Instant Search for Favorites Pane

We would like to recommend an 'Instant Search' field for the Favorites pane
in Internet Explorer. We have thousands of favorites, organized in over a
hundred folders, and we really need a search option to quickly find a
specific favorite. The search might include options for searching either
the favorite's name, URL, or other attribute. It would also be nice if the
search results listed the folder in which the favorite item resided. This
would help us identify the exact location for later reference or for
assistance when re-organizing favorites. We are surprised that such a
feature was not included in I.E. 7. Certainly, such a feature has as much
merit here as in the Windows Vista Explorer, Windows Mail, Outlook, or any
other program.

"Blue Max" <mailrichard@msn.com> wrote in message
news32D846A-9638-457F-A155-942F47DF357D@microsoft.com...
> We would like to recommend an 'Instant Search' field for the Favorites
> pane in Internet Explorer. We have thousands of favorites, organized in
> over a hundred folders, and we really need a search option to quickly find
> a specific favorite. The search might include options for searching
> either the favorite's name, URL, or other attribute. It would also be
> nice if the search results listed the folder in which the favorite item
> resided. This would help us identify the exact location for later
> reference or for assistance when re-organizing favorites. We are
> surprised that such a feature was not included in I.E. 7. Certainly, such
> a feature has as much merit here as in the Windows Vista Explorer, Windows
> Mail, Outlook, or any other program.

If you have IE7 or higher just start typing the name of the Favorite in the
Address bar.

--
Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM
Do not reply with email

> "If you have IE7 or higher just start typing the name of the Favorite in the
> Address bar."

But you'd need to know the name of it, duh!


"Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM" <franksaunders@mvps.org> wrote in message news:uT9P0ASQJHA.1876@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> "Blue Max" <mailrichard@msn.com> wrote in message
> news32D846A-9638-457F-A155-942F47DF357D@microsoft.com...
>> We would like to recommend an 'Instant Search' field for the Favorites
>> pane in Internet Explorer. We have thousands of favorites, organized in
>> over a hundred folders, and we really need a search option to quickly find
>> a specific favorite. The search might include options for searching
>> either the favorite's name, URL, or other attribute. It would also be
>> nice if the search results listed the folder in which the favorite item
>> resided. This would help us identify the exact location for later
>> reference or for assistance when re-organizing favorites. We are
>> surprised that such a feature was not included in I.E. 7. Certainly, such
>> a feature has as much merit here as in the Windows Vista Explorer, Windows
>> Mail, Outlook, or any other program.
>
> If you have IE7 or higher just start typing the name of the Favorite in the
> Address bar.
>
> --
> Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM
> Do not reply with email
>

You may try DzSoft Favorites Search:
http://www.dzsoft.com/favorites-search.html

"Internet Explorer plug-in that adds a convenient explorer bar to search in
Favorites. If you are an active web surfer and often use the Favorites,
installing DzSoft Favorites Search is absolutely necessary for you."

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
The Winhelponline Blog http://www.winhelponline.com/blog


"Blue Max" <mailrichard@msn.com> wrote in message
news32D846A-9638-457F-A155-942F47DF357D@microsoft.com...
> We would like to recommend an 'Instant Search' field for the Favorites
> pane in Internet Explorer. We have thousands of favorites, organized in
> over a hundred folders, and we really need a search option to quickly find
> a specific favorite. The search might include options for searching
> either the favorite's name, URL, or other attribute. It would also be
> nice if the search results listed the folder in which the favorite item
> resided. This would help us identify the exact location for later
> reference or for assistance when re-organizing favorites. We are
> surprised that such a feature was not included in I.E. 7. Certainly, such
> a feature has as much merit here as in the Windows Vista Explorer, Windows
> Mail, Outlook, or any other program.

Thank you for the recommendation, Ramesh.

********************
"Ramesh Srinivasan, MS-MVP" <ramesh@unknownhost> wrote in message
news:uhPLzOiQJHA.420@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> You may try DzSoft Favorites Search:
> http://www.dzsoft.com/favorites-search.html
>
> "Internet Explorer plug-in that adds a convenient explorer bar to search
> in Favorites. If you are an active web surfer and often use the Favorites,
> installing DzSoft Favorites Search is absolutely necessary for you."
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
> The Winhelponline Blog http://www.winhelponline.com/blog
>
>
> "Blue Max" <mailrichard@msn.com> wrote in message
> news32D846A-9638-457F-A155-942F47DF357D@microsoft.com...
>> We would like to recommend an 'Instant Search' field for the Favorites
>> pane in Internet Explorer. We have thousands of favorites, organized in
>> over a hundred folders, and we really need a search option to quickly
>> find a specific favorite. The search might include options for searching
>> either the favorite's name, URL, or other attribute. It would also be
>> nice if the search results listed the folder in which the favorite item
>> resided. This would help us identify the exact location for later
>> reference or for assistance when re-organizing favorites. We are
>> surprised that such a feature was not included in I.E. 7. Certainly,
>> such a feature has as much merit here as in the Windows Vista Explorer,
>> Windows Mail, Outlook, or any other program.
>
>

Thank you, Frank. We have Explorer 7, but have not experienced the same
success as you apparently have experienced. Typing in the address bar, at
lease in our case, simply searches amongst the most recently used addresses
in the drop-down list for this field. Moreover, this list only appears to
match recently used URL's and not the display name of the favorite.

