How to search in windows file explorer by just typing

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By default, when you open File Explorer in Windows and start typing, it will scroll down to folders that begin with the letters you key in. This can be handy, but if you prefer you can change this behavior so that typing brings you up to the search box instead.

In any open File Explorer window, click the File menu and then select “Change folder and search options.”

In the Folder Options window, switch to the View tab and then scroll down to the options under “When typing into list view.” Click the option “Automatically type into the Search Box” and then click OK.

And that’s it. Fire up File Explorer and just start typing to perform a search. It’s a super simple tip, but to take advantage of it, you kind of have to know it’s available in the first place.

By default, when you open File Explorer in Windows and start typing, it will scroll down to folders that begin with the letters you key in. This can be handy, but if you prefer you can change this behavior so that typing brings you up to the search box instead.

In any open File Explorer window, click the File menu and then select “Change folder and search options.”

In the Folder Options window, switch to the View tab and then scroll down to the options under “When typing into list view.” Click the option “Automatically type into the Search Box” and then click OK.

And that’s it. Fire up File Explorer and just start typing to perform a search. It’s a super simple tip, but to take advantage of it, you kind of have to know it’s available in the first place.

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We have all been there. You want that file from a while back, where has it gone? You could also wonder, is it still on my computer? Here is how to search for a file in Windows 10 in order to quickly gain access to the file you need now.

Windows File Explorer is a useful tool for many things. And one of them is the ability to search for files anywhere on your computer.

Sometimes searching can take some time, depending on the number of files on your computer, but showing a little patience will return the results you are after.

The same technique will work for folders too. So don’t be surprised if you see folders with the same name being produced within the results.

How to search for a file or folder

1. Open Windows File Explorer (Hold down the Windows Key on your keyboard and tap ‘E’, then release the Windows key).
2. In the left-hand pane, select the location. Example: This Computer or Local Disk (C:).
3. Move your mouse pointer over the search box on the top right-hand corner of your screen and press your left mouse button.
4. Type a portion of the exact name of the file and press enter for File Explorer to get to work on your result.

Be patient and allow your computer to show your results. It sometimes can take a bit of time, depending on the number of files on your drive and the speed of the drive.

After you have your result, you can do anything with the file you want. You can edit, copy, move or delete it.

How to search for a program

By simply clicking on the Windows start menu icon in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen, you can start typing the name of the program you want.

As you type the name, it will anticipate the program you are looking for by showing the most relevant result. Your program will appear at the top of your Start Menu. It will begin by displaying the closest match first, then the closest matching results thereafter.

The reason for searching for a program through the Start Menu is that it will produce less, but more specific results. When you search using Windows File Explorer, it will show the results of all the files within the drive or folder that is selected.

How to search for files by date created or modified

Open Windows Explorer. Type in any of these date-related parameters first in the search bar before your query:

• date:
• datemodified:
• dateaccessed:
• datecreated:
• datetaken:

Related questions

How do I search for a folder in Windows 10?

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Type in the folder name in the search box.
3. Your folder will appear in the results.

How do I do an advanced search in Windows 10?

1. Open Windows File Explorer.
2. Left-click on the search button option on the menu.
3. Left-click on the ‘Advanced options’ drop-down menu.
4. Left-click on the advanced option you want.
5. Complete the search in the search box.

Conclusion

There are many software applications that offer a search function. Yes, some of them work really well, like a tool called Everything.

Of course, it’s down to personal preference. I still find it difficult to keep track of all the software applications on my computer. Some of them I even forget about.

Would installing an app like this be an everyday benefit? If not, I’d recommend just sticking with the plain old way of searching as I’ve shown above.

This way, you will be able to use any computer and find things straight away, without having to install extra software.

When you type something in File Explorer in Windows 10, by default the item with a name that begins with the letter or number that you typed in the currently open folder or drive will be selected. For example, if you are exploring C:\, you can press Pro to jump directly to C:\Program Files. It is possible to customize this behavior in Windows 10. So, instead of the file getting selected, a search is performed. Windows 10 File Explorer offers two choices which can change the behavior of the Explorer window after your keyboard input. In this article, we will see how to access and change these options.

See the following video:
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That’s it. By default File Explorer uses the option “Select the Typed Item in the View”. You can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + E to move the focus into the search box. The same can be done in Windows 8.

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When you start trying inside the Windows File Explorer, it takes you to the first Item present in that folder whose name starts with the Key that you pressed. This is the default behaviour of Windows, and this happens because an option called Select the typed item in the view is selected in the Windows Folder Options.

However, if you want to change this behaviour, and want to search for the term that you typed, then you can select the other option called Automatically type into the Search Box. This option will take you directly to the search bar of the Windows File Explorer as soon as you start typing.

Here’s How to Search by Typing a Letter in Windows 10 File Explorer.

Step 1: Open Windows File Explorer.

Step 2: Click on the File tab in the Windows File Explorer toolbar, and then click on Change folder and search options button to open Folder Options.

Step 3: In the Folder Options window, click on the View tab.

Step 4: Navigate to the option that says When typing into list view. By default, the Select the typed item in the view is selected. Click on the radio button next to the option called Automatically type into the Search Box.

Step 5: Click Apply, and then OK.

Step 6: Now, when I typed w, instead of taking me to the first item whose name starts with w, the Windows File Explorer typed the term in the search box, and started the Search feature.

Reverse the process if you want to use the default setting again.

With hard drive storage space getting bigger and bigger these days — even the most basic models of computers tend to come with at least 250 GB — we’re filling up our PCs with endless apps, documents, photos, and other files.

It’s great for information pack rats who like to keep everything, but it can also make it really hard to locate a particular file or folder on your computer when you’re looking for it.

Thankfully, Windows 10 makes it easy to search your computer, and you can do it in two different ways.

Whether by utilizing the Taskbar’s Cortana search feature or using the Windows File Explorer, both methods make locating your stuff simple, straightforward, and most of all, quick.

Here’s how to do it.

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How to search on a Windows 10 computer via the taskbar

1. In the search bar located on the left-hand side of your taskbar, next to the Windows button, type the name of the app, document, or file that you’re looking for.

2. From the search results listed, click on the one that matches what you’re looking for.

Note that you can narrow down your search results using the menu bar across the top of the search box, which allows you to see only Apps, Documents, Settings, or Web Results, among other categories.

How to search on a Windows 10 computer via File Explorer

1. Click on the Windows key and type “File Explorer,” clicking the top app result that appears.

2. If you know which drive or folder the file you’re looking for exists in, choose that location via the Quick Access menu on the left-hand side of the File Explorer screen.

3. Once you’re ready to search, use the search box in the upper right-hand corner of the File Explorer screen to type in any identifying information about the file in question, including the file name or file type. Search results should then begin to auto-populate in the box below.

4. Once you’ve located the file you’ve been searching for, click to open it.

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Open the Documents folder in File Explorer and click in the Search Documents text box. Type your search word or phrase there. When you click in the Search Documents box the Search ribbon opens with additional tools that you might find useful.

How do I search for text within a file in Windows Search?

