Search With Windows Explorer Does Not Find File "hosts"

[tb]

I am using Windows 7 Professional, 64-bit, SP1.

I can see hidden files with Windows Explorer: The radio button for
Tools->Folder Options->View->Show hidden files, folders and drives is
selected.

My indexing options for drive c:\ are such that _all folders and all
directories_ are selected for indexing.

I know for sure that my "hosts" file esists and is located in
c:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc.

And yet, when I launch Windows Explorer and do a search for file
"hosts" (w/o quotes, of course!), nothing comes up! (i.e. I get a:
No-items-match-your-search message.)

What am I doing wrong?

 

[Dave-UK]

I am using Windows 7 Professional, 64-bit, SP1.

I can see hidden files with Windows Explorer: The radio button for
Tools->Folder Options->View->Show hidden files, folders and drives is
selected.

My indexing options for drive c:\ are such that _all folders and all
directories_ are selected for indexing.

I know for sure that my "hosts" file esists and is located in
c:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc.

And yet, when I launch Windows Explorer and do a search for file
"hosts" (w/o quotes, of course!), nothing comes up! (i.e. I get a:
No-items-match-your-search message.)

What am I doing wrong?

Have a look in the search tab of the Folder Options dialog box.
Have you got things like 'Include subfolders' and 'Include system directories' selected ?

 

[G. Morgan]

I know for sure that my "hosts" file esists and is located in
c:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc.
Yeah.

And yet, when I launch Windows Explorer and do a search for file
"hosts" (w/o quotes, of course!), nothing comes up!

Then why do you need to search if you know where it is?

BTW: I use Hostsman, it automatically updates the hosts file from
various lists. http://www.abelhadigital.com/hostsman

 

[The Seabat]

When you open up the Folder Option under Tools, go to view tab and un
check "Hide protected operating system files" box along with checking
the "Show hidden files" radio dial. Now you should be able to see your
hosts file. Don't forget to go back in and re-check/un-check those
options again.

 

[tb]

Have a look in the search tab of the Folder Options dialog box.
Have you got things like 'Include subfolders' and 'Include system
directories' selected ?

Yes, these options are already selected.

 

[tb]

When you open up the Folder Option under Tools, go to view tab and un
check "Hide protected operating system files" box along with checking
the "Show hidden files" radio dial. Now you should be able to see your
hosts file. Don't forget to go back in and re-check/un-check those
options again.

Yes, the protected files box is already unchecked.

 

[Dave-UK]

Yes, the protected files box is already unchecked.

Try Control Panel (icon view) > Troubleshooting > System and Security > Search and Indexing.

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

When you open up the Folder Option under Tools, go to view tab and un
check "Hide protected operating system files" box along with
checking the "Show hidden files" radio dial. Now you should be able
to see your hosts file. Don't forget to go back in and
re-check/un-check those options again.

The Windows Explorer search should find it even if that is checked or
"Don't show hidden files" is selected. It does with mine.

 

[tb]

I am using Windows 7 Professional, 64-bit, SP1.

I can see hidden files with Windows Explorer: The radio button for
Tools->Folder Options->View->Show hidden files, folders and drives is
selected.

My indexing options for drive c:\ are such that _all folders and all
directories_ are selected for indexing.

I know for sure that my "hosts" file esists and is located in
c:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc.

And yet, when I launch Windows Explorer and do a search for file
"hosts" (w/o quotes, of course!), nothing comes up! (i.e. I get a:
No-items-match-your-search message.)

What am I doing wrong?

Does anybody know where the indexing file is kept, what it is called
and what extension it has? (index.dat, maybe?)

Thanks.

 

[Char Jackson]

The Windows Explorer search should find it even if that is checked or
"Don't show hidden files" is selected. It does with mine.

I have Show Hidden Files enabled and Hide Protected System Files
enabled. The hosts file doesn't show up in Windows Search.

I unchecked Hide Protected System Files and the hosts file still
didn't show up. Clicking 'more results' was likewise unsuccessful.

Everything Search and Agent Ransack both found the file, regardless of
the status of Hide Protected System Files.

 

[Char Jackson]

Then why do you need to search if you know where it is?