I'd be pleased if the feature actually worked as you described, provided it
was searching actual display names for favorites and not URL's. Any further
suggestions?

***************************
"Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM" <franksaunders@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:uT9P0ASQJHA.1876@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> "Blue Max" <mailrichard@msn.com> wrote in message
> news32D846A-9638-457F-A155-942F47DF357D@microsoft.com...
>> We would like to recommend an 'Instant Search' field for the Favorites
>> pane in Internet Explorer. We have thousands of favorites, organized in
>> over a hundred folders, and we really need a search option to quickly
>> find a specific favorite. The search might include options for searching
>> either the favorite's name, URL, or other attribute. It would also be
>> nice if the search results listed the folder in which the favorite item
>> resided. This would help us identify the exact location for later
>> reference or for assistance when re-organizing favorites. We are
>> surprised that such a feature was not included in I.E. 7. Certainly,
>> such a feature has as much merit here as in the Windows Vista Explorer,
>> Windows Mail, Outlook, or any other program.
>
> If you have IE7 or higher just start typing the name of the Favorite in
> the Address bar.
>
> --
> Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM
> Do not reply with email

For those interested, here is another interesting solution from the "How-To
Geek". It is great in that it provides all the search functionality of the
Windows Explorer, but is certainly not an elegant solution! It would
certainly be much nicer if they provided an 'instant search' field above the
Favorites pane! Here is the shortcut for those interested:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...-vista-search/


****************************
"Blue Max" <mailrichard@msn.com> wrote in message
news32D846A-9638-457F-A155-942F47DF357D@microsoft.com...
> We would like to recommend an 'Instant Search' field for the Favorites
> pane in Internet Explorer. We have thousands of favorites, organized in
> over a hundred folders, and we really need a search option to quickly find
> a specific favorite. The search might include options for searching
> either the favorite's name, URL, or other attribute. It would also be
> nice if the search results listed the folder in which the favorite item
> resided. This would help us identify the exact location for later
> reference or for assistance when re-organizing favorites. We are
> surprised that such a feature was not included in I.E. 7. Certainly, such
> a feature has as much merit here as in the Windows Vista Explorer, Windows
> Mail, Outlook, or any other program.

"Blue Max" <mailrichard@msn.com> wrote in message news:936109FC-150E-443A-95F2-E25761679C79@microsoft.com...
> Thank you, Frank. We have Explorer 7, but have not experienced the same
> success as you apparently have experienced.

> Typing in the address bar, at lease in our case, simply searches
> amongst the most recently used addresses in the drop-down list for this field.


If that's the AutoSuggest list that you're looking at I think that there are
at least 3 sources used for it: TypedURLs (the list you see when you press F4),
History, Favorites. At one time I also saw Desktop shortcuts and even drives
in that list, so, it depends on the OS and maintenance level too. We also once
got AutoComplete for Windows Explorer starting in Favorites so, for example,
you could additionally start typing Links then as soon as you appended
a backslash (\) you would see a dropdown for that directory's Favorites, etc.
Something changed in IE7 or XPsp3 which makes that search only available
explicitly; e.g. you can't even start it any more by typing %USERPROFILE%\
but have to type a full path to reach the chosen subdirectory but at least
AutoComplete for files still works as soon as you have typed the colon and
backslash (:\) after the drive letter... ; )


> Moreover, this list only appears to
> match recently used URL's and not the display name of the favorite.


But often a Favorite's URL filename is its display name. ; )
In any case what you can do is rename your most frequently used
Favorites so they are prefixed with easily remembered, easily typed
letters. In fact, if you do that so that it is the only Favorite with
that first letter it will launch from the Favorites menu (Alt-a)
without you even having to press Enter. ; )


>
> I'd be pleased if the feature actually worked as you described, provided it
> was searching actual display names for favorites and not URL's. Any further
> suggestions?