How to Search for words within files on Windows 7

1. Open windows explorer.
2. Using the left hand file menu select the folder to search in.
3. Find the search box in the top right hand corner of the explorer window.
4. In the search box type content: followed by the word or phrase you are searching for.(eg content:yourword)

How do I search for a word in Windows 10?

The Windows Explorer search function way. . .

1. Press Windows Key + E.
2. Press Ctrl + F.
3. Type in *cat* in the search field and press Enter. Just put your keyword between two asterisks [ * ] *cat*

How do I search the contents of a folder in Windows 10?

If you’d like to always search within file contents for a specific folder, navigate to that folder in File Explorer and open the “Folder and Search Options.” On the “Search” tab, select the “Always search file names and contents” option.

How do I search the contents of a file?

Searching for File Content

In any File Explorer window, click File, then Change folder and search options. Click on the Search tab, then check the box next to Always search file names and contents. Click Apply then OK.

How do I search for text in command prompt?

If you want to find specific text in files, in a command line output or elsewhere, you may use the findstr command on Windows to do so. Findstr is a built-in tool of the Windows operating system that you may run from the command line to find text in files or in command line outputs.

How do I search for text in a Word document?

To open the Find pane from the Edit View, press Ctrl+F, or click Home > Find. Find text by typing it in the Search the document for… box. Word Web App starts searching as soon as you start typing.

How do you search for keywords on a PC?

You can find a specific word or phrase on a web page on your computer.

1. On your computer, open a webpage in Chrome.
2. At the top right, click More. Find.
3. Type your search term in the bar that appears in the top right.
4. Press Enter to search the page.
5. Matches appear highlighted in yellow.

How do you search for words on Windows?

Search for a word on a web page

1. Click Ctrl+F to open the Find in page bar, type the search phrase in it. …
2. Press the / (slash) key to open the Quick Find Bar. …
3. To find phrases that occur in web links, press the ‘ (single quote) key to bring up the Quick Find (links only) bar.

How do I search for a specific file type in Windows 10?

Just type in the file name or part of the file name and Windows 10 will attempt to find the files matching your query or will present you with an option to perform a deeper search. You can see from this screenshot that I’m trying to search for all files with a PPTX extension.

How do I do an advanced search in Windows 10?

Open File Explorer and click in the Search box, Search Tools will appear at the top of the Window which allows the choosing of a Type, a Size, Date Modified, Other Properties and Advanced search.

How do I search file contents in Windows Explorer?

To search for files in File Explorer, open File Explorer and use the search box to the right of the address bar. Tap or click to open File Explorer. Search looks in all folders and subfolders within the library or folder you’re viewing.

How do I search indexes in Windows 10?

To add custom folders to search index in Windows 10, do the following.

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Now, open Indexing Options by typing indexing options in the search box of the Control Panel, and then click the settings item Indexing Options.
3. The Indexing Options applet will open.
4. Click the ‘Modify’ button.

How do I search a PDF in Windows 10?

Here’s how you perform the task in the software.

1. Open the Acrobat Reader on your computer.
2. Click on the Edit menu and select Advanced Search.
3. Select All PDF Documents in and then choose your PDF folder.
4. Enter your search term in the input box.
5. Click on the Search button.
6. Hit Allow in the prompt on your screen.

How do I search in notepad?

Open the text file in Notepad. Click Edit on the menu bar, then select Replace in the Edit menu. Once in the Search and Replace window, enter the text you want to find and the text you want to use as a replacement.

Quick and easy ways to locate any file on your PC

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This article describes the two primary ways to search for files on a Windows 10 computer, plus suggestions for third-party search apps and helpful tips for making better file searches.

Use the Taskbar Search Bar for a General Search

The search bar permanently located at the bottom of the screen is the go-to search method for most people, and it’s effortless to use. Go this route if you have no clue where to find a file or if you need to open an app or email.

Press the WIN key, or select the search bar from the bottom-left corner of the taskbar, near the Start button.

Start typing the name of the file, app, or another item you’re looking for, but don’t press Enter just yet.

The results appear instantly. Notice the categories at the top; this is where you can filter the results by things like Documents, Email, Folders, Music, Photos, etc. The More menu is where you’ll find most of these.

Select the item you want to open. You can do this via touch, the mouse, or by highlighting it with the up and down arrow keys and pressing Enter.

Not sure if that’s what you want to open? While viewing the results, use the arrow next to an item to see its details, like the last modified date and its true location on your computer.

Run a File Search in a Specific Folder

This method is a hyper-focused way to search Windows 10 folders. It’s useful if you already know where the file is located.

Open the folder you want to search through. One way to start drilling through your various folders is to search for File Explorer from the taskbar search bar. If the folder is already open, skip this step.

Select the search bar at the top-right of the window.

Type the search term and press Enter.

Tips for Searching for Files Faster

File Explorer has hidden search options that provide tremendous help if you’re unsure what the file name is or if you need to narrow down the results. For example, if you have hundreds of files in the Documents folder, you can slim the results by looking only for files modified last month.

Here are some examples showing how to filter the search results:

• datemodified:last month
• datecreated:2021
• *.mp4
• size:>10 MB
• kind:music

You can even combine these if you need to, plus add text to also search by name:

• datecreated:2020 *.jpg width:160 vacation
• *.pdf payment size:

Using Third-Party File Search Tools

Another option for faster file searches in Windows 10 is to use a third-party program. There are lots of free file search tools which do a great job; Everything is one example. After the first few minutes Everything takes to catalog everything, you can run a search through all of your hard drives in mere seconds.

If Windows search isn’t working, check your network connectivity, turn Cortana off and on again, and restart your device. If you’re still having trouble, check to see if the Search service is running. You may need to rebuild the Windows 10 search indexing options.

Open File Explorer, select Network, and select the device that has the shared folders you want to browse. You can also view your shared Windows folders in the Command Prompt using the net share command.

You need to download a tool that can find and delete duplicate files like Duplicate Cleaner. You can search for specific file types, such as music or videos, and you can also delete empty folders.

To show hidden files, go to Advanced Settings in Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > File Explorer Options > View > Advanced settings > Hidden files and folders. You can then search for the files like normal.

Even if you can’t remember its name

Ever lost a file on your PC and just can’t track it down? With the search tips in this article, you’ll be able to find specific files in Windows file explorer, even if you can’t remember the exact name or location.

The more information you know about the file you are looking for the better. You’ll be able to use search parameters like file size, created date, file type, and more by using the tips listed below.

For reference, before we begin, all of the tips listed in this article will be making use of the search function found at the top right of Windows file Explorer.

Hopefully by the time you’ve read all of the tips in this article, you’ll have found a solution to track down your files.

Also, check out my other post on searching Windows using third-party tools or via the command line. Also, in order for all the searches below to work faster, you should have search indexing enabled in Windows.

Locating Images using Parameters

First let’s take a look at the options you have available for tracking down specific images. Below we have a number of tips exclusive for images on your PC.

If you know the dimensions of the image, you can type in width: x, height: x. Simply replace ‘x’ with the exact dimensions.

If you don’t know the exact dimensions, but you know it’s within a certain limit, you can instead use the following search parameters:

• Width: >x for files over a specific width
• Width: x for files over a specific height
• Height: ’ to look for files made before or after specific dates, respectively. An example has been provided below.

