Desktop Search syntax
Keyword/ Symbol NOT microsoft NOT windows AND microsoft - windows microsoft AND windows + Quotation marks Parentheses microsoft + windows "microsoft windows" (microsoft windows) Finds items containing microsoft and windows Finds items containing the exact phrase microsoft windows Finds items containing the terms microsoft and windows in any order > date: >11/05/04 size: >5 < date: <11/05/04 size: <5 Note: Finds items with a date after 11/05/04 Finds items with a size greater than 5 Finds items with a date before 11/05/04 Finds items with a size less than 5 Finds items containing microsoft, but not windows Finds items containing microsoft and windows Finds items containing microsoft, but not windows Example Function
Boolean operators must be in all UPPERCASE letters. You cannot use two keywords (for example, NOT and OR) in the same query.
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Boolean operators
Property has:attachment Example report has:attachment is:attachment report is:attachment before:date before:10/9/2004 Function Finds items containing the word report that have attachments. Same as hasattachment:true Finds items that have attachments containing the word report. Same as isattachment:true Finds items whose PrimaryDate field contains a date before 10/9/2004. after:date after:10/9/2004 Finds items whose PrimaryDate field contains a date after 10/9/2004. author:name author:"name" author:patrick author:"patrick hines" Finds items with patrick in the author property. Finds items with the words patrick hines, in that order, in the author property.
Property author:(name)
Example author:(patrick hines)
Function Finds items with patrick and hines in the Author property.
author:(name OR name) author:name name
author:(patrick OR bob) author:patrick bob
Finds items with patrick or bob in the Author property.
Finds items with patrick in the Author property and bob anywhere in the document.
from:name
from:patrick
Finds items with patrick in either fromName OR fromAddress, since "from" is a property name for both fromName and fromAddress.
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Numbers and ranges
To specify a date range, type the property followed by two dates. Closed date ranges are indicated by typing. For example, type from:david sent:11/05/04 ...11/05/05. Windows Desktop Search recognizes all Windows date formats and also recognizes the following values:
Relative dates: For example, today, tomorrow, yesterday Multi-word relative dates: For example, this week, next month, last week, past month, coming year. Days: Sunday, Monday ... Saturday Months: January, February ... December
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Dates and date ranges
Syntax size:>50 <70 Results Searches for files with a value in the Size property between 50 and 70, excluding the end dates size:>=50 <=70 Searches for files with a value in the Size property between 50 and 70, including the end dates date:>2/7/05<2/10/05 Searches for a date in the Date property between the values 2/7/05 and 2/10/05, excluding the end dates date:>=2/7/05<=2/10/05 Searches for a date in the Date property between the values 2/7/05 and 2/10/05, including the end dates
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Common file properties
The syntax listed in the preceding table can be used with any of the following file properties. For example, to find e-mail from "jake" that was sent in 2005, your query would look like this: kind:email author:patrick after:12/31/2004. To restrict by file type Use Example
To restrict by file type All file types Communications Contacts
Use everything communications contacts person
Example kind:everything kind:communications kind:contacts kind:person kind:email kind:im kind:meetings kind:tasks kind:notes kind:docs kind:text kind:spreadsheets kind:presentations kind:music kind:song kind:pics kind:pictures kind:videos kind:folders foldername:mydocs kind:favorites kind:programs
E-mail Instant Messenger conversations Meetings Tasks Notes Documents Text documents Spreadsheets Presentations Music
email im meetings tasks notes docs text spreadsheets presentations music song
Pictures
pics pictures
Videos Folders Folder name Favorites Programs
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videos folders foldername favorites programs
To restrict by file store
If you use several e-mail accounts and you want to limit a query to either Microsoft Office Outlook or Outlook Express, you can use the store: indicator. Store Desktop Files Use desktop files Example store:desktop store:files
Store Outlook Outlook Express
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Use outlook oe
Example store:outlook store:oe
Properties for file type: All
