How to Search Inside PHP Files with Windows Explorer in Windows Vista

Frequently, when I am debugging or which to make a modification to a theme, I am trying to find a particular reference somewhere in the PHP files.

The obvious solution is to go to Windows Explorer and search the theme directory for the word I’m looking for–that particular identifier. After all, it searches files contents, right?

Sometimes.

Windows Explorer searches contents of some files, but not others. To fix this, follow these instructions. Note that these instructions are for Windows Vista Home Edition. Here are instructions for Windows XP.

1. Click Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. Search for “search”
4. In the search results, under “Indexing Options,” click “Change how Windows searches”
5. Click the “Advanced” button
6. Go to the “File Types” tab
7. Scroll through the list to “php”–the items are sorted alphabetically by file extension.
8. Click “php”
9. Under “how should this file be indexed?” click “index properties and file contents”
10. Click “ok”
11. It will tell you that it wants to reindex the file system. Let it. Now you should be able to see search results from the contents of PHP files.