If you know the rough file size, you can use the ‘size:’ command to filter out results. You can use the following quick commands for certain sizes:

Using these commands is great for smaller files, but for files that are larger than 128MB, you should use a search range. For example, if you know that a file is between 200MB and 300MB, you can use the command: ‘size: 500MB – 800MB’. This will only show the files that are between that range.

Thanks for taking a look at our advanced Windows Explorer file search tips. Remember that you can combine any combination of these search filters in a single search.

If, for example, you are looking for a .png file that is over 1000 pixels wide and you know it was created before the 20th of February 2018, you can use this command: ‘type: .png, width: >1000, date: ‎

Ollie stumbled upon writing online whilst participating in a mobile network forum back in 2011. Since then, he has developed an incredible passion for writing about all sorts of tech from smartphones, PC hardware, software, and everything in between. Read Ollie’s Full Bio

Most of us are used to being able to search for a specific phrase in Google by putting the phrase in “quotation marks”. This is a simple thing to do, and very useful for narrowing down searches.

In databases you can use Boolean search terms such as ‘AND’, ‘OR’, etc. These are also mostly self-explanatory – with the caveat that you NEED TO USE CAPITALS or else they will not work.

What is not so obvious is how to search for a phrase in Windows Explorer. It is quite simple, but not at all intuitive. As usual, there are answers out there, and I found a forum post by a certain ‘robarthur’ with the explanation.

Here are the steps:

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Type the following string in the search box: content:”your phrase”
   • (Replace ‘your phrase’ with whatever you are searching for)
3. You will see the colour of the text changes to light blue – I assume this means Windows recognises this as a specific instruction
4. You will then see the results below in the usual manner

Here is a screenshot:

Edit 30/9/2019: I have just noticed comments saying that this doesn’t work. I just tested it (Windows 10, 64bit) and it still works for me. Not sure why it’s not working for some people. Maybe just make sure you have the colon and the quotation marks all in the right place.

In File Explorer, other than just searching by keywords, you can also enter a search syntax to search for a specific kind of files, file type, size of files, etc. in Windows 11. This short tutorial will show you how to search only video files or find only a specific video file type using File Explorer in Windows 11.

Note: The search function in File Explorer will only search for files in the folder or directory you’re currently opening. If your File Explorer opens in Quick Access by default, the search will only search for files in the Quick Access folders. You need to browse to This PC or whichever folder/drive you want to search in before performing the search.

How to find all video files in Windows 11

If you want to search for only video files no matter the video file types, you can use the search syntax “kind:videos” when you do the search in File Explorer on Windows 11.

The proper steps to do so would be to first, browse to the folder/directory you want to search in. Then, on the File Explorer search bar, enter kind:videos to search for all video files regardless the types of the video files.

You can also enter a keyword along with the kind:videos search parameter. For example, you can perform a search like “birthday kind:videos” to search for any video file that has the name “birthday” on it.

How to search for only a specific video file type in Windows 11

If you want to search for a specific video file type instead, for example, only MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, FLV, etc., you can use the search command “ext:.file-type“. Ext stands for extension. You can use this search syntax to search for any file extension. For example, if you want to search for only MP4 video files, enter the search syntax “ext:.mp4“.

Similar to any search syntax or command, you can enter keywords along with the search syntax to further narrow down your search. For example, you can enter a search query like “movie ext:.avi” which will return search results of all AVI video files that have the name “movie” on them.

Tip: How to do an advanced search in File Explorer

For more search conditions that you can use in File Explorer on Windows 11, you can use the search options UI (advanced search options and filters) when you perform search in File Explorer.

By default, the “Search options” will not be visible until you execute at least a search query. To bring up the search options, simply search for anything. You should then be able to see the Search options in the menu bar in File Explorer.

How to use the search options? First, search for a keyword. Then, click on the search options and add a search condition. The search condition will be applied along with the keyword you’ve entered earlier. You can add multiple search conditions to further narrow down your search.

If you want to execute the search without any keywords, after applying the search options, you can delete the keyword from the search bar to search based only on the added search conditions.

Advanced search options you can use to fine tune your searches

• All subfolders: Search query will search for all files in all subfolders in the folder/directory the File Explorer is currently in.
• Current folder: Search query will only search for files in the current folder and ignore files in any subfolder that exists in this folder.
• Date modified: Add a date condition which specify how recently the file was modified.
• Kind: The type of files that you want to search for.
• Size: When a file size is specified, search will filter the results based on the size of the files.
• System files: To include system files in searches.
• Zipped (compressed) folders: To include compressed files and folders (any zip format) in searches.
• File contents: To include the content of the files in searches. For example, if you can’t recall the name of a text file but you remember a little bit of its content, you can use this option to search for the text file even if its name does not contain the keyword you are searching for. When this option is enabled, the search will take significantly longer to complete.

Description for sharing: Tip: How to search only video files or a specific video file type using advanced search in File Explorer on Windows 11.

Published by Nyau Wai Hoe – Updated on September 11, 2021

When I open the File Explorer on my Surface Pro tablet, it starts going into a loop of searching for something constantly in Quick Access or This PC mode. The folder tree and files don’t list from there. It just shows the “Working on it” message at the bottom and a green bar runs across the screen slowly. I have to tap on the X at the bar to stop the searching process. It happens after installed the anniversary update. How can I resolve the problem?

The same issue also appears when I try to rename some video files in File Explorer on my computer with anniversary update. It searches for drives or folders at least 30 seconds. You could try any of the tips to resolve it in Windows 10.

* First if you have installed non-Microsoft shell extensions such as ShellExView or Nirsoft’s ShellMenuView, go to disable or un-install them to check if it is fine.
Disable the built-in search function
This is a temporary method
* Press the Win + R from your keyboard, type msconfig in Run dialog box, and click OK button. You can also type msconfig in Start menu, and select the item at the top.
* Click on the service tab, Locate the windows search from all services list, ucheck its tickbox, and click on Apply > OK button.
* Windows 10 will ask if you would like to restart. Click on Restart option to continue. Once you login the system, the File Explorer should be normal.

If the video driver is outdated or has been corrupted during the update process, it may mismatched with system files and applications and cause the file explorer running into searching mode. You could update your current video driver.
* Type Device Manager in Cortana Search box or Start menu, and select the Device Manager from result.
* Double click on the Video Controllers, right click on the sub-item, select Update driver option, and follow the on-screen instructions to update to the latest version. That’s it.

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From files on your PC to answers from the web, find anything effortlessly on Windows 10.

When you’ve amassed hundreds of files on your PC, finding one specific file can quickly turn into a nightmare. Fortunately, Windows 10 has a few methods that you can use to navigate through your files and find the exact document or tool you’re looking for.

Using Windows Search is the easiest way to get started. You can simply press the Windows key to start searching, or you can click the built-in search bar on your taskbar.

Alternatively, you can use Cortana to find files or search for information on the web. Cortana gives you the convenience of asking questions via voice commands, and also lets you type in specific searches. Just hit Windows + Q to open Cortana, or click the Cortana icon on your taskbar.

