Change CTRL-F To Search ONLY Files and Folders

If you have a keyboard with a Windows key the do
Windows Key+F

HOW TO: Configure the Search Companion in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;307980

This tweak allows you to disable the new Search Assistant and use the traditional search interface in Explorer.

Open regedit.exe using the Run (WinKey+R) dialog box.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState

Right click in the right pane and select New > String Value
Name the new string "Use Search Asst" and press enter
Double click the string name and enter no (lower case) in the Value Data: line. Click OK

http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/1067/

Next time when you press F3/ctrl-f, classic search is displayed.

I really should have included in my original question: I also want the old Explorer search view where the search results are shown in a new window, so you can just close it when you're through and be back at the original directory from which you did the search.

OK ~ Configuring Search Companion doesn't do the trick.

Hmmm...I put in the new registry line, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. I re-started and still no go. BTW, my Registry Editor just has the Name and Data columns, not the Type column.

~ Qunck

I really should have included in my original question: I also want the old Explorer search view where the search results are shown in a new window, so you can just close it when you're through and be back at the original directory from which you did the search.

OK ~ Configuring Search Companion doesn't do the trick.

Hmmm...I put in the new registry line, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. I re-started and still no go. BTW, my Registry Editor just has the Name and Data columns, not the Type column.

~ Qunck

I really should have included in my original question: I also want the old Explorer search view where the search results are shown in a new window, so you can just close it when you're through and be back at the original directory from which you did the search.

OK ~ Configuring Search Companion doesn't do the trick.

Hmmm...I put in the new registry line, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. I re-started and still no go. BTW, my Registry Editor just has the Name and Data columns, not the Type column.

~ Qunck

Ok you seem to be stuck with the registry editing.

Then, download and run the vbscript from the following site, which does it ffor you:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs_edits/noasst.vbs

hi sramesh2k  ~  i downloaded + ran noasst.vbs and norton anti-virus gave me a message: "Alert: Malicious script detected" so i trashed it

~ Qunck

So you didn't try the WinKye+F. It works for me. It brings up a search window that is new Window that is seperated from Explorer .

norton will give the general warning, but you need to proceed running the patch.

any .vbs when run, nav will warn you. But this is from trusted source.

Plus what is in that script is the same registry change that you already tried. I looked inside of it there is no malicious code. In other words the is no virus in the script. This is what is in it.

Option Explicit

Dim WSHShell, n, MyBox, p, itemtype, Title, vbdefaultbutton

Set WSHShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
p = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState\"
p = p & "Use Search Asst"
itemtype = "REG_SZ"
n = "no"

WSHShell.RegWrite p, n, itemtype
Title = "The Search Assistant is now disabled." & vbCR
Title = Title & "You may need to Log off/Log on" & vbCR
Title = Title & "For the change to take effect."
MyBox = MsgBox(Title,64,"Finished")

VisitKelly's Korner

Sub VisitKelly's Korner
     If MsgBox("This script came from the Tweaks Section of Kelly's Korner" & vbCRLF & vbCRLF & "Would you like to visit Kelly's Web Site now?", vbQuestion + vbYesNo + vbDefaultButton, "Visit Kelly's Korner") =6 Then
          wshshell.Run "http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm"
     End If
End Sub

crazyone ~  winkey + F gives me a new window, but it's defaulted to "look in hard drives" instead of to the directory i had selected for the search.
~ Qunck

sramesh2k ~
ok i ran the patch and the registry change has been made...but this is a catch-22...now I can winkey+F and get a new window (which i want) but the default search is "look in hard drives" rather than the directory i'm trying to do the search in...
...or...
i can ctrl+F & the default place to search is the directory selected, but no new window, so when the search is through i'm at "seach results" directory, just where i don't want to be
~ Qunck

thanks crazy1 ... rt clk on folder's prob the best way 2 go

~ Qunck

:>)