https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/RSS/?TopicID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728 FileSeek RSS: Does File Seek allow you to search only by file name (ignoring the contents of the file)? Sat, 02 May 2026 10:10:40 GMT en hourly 1 https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/RSS/?TopicID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728 https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#11 Fri, 19 Aug 2016 18:54:36 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#11 FileSeek On the Advanced tab, can you check to make sure that the "Show file names that match the "include files" filter option is enabled? ]]> https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#10 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 13:57:21 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#10 FileSeek After one of the updates I've lost the ability to search for files only. Please see the attachment for a sample of the search and results. ]]> https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#9 Tue, 19 Jan 2016 20:34:42 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#9 FileSeek That's strange! Your original search should have worked. Would you be able to try it again, and attach a screenshot of the FileSeek window when the search is complete? ]]> https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#8 Sun, 17 Jan 2016 16:00:14 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#8 FileSeek Alright, I've been playing around with it and found something that worked, though it doesn't make much sense.

In the drop-down to the right of the Included Files field, I had to select "Include Files Filter in Text Query", then move the filename (it's actually a folder with a dot in the name, though that shouldn't matter) to the Query field, then put * in the Included Files field (having it blank searches no files, which makes no sense, who would want to search no files, blank should be 'all', who cares if it's synonymous with *), which then showed three file locations of the file (!) so apparently I'd forgotten that I'd copied this disk twice already.

Well, thankfully I'm doing a full catalog of my real-life digital media so I don't lose it or copy it twice anymore, but FileSeek would have prevented this easily if it were more intuitive. I'd already searched the web and instructions but ended up here. I simply expect to choose the path, type in the filename and/or the search term and choose whether to search the filename, any text within files, or both, and this wasn't as intuitive as it could have been. Thanks. ]]> https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#7 Sun, 17 Jan 2016 15:49:44 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#7 FileSeek I've tried this and it's failed in FileSeek, and Windows 7 search will not show the file either, and I ended up copying over files that I later discovered I already had.

For instance, I was going to copy the CD drivers of a router to my backup drive, and I couldn't remember if I already had, so I searched for a unique file named MacTFTP.app in Windows 7 search, but nothing came up. I then tried FileSeek and nothing I tried caused the file to show up.

Here are my search parameters in FileSeek:

Path: to my backup drive
Include Files: [the exact filename including extension] (automatically lowercased with case sensitivity off)
Advanced > Case sensitive unchecked
Advanced > Match query to entire file

I'm not sure what else to put. I'm used to Linux grep and find, but only because I had to use them so much a year ago, and I'm not very familiar with Windows command line and would rather not jump through those hoops on Windows. I'm currently exploring other options to FileSeek. ]]> https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#6 Thu, 26 Jun 2014 19:41:42 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#6 FileSeek Yep, it sure would! ]]> https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#5 Thu, 26 Jun 2014 19:08:42 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#5 FileSeek If I know a part of the file name and I know it was a PDF would the correct entry be something like *file*.pdf? ]]> https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#4 Fri, 04 Apr 2014 15:14:30 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#4 FileSeek Just putting "Plex Media Server.log" in the Include Files box, and leaving the Query box empty should work. If it doesn't, could you send me a screenshot of the results? ]]> https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#3 Thu, 03 Apr 2014 18:00:46 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#3 FileSeek How about this?

I'm looking for "Plex Media Server.log"

I know it is either on C:, D:, or E:

I've tried various combinations, but can't seem to get FileSeek to JUST return instances of "Plex Media Server.log"

The closest I've come is:
"plex media server" | *.log

But even then I get more data than I really want. ]]> https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#2 Tue, 18 Feb 2014 19:55:34 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728#2 FileSeek If you want to search for a partial file name, leave the Query box blank, and just put your search in the "Include Files" box. For example, if you wanted to find all files with the word "golf" in the name, you would put *golf* in the Include Files box.

You can use multiple search terms as well by separating them with a pipe symbol. For example, if you wanted to find all files with the words golf or baseball in them, you would put *golf*|*baseball* in the Include Files box.

Hope that helps! ]]> https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728 Sat, 15 Feb 2014 23:36:05 GMT Binary Fortress Software https://www.fileseek.ca/Discussions/View/does-file-seek-allow-you-to-search-only-by-file-name-ignoring-the-contents-of-the-file/?ID=c59dceaf-8b04-40db-8c75-30a606087728 FileSeek 99% of the time I simply want to locate a file by name or part thereof.
I can't see any options for this in Fileseek, but it is where Windows 7 is at it most useless, except on non-indexed drives, where even Windows 7 it works perfectly.
Fileseek would be perfect if it could do what Windows 7 can't do on indexed drives. ]]>