The final way to search through your documents is with File Explorer. With this feature, you can browse your entire collection of files to find specific data. What’s more, you can narrow down your search using Advanced Query Syntax and Boolean operators.

This cheat sheet will go over the shortcuts you can use to search in Windows 10 using each of these methods.

FREE DOWNLOAD: This cheat sheet is available as a downloadable PDF from our distribution partner, TradePub. You will have to complete a short form to access it for the first time only. Download The Windows 10 Search Cheat Sheet.

Windows 10 Search Shortcuts and Tips

System corruption is the worst that could happen to your Windows installation. We show you how to get Windows 10 back on track when suffering from BSODs, driver errors, or other unexplained issues.

rollebolle

New Member

• Jun 9, 2013

Does anyone know if it is possible to set up windows search to return directories in addition to files in the search results? If you have ever used Launchy you probably have a good idea of the functionality I am talking about.

Thanks in advance.

My Computer

System One

Vadikan

• Jun 10, 2013

Just type the folder name (see post #4 for the explanation).

If you want to limit your search to folders only, use:

My Computer

System One

fafhrd

Active Member

• Jun 10, 2013

There are 2 search functions available from Windows 8 – the Modern search by typing on the start screen, and the Windows Explorer Search:

Open File Explorer, select the drive or computer you wish to start your search in and then type your search term (folder name) in the search box. The search begins as soon as you start typing, so you may get your result before you finish.

My Computer

System One

Vadikan

• Jun 10, 2013

rollebolle, after re-reading your post I realized that you don’t want to limit your search to folders only, but rather want to search both for files and folders. In this case, you don’t have to do anything special, because Windows Search automatically searches in full paths. This applies both to files and folders.

fafhrd, there’s one search function in Windows 8, but there are indeed multiple entry points. The folder search filter I suggested above (or any other filter) works equally well on the Start screen file search, File explorer windows and Open/Save as dialogs.

My Computer

System One

rollebolle

New Member

• Jun 10, 2013

Vadikan, you are right I do not need to search for folders only but thanks for the tip–after you add the colon it provides an intellisense type list of all the “kinds:” but only in File explorer.

I am not getting any folder results from the start screen. Any ideas why this might be happening? I tried both with and without the “Kinds:folder” syntax and not a single folder shows up. I ran the exact same queries in File explorer and they work fine.

My Computer

System One

Vadikan

• Jun 10, 2013

@rollebolle,
Ok, I finally got to Windows 8, and I have bad news for you. I conclude the Start Screen File search deliberately filters out folders from search results. The UI label says “Files” and acts accordingly.

I tried kind:folder and a tricky one system.filename: -“*.*” that basically lists everything without an extension, but folders are no show. This is certainly a step back from the Start menu search in Windows 7 that was capable of finding folders.

I guess they wanted to reduce noise in search results, and it also kind of fits in MSFT vision of Windows file management. While folders are so customary, Windows Search provides multiple other ways to display files (date, type, kind, etc) serving as a foundation for various dynamic views in File Explorer (e.g. grouping and filtering).

At any rate, if you need to see folders in the results, search in File Explorer.

My Computer

System One

fafhrd

Active Member

• Jun 10, 2013

Vadikan. there’s one search function in Windows 8, but there are indeed multiple entry points.

It may be the same underlying code that performs the searching, but the Windows Explorer entry point does offer point and click drill down menus for those of us who have not mastered the syntax of the Start Screen and other commandline search methods. Indeed, the Windows Search and its syntax is slated as being buggy and ineffective by many of the commenters in the link you gave in post #2.

All major operating systems running on computers can find files on the hard drive or other drives connected to the computer. Click one of the links below to help find files and apps on your computer or mobile device.

If you’ve opened the file on your computer recently, it may be easier to find the file in the recent documents feature.

• Windows 11.
• Windows 10.
• Windows 8.
• Windows Vista and Windows 7.
• Windows XP.
• How to find a file using Windows Explorer.
• How to find a file or folder in MS-DOS or Windows command line.
• How do I find files in Linux and Unix?
• iPad and iPhone.
• Android tablets and phones.

Windows 11

1. Press the Windows key , then type part or all the file name ( A) you want to find. See the search tips section for tips on searching for files.
2. In the search results, click the Apps, Documents, or Web section header ( B) to view a list of files that meet the search criteria. For more choices of search results, click the More section header ( C) and select an option from the drop-down menu.

1. Click the file name you want to open.

You can use the arrow keys to arrow up or down to the app, file, document, or setting you want to view and press Enter to open it.

Windows 10

Microsoft Windows provides an easy-to-use search feature that helps you find any file on your computer, even if you don’t know its full name. Whether you need to find a document, spreadsheet, picture, or video, the Windows search feature helps you find it. Choose your computer’s Windows version from the list below and follow the steps to search for a file. Search examples and tips are also available by clicking the search tips link below.

1. Press the Windows key , then type part or all the file name you want to find. See the search tips section for tips on searching for files.
2. In the search results, click the Documents, Music, Photos, or Videos section header to view a list of files that meet the search criteria.
3. Click the file name you want to open.

You can use the arrow keys to arrow up or down to the app, file, document, or setting you want to view and press Enter to open it.

Windows 8

1. Press the Windows key to access the Windows Start screen.
2. Start typing part of the file name you want to find. As you type, results for your search are shown. See the search tips section for tips on searching for files.
3. Click the drop-down list above the Search text field and select the Files option.
4. The search results are shown below the Search text field. Scroll down through the search results list to find the file you are looking for, then click the file name to open it.

Windows Vista and Windows 7

1. Click Start to open the Start menu.
2. In the Search text field at the bottom of the Start menu, type part or all the file name you want to find. See the search tips section for tips on searching for files.
3. In the search results, click the Documents or Files section header to view a list of files that meet the search criteria. You can also click the See more results link at the bottom of the search results to see a complete list of files that meet the search criteria.
4. Double-click the file you want to open.

Windows XP

1. Click Start to open the Start menu.
2. In the Start menu, click the Search option.
3. In the Search Results window, fill out all or part of the file name field in the Search Companion section. See the search tips section for tips on searching for files.
4. If the computer has more than one hard drive, or you want to search a USB flash drive or CD/DVD, click the Look in the drop-down list and select the appropriate drive.
5. Click the Search button to execute the search.
6. Files meeting the search criteria are shown in the Search Results window. Double-click the file you want to open.

How to find a file using Windows Explorer

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. In the left navigation pane, click Computer or This PC.
3. Near the top-right of Windows Explorer, click in the Search field and enter part or all the file name you want to find.

To find a file on a specific drive, click the drive under Computer or This PC in the left navigation pane. Then enter the file name you want to search for in the Search field.

iPad and iPhone

1. Go to the home screen.
2. Swipe from the left edge of the screen to the right edge of the screen.
3. Type the file into the search bar at the top of the screen.
4. Tap the Search button.

Android tablets and phones

1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Tap Storage.
3. Tap Files or File manager.
4. Navigate through the folders to find your desired file.

Search tips

Below are a few tips to help users find files on their computer.