It's frequently much faster to access a file via 'search' than to
navigate to it. The farther down the hierarchy it is, the more that
becomes true.

 

[Ed Cryer]

I have Show Hidden Files enabled and Hide Protected System Files
enabled. The hosts file doesn't show up in Windows Search.

I unchecked Hide Protected System Files and the hosts file still
didn't show up. Clicking 'more results' was likewise unsuccessful.

Everything Search and Agent Ransack both found the file, regardless of
the status of Hide Protected System Files.

I have both SHF and HPSI ticked; and my hosts file is found quickly.
Have you got your Win7 search parameters set properly? Have you indexed
the thing?

Ed

 

[Ed Cryer]

Does anybody know where the indexing file is kept, what it is called
and what extension it has? (index.dat, maybe?)

Thanks.

Control Panel/ Indexing Options/ Advanced.
The default location is C:\ProgramData\Microsoft

Ed

 

[Jason]

Does anybody know where the indexing file is kept, what it is called
and what extension it has? (index.dat, maybe?)

Thanks.

It's a set of files in a directory called Search. I moved mine off C: so
I am not sure where it resided there, but look for a directory with that
name under c:\windows. I changed the default indexing options to include
more places. I don't know if that's why Search finds my hosts file in the
\drivers folder, but it did find it.

Jason

 

[The Seabat]

Yup, my search shows it also, but if those two items are not checked
(or un checked) it will not show up when you try and access the
folder.

 

[...winston]

"Ed Cryer" wrote in message I have both SHF and HPSI ticked; and my hosts file is found quickly.
Have you got your Win7 search parameters set properly? Have you indexed
the thing?
Searching for hosts via Windows Explorer (Win7) finds the file in %systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\ with:
- Show Hidden Files and Hide Protected are both enabled
- C:\Windows is **not** indexed (by default also not included)

 

[Char Jackson]

I have both SHF and HPSI ticked; and my hosts file is found quickly.
Have you got your Win7 search parameters set properly? Have you indexed
the thing?

I don't know what either of those questions mean, and I don't want to
change anything, so I'll step out for now. I just wanted to report my
findings.

 

[Gordonbp]

I don't know what either of those questions mean, and I don't want to
change anything, so I'll step out for now. I just wanted to report my
findings.

SHF = Show Hidden Files and
HPSI = Hide Profected System Files (should have been HPSF....)

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, G.

Can you verify that in the ect directory?

That's "etc", not "ect".

And, no, it doesn't stand for "et cetera". I can't recall what the initials
are for (probably NOT Electronic Technology Clues <g>), and every time I
search for "etc" I get "et cetera". :>( Bingling for etc -""et cetera'"
gets me closer, but I don't think Employment Training Centre" is what we're
looking for, either.

But SOMEBODY in this computer-savvy newsgroup should be able to inform us
all. What does "etc" mean, in the context of the Hosts file?

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2012 (Build 16.4.3503.0728)) in Win8 (RTM Ent Eval)


"G. Morgan" wrote in message

My indexing options for drive c:\ are such that _all folders and all
directories_ are selected for indexing.

Can you verify that in the ect directory?

See here:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/?bx7co1txwebvtig

 

[R. C. White]

One of the first things I do whenever installing or reinstalling Windows is
to go to Folder Options and make a few of my favorite tweaks - including
showing hidden files, OS files and extensions. While those settings MAY be
OK for newbies, they are not optimal for any experienced user. The default
setting to hide extensions is actually very dangerous, even for newbies, in
my opinion.

Now, in the Windows 8 RTM Enterprise Evaluation edition, I opened an
Administrator:Command Prompt window and used the Dir command with the /s
switch and got:
<paste>
C:\Windows\system32>dir hosts /s
Volume in drive C is Windows 8
Volume Serial Number is 5EAA-11E0

Directory of C:\Windows\system32\Drivers\etc

07/26/2012 12:26 AM 824 hosts
1 File(s) 824 bytes
</paste>

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2012 (Build 16.4.3503.0728)) in Win8 (RTM Ent Eval)


"G. Morgan" wrote in message

My indexing options for drive c:\ are such that _all folders and all
directories_ are selected for indexing.

Can you verify that in the ect directory?

See here:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/?bx7co1txwebvtig