Comments for Why can I not find a file that Windows search tells me is there?

Comment from Bob on 2011-08-12

2011-08-12T14:25:22Z

In response to Dale:
I am still experiencing the problem. I'm not trying to "run" a program, i'm trying to open a file. The file definately isn't in an archive.
If I double-click on a file to open it with it's default program, I get the error. if I then double-click again (whether or not I close the program first) it opens normally.
I don't know if this is related, but I sometimes see the contents of a directory disappear (i.e. the open folder window goes blank) only to reappear again a few seconds later. I also sometimes get windows of folders close themselves (though I think this only happens to network folders - I'll have to do some more investigations)

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Comment from Dale on 2011-01-14

2011-01-14T22:08:58Z

@Bob, there's a decent chance that the file is inside a zip archive, and while it can be seen it can't be executed from there. Check the path. If there's no drive letter, it's probably the results from a zipfile. I think there's a way to turn off Windows treating zipfiles as directories, if this is a problem.

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A comment on: Why can I not find a file that Windows search tells me is there?

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Comment from Bob on 2010-07-15

2010-07-15T15:10:37Z

This might be off-topic a little - it's more like "Why can't Windows find a file that Windows search tells me is there?"
If I use Windows Search, or even navigate to the directory directly and double-click on the file, most of the time it opens OK. But sometimes (always - if I open the application first, and use the in-program 'browse' to find the file in it's directory), it tells me that "Windows cannot find the specified file. Check if you have spellt the name correctly".
Sinse I'm not typing anything, simply selecting the file from a list that Windows presumably generates for me from the directory contents, how can it get it wrong?

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Comment from Paul on 2009-07-03

2009-07-03T16:55:38Z

I have tried the usual stuff and no dice, icluding everything you mentioned in this answer here. I could see them a few days ago and can still see them by doing a global search. If I just search the main directory they are in, Ithe search will not see them. I have to do it at the Drive level for the search to work.

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Comment from Russ Lucas on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T18:47:11Z

I am familiar with the "switches" shown above to show hidden files, but every time I set the "show hidden files" checkbox, it gets reset immediately, and so I am unable to view these files in order to eliminate a file buried in my "Local Settings" folder, which is causing a virus to attempt to change data in memory. Is there another way to set this parameter so I can fix my system? (Norton has been unable to eliminate the threat so far, even in Safe Mode.)

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A comment on: Why can I not find a file that Windows search tells me is there?

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Comment from Ken on 2007-08-13

2007-08-13T17:39:08Z

Another thing to mention is "hide extensions for known file types". Although it is unchecked in your screenshot, it is checked by default. Leaving this checked can cause confusion, as well as vulnerabilities to "social engineering" spam and viruses.

It can be confusing, for example, to see several files all with the same name. (They have different extensions, but the default is to hide the extension.) Or, to search for "something.doc", and only see "something" in the folder.

As for vulnerabilities, consider an e-mail attachment with "nakedladies.jpg" as the filename that is shown, when in reality the name is "nakedladies.jpg.exe" and contains a virus/trojan/whatever. (The inadvisibility of clicking on attachments from unknown senders in the first place is another thread.)

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A comment on: Why can I not find a file that Windows search tells me is there?

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