Find all GIF picture files on the computer

Type *.gif In the search text field. The *.gif indicates any file that ends with a file extension of .gif. The .gif can be replaced with any file extension. Below are a few examples of the common extensions you may use.

• *.doc or *.docx = Microsoft Word documents
• *.xls or *.xlsx = Microsoft Excel documents
• *.jpg = Another image extension (JPEG pictures)
• *.htm and *.html = HTML web pages
• *.mp3 = MP3 music files
• *.mp4 = MPEG-4 movie files

See the file extension page for a complete listing of extensions.

Find any files that contain help in the name

Type *help*.* in the search text field. The *help* indicates any file containing the word “help” in the file name, and the “.*” indicates that the file can end with any extension.

Additional information, examples, and help with wildcards, as seen in the above examples, are available on our wildcard page.

Where are my files on Windows?

We all create and save files on our PCs and tend to forget either the names of the files or which folders we’ve saved them in. So when it’s time to reopen or retrieve them, our memory doesn’t help much and finding a particular file becomes troublesome. But there’s no need to panic in such a situation! Be it a document, picture, mp3, video or spreadsheet, finding a file in Windows 10 is as easy as it can ever get. The Windows 10 operating system was intricately designed keeping in mind millions of tasks users have to perform every day. Therefore, file search has indeed been made easier and quicker for Windows 10 users to increase their productivity and throughput. In fact, there is more than just one way of searching for files. Below are two ways by which you can get the file you need:

Method 1 – Use the File Explorer

Using the File Explorer is probably the most traditional and simplest way one can find a file. Here’s how to go about it:

1. Open the Start Menu and click on “File Explorer” to open it in a new screen or just simply use the Windows + E keys.
2. In the search box at the top right, type in the file name you want to look for.
3. You can even select which folder you want to search your file in by selecting & opening that specific folder and then typing in a search query.
4. Your file will appear in the results. You can even click on the “Open file location” option to find out which folder the file exists in.

Method 2 – Use Cortana or the Search Box

If you don’t feel like typing in a search word, you can use Cortana and speak your search query in the microphone to find a file. Here’s how:

1. Click on the Cortana microphone and say the file name you want to search for or type in the file you’re looking for in the search box on the taskbar where it says “ Ask me anything” and press “Enter”.
2. In the new box, click on “My Stuff” to find any kind of file from the results that match with your input query.

Some Final Words

Wasn’t that plain simple? We get it – there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to find a file on a PC. Manually jumping in and out of a bunch of nested directories or simply forgetting a file name is super stressful. Windows 10 has made it pretty easy for users to search for their files. Cortana may push Bing when you search for files but both the methods discussed above are very straightforward and don’t require much effort from a user’s end. However, using the File Explorer does seem to be the quickest option for many. As for which one of the two is easier, it’s really just a matter of personal preference.

Is your Windows 10 PC’s hard drive or solid state drive (SSD) filling up fast? Do you want to find out all files that are taking up the most space on your drive? Want to quickly search for all large files on your PC without the help of third-party software? In this guide, we will see how to use File Explorer in Windows 10 to quickly search for large files.

Search for large files in Windows 10 using File Explorer

There are a few free utilities out there to find out what’s eating up the valuable space on your PC. While anyone can use these disk space analyzers, why use third-party software when you can use the built-in File Explorer’s search in Windows 10 to quickly find out large files?

The File Explorer’s search in Windows 10 is better than ever. It has many advanced filters to quickly find out files that you are looking for. The best thing is that you don’t need to remember or search the web for these filters as the File Explorer now shows all these advanced filters under the Search tab.

The File Explorer search in Windows 10 can be used to search for large files. In fact, you can find out files of any size using the built-in search. For instance, you can find all files greater than 1 GB or 2 GB in size.

Using File Explorer to search for large files in Windows 10

Here is how to search for large files using File Explorer search in Windows 10.

Step 1: Open the File Explorer. Navigate to the drive or folder where you want to search for large files.

Step 2: Click on the search field to see the Search tab.

Step 3: Click the Search tab to see all search-related settings and options.

Step 4: Here, click Size and then choose one of the filters. As you can see, it offers a total of seven filters: Empty (0 KB), Tiny (0-10 B), Small (10-100 KB), Medium (100 KB – 1 MB), Large (1-16 MB), Huge (16- 128 MB), Gigantic (>128 MB).

If you select Gigantic (>128 MB) filter, the File Explorer will automatically search for all files with more than 128 MB size.

Now, what if you want to search for all files greater than 500 MB size? Simple. In the search field, type size:>500MB to see all files greater than 500 MB. Similarly, use size:>1GB to find all files greater than 1 GB.

Finally, to find out all files with more than 1 GB but less than 5 GB (you can set any size), simply type size:>500MB

Also, check out our how-to search for large files in OneDrive guide might also interest you.

You can find any item in the project or outside of it by its name. You can search for files, actions, classes, symbols, settings, UI elements, and anything in Git from a single entry point.

Refer to Search for a target within a file for more details about searching text within your project.

Search everywhere

From the main menu, select Navigate | Search Everywhere or press Shift twice to open the search window with the All , Classes , Files , Symbols , and Actions tabs.

By default, the All tab opens and WebStorm displays the list of recent files. To open the tab you need, use the following shortcuts:

File or folder – Ctrl+Shift+N , CamelCase and snake_case are supported.

Note that WebStorm does not search for excluded files and directories, see Excluding files and Configuring folders in a content root for details.

Action – Ctrl+Shift+A . You can find any action even if it doesn’t have a mapped shortcut or appear in the menu. For example, Emacs actions, such as kill rings, sticky selection, or hungry backspace.

Start typing your query. WebStorm lists the results grouped by scoped where your query is found. Press Ctrl+Up or Ctrl+Down to jump between sections.

Click to list the search results in the Find tool window.

Press Tab to switch the scope of your search to classes, files, symbols, or actions.

When the Files scope is selected, WebStorm shows only matching project files. To show matching libraries and files from other projects, select the Include non-project items checkbox or again press Shift twice.

To narrow down your search, click the Filter icon on the window toolbar and select the appropriate option.

For example, you can have only recently opened files shown.

To see the results of your search in the Find tool window, click the Open in Find tool window icon on the window toolbar. This icon is disabled when you search in the Actions scope.

Search for files and folders

Press Ctrl+Shift+N and start typing your query, CamelCase and snake_case are supported. The list shrinks as you type.

Select the file or folder you need and press Enter . If you selected a file, WebStorm opens it in a new editor tab. If you are searching for a folder, WebStorm opens the Project tool window with the cursor at the selected folder.

Search for commands

You can search for commands that control the settings related to appearance and behavior of WebStorm. For commands, you can turn the corresponding settings on and off straight from the search window. For actions WebStorm gives you quick access to the Settings/Preferences.

Press Shift twice to open the search window and type / . WebStorm lists the available groups of settings.

Select the relevant group of settings and press Enter . WebStorm shows the available commands related to the selected group.

To toggle the status of a setting, select it in the list and press Enter .

Search for actions

WebStorm lets you search for actions and run some of them straight from the search window.

