Win7HP - Ctrl-Escape anomalies?

[ChrisGreaves]

Why should a regular Microsoft/Windows/Office application cause a search window to load when the other two, non-Microsoft applications, launch the application directly?

How does Ctrl-Esc really work?
I use Ctrl-Esc rather than the “Windows” key from habit.

CtrlEsc01.png

To run Audacity (MP3 editor), I Ctrl-Esc, type “Aud” then press <Enter>, and I am “in” Audacity.

CtrlEsc02.png

To play Mahjong, I Ctrl-Esc, type “Mahj” then press <Enter>, and I am “in” mahjong.

CtrlEsc03.png

But when I want to run Winword.exe (Word2003), I Ctrl-Esc, type “Winw”, see “WinWord.exe” and so press <Enter>, and find that I am in a File Explorer Search window.

(signed) “Always Puzzled” of Bonavista.

[HansV]

I haven't used Windows 7 for five years now. In Windows 10, typing winw and pressing Enter does start Word...

[ChrisGreaves]

I haven't used Windows 7 for five years now. In Windows 10, typing winw and pressing Enter does start Word...

Thanks, Hans.
Chris

[Argus]

Why should a regular Microsoft/Windows/Office application cause a search window to load when the other two, non-Microsoft applications, launch the application directly?
[...]
But when I want to run Winword.exe (Word2003), I Ctrl-Esc, type “Winw”, see “WinWord.exe” and so press <Enter>, and find that I am in a File Explorer Search window.

Focus (in the Start menu) is on "See more results" (so when you press Enter you'll end up in Explorer Search Results). (Another hint, I'm sure you have noticed, is that it says "Files", not "Programs".)

If you are going to use this method, how about typing some more letters, any change in focus? (Assuming you're not touching up/down arrow.)

Or simply start typing "word" (if it's possible to retrain muscle memory).

[ChrisGreaves]

[This response will be signed “unobservant” of Bonavista]

Argus> Focus (in the Start menu) is on "See more results" (so when you press Enter you'll end up in Explorer Search Results).

OK. I now see that; IF the focus is on “See more results”, then yes, I will end up seraching in File Explorer for more results.

Argus> (Another hint, I'm sure you have noticed, is that it says "Files", not "Programs".)

Argus02.png

Thanks, Argus; I had NOT noticed the distinction, but I now see that “Aud” generates “Control Panel” and “Music” as well as “Programs” and “Files”
The various categories that appear explain to me why my “winw” takes me into File Explorer (for which thank you) and yet, and yet, I am left wondering why MSoft Windows, having determined that “Winword.exe” is a good match – indeed the only match – doesn’t twig on to the fact that this might be an EXEcutable program and categorise it as “Programs” rather than “Files”.

Argus> If you are going to use this method, how about typing some more letters, any change in focus? (Assuming you're not touching up/down arrow.)

I shan’t sleep tonight:-

Argus01.png

(1) “winw” gets me WINWORD.EXE (upper case) categorised as a File.
(2) Once I type as far as “winword” (without quotes) I am greeted with “winword”, no quotes, all lower-case, categorised as a Program.
(3) Continuing on to “winword.” (without quotes, note the trailing period) if am re-greeted with “WINWORD.EXE ”, no quotes, all upper-case, categorised as a File.


Argus> Or simply start typing "word" (if it's possible to retrain muscle memory).

Argus03.png

(4) Typing “word”, no quotes, lower-case, gets me three of the earlier four categories, including the novelty of locking “the computer when I leave it alone for a period of time”. Presumably the metaphysical link here is that “leaving the computer alone for a while” is interpreted as “I’m just hopping on a plane and going to Cape Town to have a word with Rudi”. My mind is numb; I can think of no other explanation.

Actually, this fourth example suggests to me that there is soemthing wrong in whatever it is that isn’t parsing serach terms or the index correctly.
In which case all bets are off.

Conclusion: If I want to load Word2003.exe from the start menu, I am better off typing “word” than “winw”, even though the first method does NOT generate a reference to WinWord.exe and the second reference does.
I think I am succumbing to MSoft’s weird logic.

signed “now enlightened” of Bonavista

[Argus]

You're welcome.

BTW, there are some options for search in the settings for the Start menu (if you want to take a break from the trials and tribulations of living in an outpost preparing for the unknown (well, that could be Windows, when I think about it; let's say take a break from something)). Right-click the "Orb" (Start menu button) etc.

However, I don't think it will change anything related to your problem. As one might guess, these settings won't change how search works in Windows Explorer. The opposite, the settings for Windows Search Index, might have some effect on what you'll end up with; for example, I don't index the system drive, C, so a "search" (in the Start menu) for "winw" will take me, via "See more results", to a Search Result for my data drives.

At the moment (I can't remember if it's always been like that, such as a week ago ...) I can type "w" and get Word as top suggestion in the Programs category, still that's three keystrokes including Enter, four if using old-school Ctrl-Esc. The two keystrokes-option is Winkey-[number] for the pinned program icon in the Taskbar.

I think you will find something similar if looking for, for example, Paint or Windows Media Player; mspaint.exe, wmplayer.exe vs. using "Paint" or "Player". (I won't get Paint until I've typed the full name mspaint, in contrast to using only two letters "pa".)

It seems they don't expect us to know the programs by file names. It's like an Easter egg, it will only show the correct program after you've typed all the letters; oh, you mean mspaint, here it is! (Thank God for cmd. I will get it with two letters in Swedish "ko", but it's too late to rewire the brain.)

P.S. I've seen really weird results in Windows 10 after having changed language.
P.P.S. Not everything is perfect in Windows 10; The Next Version of Windows 10 Will Finally Fix Start Menu File Search. (Including naming; 19H1, you mean the May update? Yeah, the 1903 update.)
P.P.P.S. I've never understood the idea of including the Internet in an OS search tool; that's one way of leaking information.

[ChrisGreaves]

... At the moment (I can't remember if it's always been like that, such as a week ago ...) I can type "w" and get Word as top suggestion in the Programs category, still that's three keystrokes including Enter, four if using old-school Ctrl-Esc. The two keystrokes-option is Winkey-[number] for the pinned program icon in the Taskbar. ...

Thanks Argus.

Darn!
Four keystrokes.
<Win>wo<Enter>
All these years I’ve been using <Ctrl-Esc>winword<Enter>
Ten keystrokes
So
A saving of six keystrokes
If I can work out how to launch Excel2003 with the keyboard I could then calculate my future ROI on this exercise.
Cheers
Chris