Searching for Files and Folders in Windows
Windows gives you a variety of ways to search for files and folders. Whether you’re using the classic Windows 7, 8, or 10 operating systems, these methods can help you locate the items you need quickly and easily.
Using the Search Tool in File Explorer
One of the easiest and most effective ways to find files and folders in Windows is to use the search tool within File Explorer. To search for something, launch File Explorer (formerly known as Windows Explorer) by pressing the Win+E keyboard shortcut, or by clicking its icon in the Taskbar. Then, navigate to the location you would like to search.
Once there, enter your search query into the search box located at the top right of the window. By default, the search tool looks for files and folders with names that match your query, but you can also look for content within files by entering keywords into the search box. Once you’ve entered the search query, press Enter or click the magnifying glass button next to the search box. The results will be displayed in the list below the search box.
Using the Run Command Line
In addition to the built-in Search tool, you can also quickly find files and folders in Windows by using the Run command line. To do this, press the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box, then type “cmd” into the box and press Enter. This will open the Command Prompt window. Then, from the command line, you can use basic search commands such as dir and find to search for files and folders.
To search for a file or folder with the dir command, type the command followed by the name of the item you’re looking for. For example, if you wanted to search for a file named “example.txt”, you could type “dir example.txt”. This command will search the current directory (folder) and any subdirectories (subfolders) and display a list of matching files and/or folders.
You can also use the find command to search for files and folders. To use it, type “find” followed by the path and the name of the item you’re looking for. For example, if you wanted to search for “example.txt” in the C:\Documents folder, you would type “find C:\Documents\example.txt”. This command will search the specified folder and any subfolders and display a list of matching files and/or folders.
Using Search Index
The Windows Search Index is an automated system that keeps track of all the documents, images, emails, and other items on your computer. When you are searching for a file, Windows will search its index first, which can significantly speed up the search process.
To use the Search Index, first make sure that the “Indexed Locations” setting is set to “Index All Installed Drives”. This setting can be found in Control Panel > Indexing Options > Modify. Once the setting is enabled, you can launch the Start menu and type in the name of the item you’re looking for. Windows will display a list of results as you type, and you can quickly select the item you need.
Using Third-Party Search Tools
If you find the built-in search tools in Windows to be lacking, there are a number of third-party search tools you can use to search for files and folders. Two popular options are Everything from Voidtools and Wox from Wox. Both of these programs provide advanced search capabilities, such as the ability to quickly search for files and folders based on their content. They also allow you to create powerful search queries, so you can quickly locate items even when you don’t know the exact name.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a variety of ways to search for files and folders in Windows. The built-in Search tool in File Explorer is an easy and effective way to find items on your computer. You can also use the Run command line and the Windows Search Index to speed up your searches, or try third-party search tools like Everything and Wox for more advanced features.