Windows Explorer has for many years now stripped away one of its most useful features: the ability to search within file contents. If you've ever been frustrated trying to find that specific document containing particular text, you're not alone. Microsoft's decision to remove this functionality from the default search experience left many people disappointed.
The Magic One-Liner
Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Quarantine" -Recurse -Include "*.txt", "*.log", "*.csv", "*.ps1" | Select-String -Pattern "Automated Email Check"
This single command accomplishes what Windows Explorer no longer offers out of the box: searching through file contents across folders and subfolders. Let's break down why this is so powerful.
Beyond the Basic Search
The beauty of PowerShell is its flexibility. Here are some variations that showcase its power:
Search filenames only (when you remember part of the filename):
Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Quarantine" -Recurse -Filter "*Email about Honey*"Get detailed results with file paths and modification dates:
Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Quarantine" -Recurse -Include "*.log" | Select-String -Pattern "Error" | Select-Object Filename, LineNumber, LineSearch multiple terms at once:
Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Quarantine" -Recurse -Include "*.ps1" | Select-String -Pattern "Email|Mail|SMTP"Conclusion
While Microsoft removed this essential feature from Explorer, PowerShell provides a superior alternative that's faster, more flexible, and more reliable. Sure, it requires learning a simple command, but once you've got it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
The next time you're hunting for that elusive file containing specific text, skip the frustration of Explorer's limited search and reach for PowerShell instead.