Property Title Status Date Date modified Importance Size Deleted Is attachment To Cc Company Location Category Keywords Album File name Genre Author People Folder Ext File name
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Use title, subject, about status date datemodified, modified importance, priority size deleted,isdeleted isattachment to, toname cc, ccname company location category keywords album filename, file genre author, by people, with folder, under, path ext, fileext filename, file
Example title:manager status:active date:lastweek modified:lastweek importance:high size:>50 deleted:true isattachment:sample to:johnsmith cc:david company:adventure-works location:calgary category:business keywords:sports album:greatest filename:2006hits genre:jazz author:david with:(sonja mo david) folder:sample ext:.rtf filename:sample
Properties for file type: Attachment
Property People Use people, with Example people:sample
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Properties for file type: Contact
Property Job title IM address Assistant's phone Assistant name Profession Nickname Spouse Business city Business postal code Business home page Callback phone number Car phone Children First name Last name Home fax Manager's name Pager Business phone Home phone Mobile phone Office Anniversary Use jobtitle imaddress assistantsphone assistantname profession nickname spouse businesscity businesspostalcode businesshomepage callbacknumber carphone children firstname lastname homefax manager pager businessphone homephone mobilephone officelocation anniversary Example jobtitle:manager imaddress:luis@adventure-works.com assistantsphone:sample assistantname:roberto profession:accountant nickname:louis spouse:susana businesscity:redmond businesspostalcode:98052 businesshomepage:www.adventure-works.com callbacknumber:sample carphone:sample children:anna firstname:maria lastname:gonzalez homefax:sample manager:carlos pager:sample businessphone:sample homephone:sample mobilephone:sample officelocation:red/101 anniversary:yesterday
Property Birthday Web page
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Use birthday birthday
Example birthday:tomorrow birthday:tomorrow
Properties for file type: Communications (e-mail, appointments)
Property From Received Subject Has attachment Attachments Bcc Bcc address Cc address Follow-up flag To address Due date Read Is completed Incomplete Has flag Duration
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Use from, organizer received, sent subject, title hasattachment, hasattachments attachments, attachment bcc, bccname bccaddress, bcc ccaddress, cc followupflag toaddress, to duedate, due read, isread iscompleted incomplete hasflag, isflagged duration
Example from:simon sent:yesterday subject:budget hasattachment:true attachment:sample.ppt bcc:michael bccaddress:sample ccaddress:sample followupflag:2 toaddress:sample due:10/15/2006 isread:false iscompleted:true incomplete:true hasflag:false duration:>120
Properties for file type: Calendar
Property Recurring Use recurringisrecurring isrecurring Organizer organizer, by, from organizer:jonas Example isrecurring:false
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Properties for file type: Documents
Property Comments Last saved by Document manager Revision number Document format Date last printed
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Use comments lastsavedby documentmanager revisionnumber documentformat datelastprinted
Example comments:excellent lastsavedby:Josh documentmanager:sample revisionnumber:4a documentformat:.pptx datelastprinted:yesterday
Properties for file type: Calendar
Property Slide count
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Use slidecount
Example slidecount:>20
Properties for file type: Music
Property Lyrics Bit rate Artist Year Duration Album Genre Lyrics Track Year Use lyrics bitrate artist, by year duration album genre lyrics track year Example lyrics:sample bitrate:>2kbps artist:sample year:sample duration:sample album:"greatest hits" genre:rock lyrics:"happy birthday to you" track:12 year:>1980 <1990
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Properties for file type: Picture
Property Camera make Use cameramake Example cameramake:sample cameramodel:sample dimensions:sample
Camera model cameramodel Dimensions dimensions
Property Orientation Date taken
Use orientation taken datetaken
Example orientation:sample taken:last year datetaken:6/12/2006 width:sample height:sample
Width Height
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width height
Properties for file type: Video
Property Name Ext Use name, subject ext, filext Example name:sample ext:sample
The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, places, or events is intended or should be inferred
