Way to use Windows 7 search in TC?

[mikebara]

Might anyone know of a way to use the Windows 7 search in Total Commander? What I'm hoping is that there is some way for the 'search' button / Alt+F7 to call up Windows built-in search instead of TCs search. To this point, the best workaround I've come up with is to right click on the folder in which I'd like to search, which opens a Windows 7 explorer view of that folder, which then allows me to input a search term. Obviously, that's not the most efficient thing do do. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Stance]

Welcome, mikebara!
I didn't have tested any of these but you can find all of the needed informations on this pages:

Windows Vista Forums - How to Assign a Keyboard Shortcut to Open a Program and Shortcuts in Vista and Windows 7
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/74063-keyboard-shortcut.html

Windows SevenForums - How to Create a Search Shortcut in Windows 7
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/36815-search-shortcut-create.html

Abstract
You can only change the keybindings for the explorer-search function, when you create a link to it and edit the attributes.

The keyboard shortcut can only be made from a shortcut of the program or action that you want it made for. This will usually not work for Quick Launch shortcuts in Vista since they have their own keyboard shortcut settings.

For the keyboard hotkey shortcut you assign to the shortcut to work, the shortcut must be in the Start Menu All Programs area, on the desktop, pinned to the taskbar (Windows 7 only), or pinned to the Start Menu.

I think it is clear that you can not change the Global Win-Key for Explorers-search from within TC.

You can use variables to create a link to the explorer-search.

How to create a Search Desktop Shortcut
Right click on a empty area on desktop, and click on New and Shortcut.

Copy and Paste either location below into the location area, and click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)

Code: Select all

%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe search-ms:

OR

%windir%\explorer.exe shell:::{9343812e-1c37-4a49-a12e-4b2d810d956b}

You can call this link from Total Commander (Buttonbar and so on) with a parameter for the directory. (Or call this code directly from the TC by using a User-command)

[mikebara]

Thanks - that looks like it puts me on the right track. Unfortunately, it looks like it's a bit more cumbersome than right clicking the directory in TC. opening it in Explorer, and then searching.

But even if that's not possible, it's a small thing to give up for a file management tool that does so much, so well.

[petermad]

Unfortunately, it looks like it's a bit more cumbersome than right clicking the directory in TC

You only have to do this once:

1. Click "Configuration" -> "Options..." -> "Misc."
2. In the "Redifine hotkeys" section mark "Alt +" and choose F7 in the dropdown box.
3. Click on the button with the magnifying glass.
4. Scroll down in the Category list to usercmd.ini
5. Click on "New" - an name the new function em_explorersearch
6. In the command field write: explorer.exe shell:::{9343812e-1c37-4a49-a12e-4b2d810d956b}
7. Click OK and OK.
8. Click on the button with the green checkmark.
9. Click OK.

Now pressing Alt+F7 will open Explorer Search (provided that you are using Windows 7 or Vista - not Windows XP)

[mikebara]

Thanks - it was really great of you to take the time to lay it all out so very clearly. I most definitely appreciate it.

[tuska]

Hi,
I have redefined Hotkey ALT+F8 and tried the Explorer-Search.

Is there any possibility to extend 'em_explorersearch', so that the search in Windows 7 - Explorer starts with the active panel [folder] from TC?

Regards,
Karl

[tuska]

Accidentally I have seen in the title of Explorer that obviously the code "search-ms:" is used.

If I expand to:
explorer.exe shell:::{9343812e-1c37-4a49-a12e-4b2d810d956b} search-ms:d:\data
I get:
C:\Users\PC-name\Documents\*.*
but not d:\data

and I don't know if there is a variable for the actual path in TC or how I could get d:\data as startpath in the Explorer.

Regards,
Karl

[tuska]

I think I have found a comfortable Workaround based on this posting in the german forum
http://ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?p=287378#287378
and solution:
http://www.ghisler.ch/wiki/index.php/AutoHotkey:_Paste_TC%27s_active_path_anywhere

Kind regards,
Karl