How to find any file on Windows

While many of our files are stored in the cloud, many are stored locally. But as the drives used by desktops and laptops increase in capacity, finding files becomes more difficult. How many photos and videos have accumulated on your computer? How many documents and downloads are there?

Personally, I tend to ignore file management because there is so much storage space available. But when I do need a document, especially one that I haven’t used in a while, I’m reminded of the old adage of finding a needle in a haystack. It would be even worse if I couldn’t quite remember what it was called.

Don’t despair. Windows provides the tools you need to track down what you need. If the built-in options aren’t enough, you can also use third-party options.

By default, Windows only indexes files in four areas of your PC: Files, Pictures, Music, and Desktop folders, as well as any subfolders branching from them. You can change this setting if you want it to search elsewhere as well.

• Open settings from start menuthen go to Privacy & Security > Search Windows.
• under find my filesyou may find classic Search type automatically selected.After selecting Classic, you can click Custom search location > Adjustment Add folders to the list of index locations by selecting the corresponding box.
• Alternatively, you can choose Enhanced replace classic Include your entire computer in the query. Microsoft says this may impact CPU usage and battery life, so you may find the trade-off isn’t worth it.

Lower down on the same screen, you can exclude certain folders from searches. If you know that certain folders don’t need to be crawled, excluding them can speed up the indexing and crawling process.

Once you’ve decided which folders you want Windows to index, you can actually do some searches.

There is a search box or icon on the taskbar, just to the right of the Start menu button, that you can use to start a file search. Just enter as many file names as you remember and the results will appear as you type. If you prefer, you can also use the search box that appears when you open the Start menu.

When you start typing, Windows will pop up a dialog box that shows you what it thinks is the best match, and then displays more matches below it.Above the best matches, you’ll find a series of tabs with different categories, including document, photoor Folder, which you can use to narrow your search if you don’t find an immediate match. Depending on your search terms, Windows may prioritize results from the web and/or the Start menu over files, so you may need these additional filters.

If you only want to access recently installed apps or recently opened files, you may not need to search at all.Click start menu buttons on the taskbar and respected In the header, you’ll see recently visited applications and files.

For more advanced searches, open File Explorer and use the search box in the upper right corner. Here are some tips:

• Please note that your location in File Browser is important: searches will be performed on the folder you are currently viewing and any subfolders.If you want to search your entire computer, first click this computer In the navigation pane on the left.Enter the name of the file you’re looking for in the search box and click Enter. Once a match is found, the screen will fill with matches.
• If you are unsure of the complete file name, you can use an asterisk as a wildcard to represent any combination of characters.So look for yes* Files named “amstrad”, “america” ​​and “am8811!g” can be returned.
• You can also use question marks as single-letter wildcards.searching yes? You will be provided with profiles named “amy”, “amd”, and “am3”.
• Another trick is to add the file extension if you know it.Run a search *.jpg, you will retrieve all JPEG files in the current folder and its subfolders. If desired, you can apply the same wildcard character to the expansion after the period.
• Boolean operators are also supported.例如，使用“samsung 或google”來獲取兩者的匹配項，使用“samsung and google”來查找包含這兩個單字的文件，或者使用“samsung not google”來獲取名稱中包含Samsung 但不包含Google 的document.
• If you want to filter your search further, look for Search options At the top of the File Explorer window. (You may need to click on the three dots on the right to find it.) Click this button to get a list of the various search variables you can use. For example, you can limit the search based on file size or when the file was last edited (this can be useful if you feel overwhelmed by the results).There is still one document content option, which you can use if you want Windows to look for matches in the file—it’s more thorough, but obviously takes more time.

There are many third-party utilities ready and willing to assist in your search. While they offer very similar functionality to what you’ll find in File Explorer, they’re presented in a way that might feel more intuitive to you.

• Agent Lansac is a fast and streamlined file finder for Windows that allows you to search for matches in both file names and file contents. Selecting a search location is easy, and wildcards and Boolean operators are supported.
• And then there are everything, the most lightweight and simplest Windows file search tool I’ve found. (It can also be run directly from a USB drive as a portable app.) It also has its own set of advanced features, including the option to match filename case and the ability to save searches for future use.
• Search my files is another free third-party search utility worth checking out. In addition to quickly displaying results, it also provides a convenient search options panel where you can limit file matches based on file size, file date, and file attributes (such as read-only). It can even help you find duplicate files.
• last but not least, Power Toy Run Microsoft’s search engine gives you a search experience similar to Spotlight on macOS. Press Alt + Spacebar to display the search box in the center of the screen, then type the name of the file you’re looking for. It’s useful to have on hand when you need to access a specific file as quickly as possible.