible? Windows seems to have issues searching in these files.

garlin · Dec 10, 2024

Tilde (~) is a reserved character in the query language. You need to escape it, something like:

Code:

file:~"~*"

FreeBooter · Dec 11, 2024

Try this batch script code it searches string in *.txt text files on current directory.

Code:

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

set /p "searchString=YOUR_STRING_HERE"


for %%F in (*.txt) do (
    findstr /c:"%searchString%" "%%F" >nul && echo Found: %%F
)


pause

cokedude · Dec 11, 2024

garlin said:
Tilde (~) is a reserved character in the query language. You need to escape it, something like:

Code:

file:~"~*"

View attachment 119036

Like this 248294 file:~"~*"? Wanna search for the number 248294.

cokedude · Dec 11, 2024

FreeBooter said:
Try this batch script code it searches string in *.txt text files on current directory.

Code:

@echo off setlocal enabledelayedexpansion set /p "searchString=YOUR_STRING_HERE" for %%F in (*.txt) do ( findstr /c:"%searchString%" "%%F" >nul && echo Found: %%F ) pause

So in this case I just create a batch file then put the batch file in the directory I want to search? Is there a way to update this to specify the folder I want?

garlin · Dec 12, 2024

cokedude said:
Like this 248294 file:~"~*"? Wanna search for the number 248294.

Strange...

1. You can separately search for text string 248294 in files.
2. Or you can separately search for filenames matching "~".
3. But you can't do both at the same time.

I found a PowerShell scripting example which uses the Windows Search API, to see if it's a limitation on the Explorer UI. And it's not, the PS script has the same problem. For some reason, you're not allowed to do both.

So I modified the script to just find "~" files that are indexed already, and then manually search those known files for instances of a search string. You don't need to specify a path, it's querying the Search Index for whatever has been indexed.

Code:

C:\Users\GARLIN\Downloads>WinSearch.bat 248

C:\Users\GARLIN\Documents\~249cef99eee94q.tmp
=============================================
This is a line with 248294 in it.

C:\Users\GARLIN\Documents\~NEW
==============================
248 248 248

idgat · Dec 12, 2024

Look outside the Window ... go freeware
- Everything
- Ultrasearch
- Agent Ransack

search in files with strange characters

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