Windows Desktop Search: Advanced Query Reference
The following tables describe the syntax to use with Windows Desktop Search, as well as the properties that can be queried for each category of file displayed in the Desktop Search results window.
The following tables describe the syntax to use with Windows Desktop Search 3.x, as well as the properties that can be queried for each category of file displayed in the Desktop Search results window. If you are using WDS 2.6.5 or 2.6.6, more information on advanced query reference is available here.
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Desktop Search syntax
Keyword/ Symbol | Example | Function |
NOT | microsoft NOT windows | Finds items containing microsoft, but not windows |
- | microsoft - windows | Finds items containing microsoft, but not windows |
AND | microsoft AND windows | Finds items containing microsoft and windows |
+ | microsoft + windows | Finds items containing microsoft and windows |
Quotation marks | "microsoft windows" | Finds items containing the exact phrase microsoft windows |
Parentheses | (microsoft windows) | Finds items containing the terms microsoft and windows in any order |
> | date: >11/05/04 | Finds items with a date after 11/05/04 |
< | date: <11/05/04 | Finds items with a date before 11/05/04 |
Notes:
| • | Boolean operators must be in all UPPERCASE letters. |
Boolean operators
Property | Example | Function |
has:attachment | report has:attachment | Finds items containing the word report that have attachments. Same as hasattachment:true |
is:attachment | report is:attachment | Finds items that have attachments containing the word report. Same as isattachment:true |
before:date | before:10/9/2004 | 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:patrick | Finds items with patrick in the author property. |
author:"name" | author:"patrick hines" | Finds items with the words patrick hines, in that order, in the author property. |
author:(name) | author:(patrick hines) | Finds items with patrick and hines in the Author property. |
author:(name OR name) | author:(patrick OR bob) | Finds items with patrick or bob in the Author property. |
author:name name | author:patrick bob | 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. |
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 |
Dates and date ranges
Syntax | Results |
size:>50 <70 | 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 |
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 |
Communications | communications | kind:communications |
Contacts | contacts person | kind:contacts kind:person |
kind:email | ||
Instant Messenger conversations | im | kind:im |
Meetings | meetings | kind:meetings |
Tasks | tasks | kind:tasks |
Notes | notes | kind:notes |
Documents | docs | kind:docs |
Music | music song | kind:music kind:song |
Pictures | pics pictures | kind:pics kind:pictures |
Videos | videos | kind:videos |
Folders | folders | kind:folders |
Folder name | foldername | foldername:mydocs |
Programs | programs | kind:programs |
Recorded TV | tv | kind:tv |
Link | link | kind:link |
Journal entry | journal | kind:journal |
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 | Use | Example |
Files | file | store:file |
Offline files | csc | store:csc |
Outlook | mapi | store:mapi |
Outlook Express | oe | store:oe |
Properties for file type: All
Property | Use | Example |
Title | title, subject, about | title:manager |
Status | status | status:active |
Date | date | date:lastweek |
Date modified | datemodified, modified | modified:lastweek |
Importance | importance, priority | importance:high |
Size | size | size:>50 |
Deleted | deleted,isdeleted | is:deleted |
Is attachment | isattachment | is:attachment |
To | to, toname | to:johnsmith |
Cc | cc, ccname | cc:david |
Company | company | company:adventure-works |
Category | category | category:business |
Keywords | keywords | keywords:sports |
Album | album | album:greatest |
File name | filename, file | filename:2006hits |
Genre | genre | genre:jazz |
Author | author, by | author:david |
Folder | folder, under, path | folder:sample |
Ext | ext, fileext | ext:.rtf |