For actions that control WebStorm settings, the corresponding page in the Settings/Preferences opens.

If the action invokes a popup, this popup is shown instead of the Settings /Preferences dialog.

Press Ctrl+Shift+A to open the Actions tab. Start typing the name of the action to find, then select the required action and press Enter . WebStorm either runs the selected action or opens the page with the corresponding settings.

Alternatively, press Shift twice to open the search window and switch to the Actions tab or just start typing the action name and select the action in the Actions group.

Search for abbreviations

With WebStorm, you can assign an alias to an action and then use this alias to find and quickly access the action. The example below shows how you can find and invoke the Close Active Editor action by a previously assigned abbreviation.

In the Settings/Preferences dialog ( Ctrl+Alt+S ) , go to Keymap . In the right-hand pane, select Other | Close Active Editor , and then select Add abbreviation from the context menu. In the dialog that opens, specify the abbreviation you are going to use, for example, cae , and click OK .

Press Shift twice to open the search window, select the All scope, and type cae in the search field. WebStorm shows the Close Active Editor item to which you’ve assigned this abbreviation. Press Enter to close the current editor tab.

Evaluate mathematical expressions

You can quickly type and evaluate simple mathematical expressions.

Press Shift twice to open the search window.

Enter an expression you want to evaluate, WebStorm will display the answer in the search results.

You can use basic arithmetic operators — + , – , * , / , as well as ^ for power — and basic math functions: sqrt() , sin() , cos() , tan() .

Search Git

You can search for Git branches, commits, tags, messages, and so on.

Press Shift twice to open the search window.

Click the Git tab and enter your search query.

WebStorm displays the search results in the scope of Git.

A reader wanted to know how to use Windows Search to search for all files in a specific folder and its subfolders with the file extension .doc . This article tells you how to search for a specific file type suing wild card or Advanced Query Syntax (AQS).

If you just doc in the search bar in File Explorer, it lists all the that contain the word doc , not necessarily with that file extension, including folders named doc and file properties containing the word doc .

How to Search for files with a specific extension

To search for files with a specific file extension and not other files which contain that extension in their name, use one of the search syntaxes (e.g., to find .doc files) below:

However, if you use the above search query, it lists .docx files in addition to .doc

To strictly narrow down the results to .doc files only, enclose the file extension within double-quotes, like below:

Additional Tip: You can also search for files by a specific “kind” — e.g., picture, video, contacts, document, folder, etc.

The kind of a file type is determined from the KindMap registry key below (and maybe from the PerceivedType registry value defined for each file type.) which stores the list of file extensions along with the corresponding kind info.

Finding the right file can be frustrating, especially if you have a large number of files in multiple subfolders. If you know approximately when that file was saved, though, you can narrow the search quickly.

Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades’ experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications.

Click the Date Modified button (top left) to fill in the search box (right).

Click to enlarge

datemodified-search-box.jpg

When you have thousands of files, created and edited over many years, it can sometimes be hard to track down the exact one you need.

A good filing system helps, but having files scattered across multiple folders also means lots of clicking as you try to find which folder a particular file is stored in.

One way to eliminate frustrating manual searches is to use the dates stored as part of every file’s metadata to narrow the search and consolidate results from multiple subfolders.

If you remember working on a file on a specific day or a range of dates, you can have Windows Search pull up a list of every file you created or saved during that period and then scroll through it manually to find the one you need.

The key to mastering this technique is the datemodified: operator, which you use in the search box in the upper right corner of the File Explorer window.

Start by choosing the folder, drive, or library whose contents you want to search. Then click in the search box and then type the datemodified:‎ operator (with or without a space after the colon) followed by a date or date range in any of the following formats:

• A single date in any standard date format, such as 01-30-2017, feb 7, or 15-apr. If you omit a year, the date defaults to this year.
• A range of dates, using standard date formats separated by two periods, such as 2/‎1/‎2018 .. ‎2/‎7/‎2018
• A month, a year, or both. Months can be spelled out or abbreviated. To search a range dates, separate the beginning and ending dates with two periods, such as July 2017 .. Aug 2017.
• A relative term from the following list: this year, last year, this month, last month, this week, last week, today, yesterday. If the term consists of two words, include the space between them.

If that seems like too much typing, you can build your own date-based search query by pointing and clicking. Click in the search box to make the Search Tools tab available on the ribbon, then click the Date modified button and choose one of the available options.

That click automatically enters the Datemodified: operator in the search box. To change the value, click the operator in the search box and use the calendar control to pick a specific date or drag to select a range of dates. Click the year to see a list of months, then use the left and right arrows to move through the calendar.

PREVIOUS AND RELATED CONTENT

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If your Windows 10 PC is operating perfectly right now, great. Take advantage of the opportunity to create a recovery drive so you have a way to perform repairs if something ever goes wrong.

You’ve just upgraded to the most recent version of Windows 10. Before you get back to work, use this checklist to ensure that your privacy and security settings are correct and that you’ve cut annoyances to a bare minimum.

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Performing a clean install or a reset means you have to reinstall apps and desktop programs and start over with settings and preferences. If you suspect Windows has become damaged, there’s a less drastic solution: Run Setup to repair Windows. Here’s how.

Windows has a great search engine for searching different files and folders within itself. With Windows 10, Windows search, as the search feature is known as, has ameliorated to a great extent. It has included Cortana, which is still now one of the most coveted artificial intelligence voice assistant. Even though Cortana is extremely efficient in searching things for you, the File Explorer or Windows Explorer is no less. When it comes to searching files or file types, there is no match to File Explorer in Windows 10. You can search by file types, multiple file types at a time in File Explorer.

The key to this easy multiple file type searching is the ‘OR’ search modifier. Whenever you are searching for multiple file types, you have to type the file types separated by OR. The keyword OR is case sensitive, which means, OR and or are not same. If you type or/Or/oR instead of OR, then the command will not work. One more thing to remember, this modifier only works in File Explorer and not in Windows Search/Cortana. Cortana can search a specific type of file, but it’s limited to only one type.

There are several search modifiers that File Explorer does not recognize. For example, Commas, semi-commas, and pipe bars. They’re mostly recognized by search engines and out of habit, users might think they’ll work on Windows as well but that is not the case.

Steps To Search Multiple File Types In File Explorer on Windows 10

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Go to any drive or folder.
3. Now if you want to find text or png files, then type the follwing command.You will be able to find all TXT and PNG files in a folder.

*.txt OR *.png.

The search isn’t limited to just text or image files. You can use it to search for any type of file and also with the file name. In that case, you must write the correct file name and this situation is not case sensititive.

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• If your Windows Explorer search is not working, there is something wrong with your OS.
• You can use an alternative third-party program that searches your Windows files instead.
• Windows 10 explorer search not working can quickly be fixed with the app troubleshooter.
• Users suggested that restarting your file explorer will solve the E xplorer search not working issue.

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Windows (otherwise File) Explorer is Windows’ file management utility with which users search for documents, images, music, software, and more besides.

However, File Explorer searches might return a No items match your search message for some users even when there certainly are files that match the keywords entered.

