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Need help with findstr command to find string and store output

Hi Experts,
We have windows 2012 server which has three drives. We have lots of files and folders. Our requirement to find specific hard coded Texts (server1,server2,servers,server4) to all files and folders. I heard windows has findstr command to find string to any files and folders.

I need to find few keywards and need to scan all drives. I would like to store the output in any text file.

Can you please help me to write script to find string to any files and folders and store output in text file?

Thank you.

Qlemo

It is usually a bad idea to search the complete system drive, but here you go:

@echo off
set text=server1,server2,server3,server4
set report=C:\Temp\result.txt
set drives=C: D: E:

copy nul %report% >nul:
for %%D in (%drive%) do findstr /Lis /c:"%text%" %%d:\*  | find /v "%text%" >> %report%

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This searches for exact matches of the complete string.
If you need to search for multiple independent keywords:

@echo off
set text=server1 server2 server3 server4
set report=C:\Temp\result.txt
set drives=C: D: E:

copy nul %report% >nul:
for %%D in (%drive%) do findstr /Lis "%text%" %%d:\*  | find /v "%text%" >> %report%

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Bill Prew

Clemo,

I think you have doubled up on the colon after the drive letters:

set drives=C: D: E:
for %%D in (%drive%) do findstr /Lis /c:"%text%" %%d:\*

Also, why the use of FIND on the FINDSTR output, seems like FINDSTR should be enough?

Dipesh,

You might think about limiting to specific extensions, as is you are searching all file types including binary files, which if matches are found could add a lot of "noise" to the log file that make them hard to read.

»bp

Qlemo

You are correct, I've messed up my code, this is not what I wanted to post :<

@echo off
set text=server1,server2,server3,server4
set report=C:\Temp\result.txt
set drives=C D E

copy nul %report% >nul:
for %%D in (%drive%) do findstr /Lis /c:"%text%" %%d:\*  | find /v "%report%" >> %report%

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The find prevents the result file to be repeated in itself.

Bill Prew

Dipesh Patel

ASKER

Thank you so much for your help. Sorry i could not reply you on time. You are right that it's not a good way to scan whole drive.

Is it possible to look only some extension like web.config ?

Thank You.

Qlemo

That's easy:

@echo off
set text=server1,server2,server3,server4
set report=C:\Temp\result.txt
set drives=C D E
set filemask=web.config

copy nul %report% >nul:
for %%D in (%drives%) do findstr /Lis /c:"%text%" "%%d:\%filemask%"  | find /v "%report%" >> %report%

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You can set the file mask to something less specific like *.txt if required.

Dipesh Patel

ASKER

Hi,
Did you test it? It’s not working for me. I have created couples of config files and add some test to test it. I have put in C folder.

I ran script. It was so quick to finish it. It created the result.txt file but it’s just empty.

I created bat file and tried to execute by command line. Did i miss any steps? Can you please validate with your laptop?

I am using Windows 10 for testing.

Thank You.

Qlemo

I've found another typo and adjusted the code snippet above - %drive% should have been %drives%.

Dipesh Patel

ASKER

Hi Qlemo,
I am so sorry to say but it's still not working for me. It's finish in sec and no result in result.txt. I used only C drive for testing.

@echo off
set text=server1,server2,server3,server4
set report=C:\Temp\result.txt
set drives=C
set filemask=web.config
copy nul %report% >nul:
for %%D in (%drives%) do findstr /Lis /c:"%text%" "%%d:\%filemask%"  | find /v "%report%" >> %report%

Open in new window

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Bill Prew

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Qlemo

I'll stop posting now, and contemplate about life, error rates and the number 42 :/.

Dipesh Patel

ASKER

Hi Qulemo,
We are human being. Thank you for the script. It'a all good now.

Thank you Bill for your help too.

Bill Prew

Welcome.