Windows XP had a nice option if you had to search only in folder. Just right click on any folder and select search. This is like one click option for searching in XP.
After i switched to Windows VIsta I was unable to find this option and Its not availble in any of the right click or shift right clck option. However when you press F3 on desktop it opens a search in the desktop meaning if you want to search in any of the folder in Windows VIsta it needs to be open and then you press F3.
However if you want to get the right click context menu for folders and drives follw these steps
- Open Registry Editor
- Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDriveshellfind
- Look for a string LegacyDisable
- Delete this key
- Now click on any folder and you would get the search options on the folder.
- To disable the rigth click search context just add new string value by right click on the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDriveshellfind path
With Windows Vista Service pack 1this option was disabled by default. You can read more about it here
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
why their usability “gurus” thought this was a good change is absolutely beyond me – they are too busy getting high I think
Doesn’t seem to work for me – deleted the key, restarted the computer, but no search on right-click. Too bad….
Worked for me, Thanks!
This worked for me, but only to enable the right-click search in the folders pane, not the main window when right-clicking on a folder.
To get the main window folders searchable, I followed the above instructions, instead using the path:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\find
and deleted the LegacyDisable key
To Dave F:
This change was not a design choice by “usability gurus”, it was a mandatory requirement forced by Google after a lawsuit.
There is no way that anything can mandate that an operating system not be alowed to search withing it’s own directory structure on a per directory basis. If you are to make such a claim you need to link to the proof.
For me right click on directory, search for file is invaluable and am only just immering myself in the post XP environment. I have found annopyances I can overcome, thing I expect to be fixed and the huge drag and drop icon that I am seing a therapist about dealing with.
No context search though? It’s core.
Nice work, I deleted both keys and have right click search on anything.
Thanks
Thanks buddy! It actually works! I have deleted both the keys and now am able to right click and get the “Search” option anywhere.
Anybody know how to do this same thing using a GPO?
Deleting ….LagacyDisable… string works in Vista but not in Win7
Brilliant fix to an annoying problem, thanks so much. Worked for me in Windows 7.