Microsoft search ignores double quotation around search phrase

That’s definitely frustrating—quoted search terms should force exact matches, and it’s surprising that Windows Search is ignoring them even after a full index rebuild. Microsoft really needs to tighten up basic search logic. It’s like using CupCut—you expect precision when editing clips, not random cuts. Until there’s a fix, you might try using File Explorer’s advanced search filters or even third-party tools like Everything for more accurate results.

Firstly sorry for the delay - I was convinced that I had replied.

A search of John AND Evans will locate these two words anywhere with the document - I require only documents that have John Evans - the two word together.

Using the OR Boolean operator doesn't help. 

But thank you for your suggestion.

Ensure the Windows Search service is running and properly configured.  Open Services, search for "Windows Search," and verify its status.  If it's not running, start it. If it's stopped, check for any error messages related to the service, which may help pinpoint the cause.

Thank you for your suggestion, but this doesn't help

Instead of relying on quotes, try searching with additional keywords or Boolean operators (e.g., AND, OR). Sometimes that can help filter results better.