I think the only provision to search by title is to use Windows Search.
If you can stand the overhead of Windows Search, go for it. ; )
In fact, if that was all you were going to configure Windows Search
to be used for it might not be that objectionable anyway. <eg>

Otherwise, to search inside Favorites' URL names (hence within
many Favorite titles) you can use a .fnd file which starts an search
only within the Favorites root. In fact you can even put that shortcut
in your Links bar and use it from there. Doing that would at least
allow you to refine your search by specifying bits of host name, etc.
which are contained within the URL file (but frequently not part of
the a Favorite name) as "A word or phrase in the file".


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
---

Thanks, Robert, see inline comments below:

"Robert Aldwinckle" <robald@techemail.com> wrote in message
news:%232liF6fRJHA.4524@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>
> "Blue Max" <mailrichard@msn.com> wrote in message
> news:936109FC-150E-443A-95F2-E25761679C79@microsoft.com...
>> Thank you, Frank. We have Explorer 7, but have not experienced the same
>> success as you apparently have experienced.
>
>> Typing in the address bar, at lease in our case, simply searches
>> amongst the most recently used addresses in the drop-down list for this
>> field.
>
>
> If that's the AutoSuggest list that you're looking at I think that there
> are
> at least 3 sources used for it: TypedURLs (the list you see when you
> press F4),
> History, Favorites.
*********************
If this is true, then why doesn't AutoSuggest include the 'Favorite' name or
URL you are typing?
*********************
> At one time I also saw Desktop shortcuts and even drives
> in that list, so, it depends on the OS and maintenance level too. We also
> once
> got AutoComplete for Windows Explorer starting in Favorites so, for
> example,
> you could additionally start typing Links then as soon as you appended
> a backslash (\) you would see a dropdown for that directory's Favorites,
> etc.
> Something changed in IE7 or XPsp3 which makes that search only available
> explicitly; e.g. you can't even start it any more by typing
> %USERPROFILE%\
> but have to type a full path to reach the chosen subdirectory but at least
> AutoComplete for files still works as soon as you have typed the colon and
> backslash (:\) after the drive letter... ; )
*********************
Most interesting . . .
*********************
>
>> Moreover, this list only appears to
>> match recently used URL's and not the display name of the favorite.
>
>
> But often a Favorite's URL filename is its display name. ; )
> In any case what you can do is rename your most frequently used
> Favorites so they are prefixed with easily remembered, easily typed
> letters. In fact, if you do that so that it is the only Favorite with
> that first letter it will launch from the Favorites menu (Alt-a)
> without you even having to press Enter. ; )
>
>
>>
>> I'd be pleased if the feature actually worked as you described, provided
>> it
>> was searching actual display names for favorites and not URL's. Any
>> further
>> suggestions?
>
>
> I think the only provision to search by title is to use Windows Search.
> If you can stand the overhead of Windows Search, go for it. ; )
> In fact, if that was all you were going to configure Windows Search
> to be used for it might not be that objectionable anyway. <eg>
>
> Otherwise, to search inside Favorites' URL names (hence within
> many Favorite titles) you can use a .fnd file which starts an search
> only within the Favorites root. In fact you can even put that shortcut
> in your Links bar and use it from there. Doing that would at least
> allow you to refine your search by specifying bits of host name, etc.
> which are contained within the URL file (but frequently not part of
> the a Favorite name) as "A word or phrase in the file".
>
*********************
Again, very interesting, thank you!
*********************
>
> HTH
>
> Robert Aldwinckle
> ---
>
>

"Blue Max" <mailrichard@msn.com> wrote in message news:1A2BA1B5-D488-48F6-8043-77DD4C9A06AC@microsoft.com...
> Thanks, Robert, see inline comments below:
>
> "Robert Aldwinckle" <robald@techemail.com> wrote in message news:%232liF6fRJHA.4524@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>
>> "Blue Max" <mailrichard@msn.com> wrote in message news:936109FC-150E-443A-95F2-E25761679C79@microsoft.com...
>>> Thank you, Frank. We have Explorer 7, but have not experienced the same
>>> success as you apparently have experienced.
>>
>>> Typing in the address bar, at lease in our case, simply searches
>>> amongst the most recently used addresses in the drop-down list for this field.
>>
>>
>> If that's the AutoSuggest list that you're looking at I think that there are
>> at least 3 sources used for it: TypedURLs (the list you see when you press F4),
>> History, Favorites.

> *********************
> If this is true, then why doesn't AutoSuggest include the 'Favorite' name or URL you are typing?
> *********************

It does for me. E.g. I have some Favorites which start with IE, so pressing Alt-d
and typing just I shows those. In fact one originally started with Discussions,
e.g. the Communities web interface to this newsgroup when just saved with Ctrl-d,
so I renamed it to prefix I to it so it would come up in that same list.


Robert
---