Opening a SEARCH-MS File

The SEARCH-MS file type is primarily associated with Windows Search.

SEARCH-MS	File extension: SEARCH-MS
	File type:	XML file

What is a SEARCH-MS file?

SEARCH-MS files mostly belong to Windows Search. SEARCH-MS files are files used by Microsoft Windows Search Indexer to store and record search results in an XML format.
This file type is created when you perform a search in Windows. It saves details about the search criteria and the items found by the system. The XML structure helps the operating system rapidly present previous query results without re-running the search.

Search Data Storage: Holds the parameters and results of a Windows search query.

XML Format: Uses XML, making it easy to view with a text editor and process programmatically.

System Generated: Automatically created and managed by Windows Search, not typically meant for manual editing.

Usage Context: Integral part of saved searches and for troubleshooting search functionality.

FilExt.com note: If you want to inspect the internal data, open the file with a text editor. Altering its contents may affect the expected behavior of Windows Search.

How to open a SEARCH-MS file

You need a suitable software like Windows Search to open a SEARCH-MS file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your SEARCH-MS file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a SEARCH-MS file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online SEARCH-MS Text Viewer

Choose your .search-ms file to view

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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How to extract texts from SEARCH-MS files or capture a screenshot to PDF, JPG, DOCX, TXT, ...

You can extract texts from SEARCH-MS file or capture a preview screenshot using our online SEARCH-MS file viewer:

Just click the "Choose your .search-ms file to view" button on this page.
After your file is opened in browser,
click "Save as..." in the menu.
Then choose the file format (e.g. JPG, PDF, DOCX, TXT, ...) you want.
Your file will be converted and downloaded.

Programs that open and convert SEARCH-MS files:

Windows Search
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. SEARCH-MS files are often referred to as Windows Search data files because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
Windows Vista (Index Search Data) by Microsoft Corporation
XML-based information to save information about a search in Windows Vista. It was introduced in Windows Vista around build 3000. These appear in Explorer as search folders even though they are really files. While you can open these files in an editor like Notepad BE CAREFUL. If, for example, you select Open With and have the Always Use checkbox checked then the files will become just that; files and will no longer display as folders in an Explorer window. This file format is classified as XML.

SEARCH-MS format details:

A file format defines how the data in the file is structured. Often, the file format can be deduced from the file extension or the initial bytes (called the signature). However, different programs can use the same file extension. Furthermore, a file extension can be renamed incorrectly and double-clicking on it will then display an error when it is opened. So a detailed analysis of a file is vital in order to determine the format and the associated program. Below is our analysis of the SEARCH-MS files:

The SEARCH-MS file extension is not common and predominantly uses a uniform format. But the following two file formats are common:

97% of all SEARCH-MS files are Microsoft Vista Saved Search files, which are using the popular XML file format. The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a simple text-based format for representing structured information: documents, webpages, data, configuration, books, transactions, invoices, and much more. XML defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. The content consists of readable text data, which can be read using a text editor. Most of these files are 240 bytes to 3 KB in size. The file type was developed 10 years ago and is still in use today. The keywords <?xml version="1.0"?>, iconSize, autoListFlags, stackIconSize, <persistedQuery version="1.0">, displayName, <persistedQuery version="1.0"><viewInfo, <query>, </kindList>, <kind name="item"/>, <kindList>, scope knownScopeID and visibleColumns are typical for these files. A common filename is Everywhere.search-ms or Indexed Locations.search-ms. Such files sometimes refer to locations, indexed, recent and documents.

The remaining 3% of all SEARCH-MS files are files with no common format. You can get all the details of your SEARCH-MS file by dragging it onto this page or by clicking the button "Choose your .search-ms file to view" above.

Technical Data for SEARCH-MS File Extension

File classification:

Data

a search-ms XML file is a special file format and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with SEARCH-MS files

Associate the SEARCH-MS file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open xml files. Because only the current version supports the latest SEARCH-MS file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the manufacturer website after an available Windows Search update.
To make sure that your SEARCH-MS file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .SEARCH-MS file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.