Therefore, File Explorer’s search utility can effectively stop working for certain folders or more widely. One user stated on the Microsoft forum:

The search facility in Explorer has stopped working. I can see all files and access them, but when I try to find any of them using the search box it comes up with No items match your search. This facility worked 48 hrs ago, but is no longer!

How can I fix File Explorer’s search utility?

1. Use a third-party software

If your default File Explorer that comes with Windows is giving you headaches, you can use a different file searcher software, and there are plenty on the market to choose from.

This software is designed to allow you to search your computer thoroughly, being able to find even the most hidden files. This includes Office files, Outlook files, and attachments.

If you need to find another efficient file explorer solution, it’s advised to choose from the best file finder software for your PC.

2. Open the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter

1. Click Settings on the Start menu.
2. Click Update & Security >Troubleshoot to open the tab in the image directly below.
   
3. Then select Search and Indexing and click Run the troubleshooter.
4. Go through the troubleshooter’s resolutions.

3. Restart File Explorer

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager.
2. Click the arrow to expand it.
3. Select Windows Explorer on the Processes tab.
4. Then press the Restart button.

4. Rebuild the search indexing

1. Press the Windows key + R keys.
2. Enter Control Panel in Run, and click the OK button.
3. Click All Control Panel Items shown directly below.
   
4. Then click Indexing Options.
5. Press the Advanced button.
6. Press the Rebuild button, and click OK to confirm.

5. Select the Index Properties and File Contents option

1. Click the Advanced button on the Indexing Options window.
2. Click the File Types tab shown directly below.
3. Then select the Index Properties and File Contents radio button.
4. Click the OK button.

Some users have confirmed they’ve fixed File Explorer searches by selecting the Index Properties and File Contents option.

6. Check if Windows Search Service is enabled

1. Press the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open Run.
2. Input services.msc in the Open text box, and select the OK option.
3. Double-click Windows Search to open the window below.
4. Select the Automatic option on the Startup Type drop-down menu.
5. Click the Start button.
6. Select the Apply and OK options.

7. Assign system permissions to a folder

1. Open File Explorer, and right-click the folder searches that don’t work.
2. Then, select Properties.
3. Select the Security tab.
   
4. The Group or user names box should include SYSTEM. If not, click the Edit button.
5. Press the Add button to open the Select Users or Groups window.
6. Enter SYSTEM and Enter the object names box as shown below.
7. Click the Check Names button.
8. Press the OK button.
9. Select the Read & execute, Read, and List folder contents checkboxes in the Allow column within the Permissions for System box.
10. Select the Apply option to save changes, and click the OK button to exit.

If File Explorer searches don’t work for a more specific folder, check if that folder has System permissions.

Those resolutions will often fix FileExplorer’s search utility. Remember, however, that there are also numerous third-party search tools for Windows that users can utilize as an alternative to File Explorer.

If you have any other questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below.

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Windows file search, it is both a gift and a curse. It has evolved so much through the years; each time you update to a newer version of Windows, the desktop search utility seems a little different. Sometimes it even comes with a name change, which gets confusing. Searching through all of your files and folders can seem quite daunting, so here are a few ways you can improve your file search skills, no matter which version of Windows you’re using.

Having problems with file search in Windows? Find files faster with Lookeen. Click here to learn more!

Windows 7 File Search

Windows 7 brought with it a completely new look for Windows. It also brought a bit of a change to file search. In this version of Windows, you need to use Windows Explorer to search through your files and folders.

File Search didn’t exactly become more complicated with the change, but some of the default indexing rules changed. If you find that your searches aren’t bringing up the correct files and folders, then you might want to check which folders are actually being indexed.

If the folders you need the file search utility to look through aren’t being indexed, then your results won’t show anything from these folders. This is easily fixed by placing the folders in one or more of your libraries in Windows 7, since those are the locations that Windows 7 will look through by default. Just organize your libraries to your liking and your results will be more accurate. A little extra search tip for Windows 7:

You can use size operators to narrow down your file search, just type in Size: Gigantic or Size:>= 128mb (or a different unit of size). There are some specific properties that go along with the different size ranges:

• Empty: 0kb files
• Tiny: 0-10kb
• Small: 10-100kb
• Medium: 100kb-1mb
• Large: 1mb-16mb
• Huge: 16mb-128mb
• Gigantic: larger than 128mb

Windows 8 File Search

When you update from Windows 7 to 8, you will once again notice a slight difference in the Windows search tool. With previous versions of the OS, you accessed search from the Start Menu, but in Windows 8 you have a brand new full screen Start Search. This is due to the fact that the newer versions of Windows are so app based.

There are several ways to access your file search, or as it is called in Windows 8, File Explorer, just perform one of the following three steps:

• Type ‘File’, then click on the result that says File Explorer. This opens the search tool.
• Another way to access the File Explorer is to move the mouse to the lower left corner of your screen, right-click. When the menu pops up, choose ‘File Explorer’.
• Lastly, tap WINKEY+E and File Explorer will open up right away. This is the quickest way to start a new file search.

Windows 10 File Search

You guessed it; Desktop Search in Windows 10 is also slightly different from Windows 8. Thankfully, Windows 10 seems to have taken inspiration from the way file search worked in Windows 7; keeping the ‘File Explorer’ name from Windows 8 but returning to the more user friendly start menu search we all loved in 7.

The start menu is your go-to place to start a file search. To open File Explorer just start typing in the search bar. You can also just right click the Start Menu icon, and open File Explorer from there. The quickest way is to press WINKEY + E from anywhere in Windows.

Once you are in, you just need to start typing what you are looking for in the search box located at the top right. If you just need to search through your documents, then select Documents when you have File Explorer open. If you need to do a file search on your entire computer then you will need to select C: drive.

Microsoft made some noteworthy changes to File Explorer in Windows 10; here are some of the most helpful:

• OneDrive is now a part of your File Explorer.
• When you first open File Explorer, it will open to Quick access. Listed in Quick access are your frequently used files and folders, so if you are just looking for something you recently worked on, just stick with Quick access. It will also allow you to pin some of your favorite folders to the Quick access drop down list.
• Note that if you were using Windows 7 before this, “My Computer” is now called “This PC”.
• Your Libraries won’t show up in File Explorer unless you actually want them to show up. It is easy to add the Libraries to the left pane, just select View Tab>Navigation Tab>Show Libraries.

Problems with File Search

If you begin to run into a lot of search issues, where none of your results are coming up, then your best bet is to rebuild the index. This process is the same in Windows 7, 8 and 10:

• Go into Indexing Options (found in the Control Panel)
• Click on the Advanced button
• Make sure you are in the Index Settings tab
• Underneath where it says Troubleshooting, just click on the Rebuild

The rebuild could take up some time. Just let it run. File search using Explorer should be no problem after the index has finished rebuilding.

No matter which version of Windows you are using, your computer should be able to handle most of your desktop search needs. If you feel like you need something more, there are many Windows Search alternatives out there. For now, happy searching!

A Desktop Search Tool with A Powerful Full-Text Search Engine. Free Google Desktop Search Alternative.

Description: Learn 3 different methods to search the content of files in Windows 10. You can do it from Windows File Explorer or the command line.

