Vista Search Box

Vista Search box allows you to search your entire computer for files, folders, or programs. To use the Search box, open the Start menu, type your search text. Search results are displayed in the left pane of the Start menu. Clicking an item in the results list opens that item. To clear the search results and return to normal view, click the Clear button to the right of the Search box or press the Esc key.

Note:
Because the Search box is the only text entry field on the Start menu, you don’t need to click in the Search box before you begin typing. Just type your search text.

Computer searches are performed by Windows Search Service. Windows Search Service searches the entire computer using the search text you’ve specified. The search proceeds on several levels:

• Matches the search text to words that appear in the title of any program, file, or folder and then returns any matches found.
• Matches the properties of programs, files, and folders as well as the contents of textbased documents.
• Looks in the Favorites and History folders for matches.

Because Windows Search Service indexes content and caches properties as part of its normal processes, results typically are returned quickly. You can configure the types of items searched in the Start Menu Properties dialog box.

Windows Vista can perform several other types of searches as well:

1. Local Folder Search; When you open a folder, you’ll find a Search text box in the upperright corner of the Windows Explorer window. By default, typing search text in this text box and pressing Enter performs localized searches of the currently open folder and its subfolders. Unlike the Search box on the Start menu, you must click in this Search text box prior to entering your search text. You can use the Search In list to specify alternative search locations.
2. Internet Search; Click the Options button to the right of the Search text box, and then select the Search The Internet option. Search The Internet uses the computer’s default search provider to search the Internet using the search text you’ve provided. The default search provider is MSN Search. You can set the default search provider using the Internet Options utility in Control Panel.