File name | filename, file | filename:sample |
Tags | tag, keyword | tag:personal |
Type | type | type:image |
Properties for file type: Contact
Property | Use | Example |
Job title | jobtitle | jobtitle:manager |
IM address | imaddress | imaddress:luis@adventure-works.com |
Assistant's phone | assistantsphone | assistantsphone:sample |
Assistant name | assistantname | assistantname:roberto |
Profession | profession | profession:accountant |
Nickname | nickname | nickname:louis |
Spouse | spouse | spouse:susana |
Business city | businesscity | businesscity:redmond |
Business postal code | businesspostalcode | businesspostalcode:98052 |
Business home page | businesshomepage | businesshomepage:www.adventure-works.com |
Callback phone number | callbacknumber | callbacknumber:sample |
Car phone | carphone | carphone:sample |
Children | children | children:anna |
First name | firstname | firstname:maria |
Last name | lastname | lastname:gonzalez |
Home fax | homefax | homefax:sample |
Manager's name | manager | manager:carlos |
Pager | pager | pager:sample |
Business phone | businessphone | businessphone:sample |
Home phone | homephone | homephone:sample |
Mobile phone | mobilephone | mobilephone:sample |
Office | officelocation | officelocation:red/101 |
Anniversary | anniversary | anniversary:yesterday |
Birthday | birthday | birthday:tomorrow |
Properties for file type: Communications (e-mail, appointments)
Property | Use | Example |
From | from, organizer | from:simon |
Received | received, sent | sent:yesterday |
Subject | subject, title | subject:budget |
Has attachment | hasattachment, hasattachments | hasattachment:true |
Attachments | attachments, attachment | attachment:presentation.ppt |
Bcc | bcc, bccname | bcc:michael |
Bcc address | bccaddress, bcc | bccaddress:sample |
Cc address | ccaddress, cc | ccaddress:sample |
Follow-up flag | flagstatus | flagstatus:unflagged flagstatus:followup flagstatus:completed |
To address | toaddress, to | toaddress:sample |
Due date | duedate, due | due:10/15/2006 |
Read | read, isread | isread:false |
Is completed | iscompleted | iscompleted:true |
Incomplete | incomplete | incomplete:true |
Has flag | hasflag, isflagged | hasflag:false |
Duration | duration | duration:>120 |
Properties for file type: Calendar
Property | Use | Example |
Recurring | isrecurring recurring | isrecurring:true recurring:true |
Organizer | organizer, by, from | organizer:jonas |
Location | location | location:calgary |
Properties for file type: Documents
Property | Use | Example |
Comments | comments | comments:excellent |
Last saved by | lastsavedby | lastsavedby:Josh |
Document manager | documentmanager | documentmanager:sample |
Revision number | revisionnumber | revisionnumber:4a |
Date last printed | datelastprinted | datelastprinted:yesterday |
Slide count | slides | slides:>20 |
Properties for file type: Music
Property | Use | Example |
Bit rate | bitrate | bitrate:>150kbps |
Artist | artist, by | artist:sample |
Year | year | year:sample |
Duration | duration | duration:sample |
Album | album | album:"greatest hits" |
Genre | genre | genre:rock |
Lyrics | lyrics | lyrics:"happy birthday to you" |
Track | track | track:12 |
Year | year | year:>1980 <1990 |
Properties for file type: Picture
Property | Use | Example |
Camera make | cameramake | cameramake:sample |
Camera model | cameramodel | cameramodel:sample |
Dimensions | dimensions | dimensions:sample |
Orientation | orientation | orientation:sample |
Date taken | taken datetaken | taken:last year datetaken:6/12/2006 |
Width | width | width:sample |
Height | height | height:sample |
Flash mode | flashmode | flashmode:no flash |
Properties for file type: Recorded TV
Property | Use | Example |
Broadcast date | broadcastdate | broadcastdate:2005 |
Channel number | channel | channel:7 |
Closed captioning | closedcaptioning | closedcaptioning:true |
Date released | datereleased | datereleased:2005 |
Episode name | episodename | episodename:sample |
Properties for file type: Video
Property | Use | Example |
Name | name, subject | name:sample |
Ext | ext filext | ext:sample filext: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.