You may have saved a lot of files on your Windows 10 PPC. Normally, you can search files by name to locate a specific file. What if you can’t remember its file name? In that case, you can search the content of files in Windows 10. Here are 3 ways to do it.

You can search through the file content from the Start Menu Search or File Explorer. This feature is disabled by default. You can easily enable it for convenience. If you prefer the command line, you can also search text in files from the command line. Sounds interesting? Keep reading to learn how.

Windows Search Content

As mentioned, it is possible to search file content in Windows 10 from Start Menu Search or File Explorer. If you are unable to do so, then it is because that feature is turned off by default. So, in order to use this feature, you need to enable this feature.

To enable searching content of files in Windows 10:

Step 1. Type “Indexing options” in the Windows Search Bar and select Indexing Options from the results.

Step 2. From the Indexing Options window, click Advanced at the bottom.

Step 3. Under Advanced Options, click on the File types tab. You can see all the extensions are selected by default. If the file extension that you want to search the content of is not listed here, you can add a new extension to the list at the bottom.

Step 4. Check the option Indexed Properties and File contents option and click OK to confirm.

After your confirmation, Windows will start to rebuild indexing. Once complete, you can now locate files through content.

Step 5. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.

Step 6. Navigate to the directory where you want to start the search. If you have no idea, just click This PC, which will take longer.

Step 7. You will see a search box in the right top corner. Type the text in the search box you want to search the content of the available files. Wait for the results to appear.

The results will include both the content of files and the files name that contain the text that you searched. Most users, if not all, will think the File Explorer search is slow even with index properties only. Now, you are trying to search index properties and file contents, it is going to be even slower. If you want to locate your files faster, keep reading to find better alternatives.

String Search text in files Windows 10 command line

Findstr is a built-in feature in Windows 10 that allows you to locate a file with specific text. You can search individual files or the entire directory with your search query. To learn all the parameters, you can simply run the “findstr /?” command from an elevated command prompt.

You can refer to the steps below to see how it works.

Step 1. Open an elevated command prompt. You can type “CMD” in the windows search bar and press Enter. In the listed results, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as an Administrator”.

Step 2. Refer to the syntax to type your command to start the search.

Syntax: FINDSTR string(s) [pathname(s)]

[/R] [/C:”string”] [/G:StringsFile] [/F:file] [/D:DirList]

[/A:color] [/OFF[LINE]] [options]

Searches the document windows.txt under D:/Documents/ folder for the string “windows 10”

findstr /c:/documents/ “windows 10” windows.txt

Searches any file under d:\documents for the string “windows”.

findstr “windows” d:\documents\*.*

Search for the occurrence of all words ending with ‘xyz’ in every txt file under D:/Documents/ including all subdirectories.

findstr /R /S [a-z]*xyz d:\documents\*.txt

• /? — display the help text
• /S — searches the directory and all subdirectories
• /I — search is not case sensitive
• /R — use search strings as regular expressions
• /B — matches patterns at the beginning of lines
• /P — skip files with non-printable characters

Findstr is quite powerful in terms of searching the content of files because you can search and filter results with the above parameters. You can also use regular expressions and wildcards to match all kinds of situations.

If you don’t know anything about regular expressions and wildcards, I would suggest you try a third-party program Anytxt. It comes with a concise interface and multiple features.

Anytxt

Anytxt Searcher is a free, powerful local document and text search tool for Windows that is much faster than the built-in Windows Search. It works like the local disk version of the Google search engine. It’s the best full-text search engine for desktop files.

With a powerful document parsing engine, Anytxt Searcher can extract any text of common documents without the need for additional software. By harnessing the built-in high-speed indexing system, Anytxt makes it easy to locate any files based on the file content, filename, file type, etc.

Time is precocious. You don’t want to waste it on searching local files, so you should try Anytxt to see how fast it can get your files according to your request. It is completely free without limitations. You can refer to the steps below to see how it works.

Step 1. Open Anytxt Searcher, and enter any term in the search box on the left.

Step 2. Click the “+” icon on the top left to filter search directories and file types if needed. Wildcards are supported here.

Step 3. Click the “Go” button on the left, or press Enter to start searching the content of files. Instantly, all the matches files will be listed here.

Hover your mouse on any result for 1 second and it will show you the matched text. Anytxt also offers translation features. In addition, you can also quickly start a Anytext search in File Explorer. You can right on any directory and select “Search Anytxt” to search any content in that directory.

Conclusion

These 3 ways to search the content of files in Windows have been tested working in 2021. File Explorer search is the most convenient way, but the slowest. Findster is much faster than File Explorer search but the learning curve can stop many users. All in all, Anytxt is best for search the content of files in terms of speed and ease of use.

The Windows 10 search box is such a frequently used part of Windows 10. In fact, if you want to quickly access a feature in Windows 10, open an application or even play a game, you simply type in the name of the application, feature or game in the Windows 10 search bar and in no time at all, the option appears on the screen. But, what if you cannot type in Windows 10 search bar.

Don’t be surprised? many users are facing this issue after the Windows 10 update. So, if you are one of them, needn’t worry, here are some of the fixes that can resolve the issue.

Cannot Type In Search Bar In Windows 10, Here’s What Can Be Done –

1. Use DISM & SFC Tools To Resolve The Issue

Quite possibly you are not able to type in the Windows search bar or are unable to use Cortana for searches because of corruption errors that might have crept in your computer. And, as with most of the corruption errors DISM and SFC tools can prove to be highly effective.

1. Again, we’ll be opening the Administrator Command Prompt. To do that press Windows + R keys and type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter

2. When the Administrator Command Prompt window opens type the following command and press Enter

Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth

3. The process is not complete, type the below mentioned command and press Enter

SFC /SCANNOW

4. Restart your computer

2. Use The Task Manager To Restart Search And Cortana

If you cannot type in the search box in Windows 10, you can use the Task Manager and get the search box and Cortana back on track. This is a simple process and should not take long. We have outlined the steps to do the same.

1. Fire up the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc

2. Under the Processes tab , highlight the Windows Explorer, right-click on it and click Restart

3. Right-click on Search and then click on End Task

4. Scroll down, go to Cortana and hit the End task button at the bottom right of the window

5. Now again close and click on the search bar and check if the Cortana is working or not

Now, you can try typing on the search bar and you should now hopefully be able to type.

3. Use The PowerShell Command To Re-Register All Your Apps

You must be wondering that since you cannot type in the Windows 10 search bar, how would you be able to open the Administrator PowerShell? Since you won’t be able to open the PowerShell via the normal route i.e. by type PowerShell in search bar, follow the steps mentioned below –

1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R keys

2. Type Powershell and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter (This combination helps open the PowerShell in Administrator mode)

3. When the Administrator PowerShell window opens, type the following command and press Enter –

Get-AppXPackage | Foreach

4. Let the process complete and ignore any errors that may appear on the screen

5. Close the Windows PowerShell and Restart your computer

You should now be able to type in the search box

4. Execute ctfmon.exe File or The ‘CTF Loader’

There is a file called ctfmon.exe in Windows 10. If you are unable to type in the search box in Windows 10 or are not able to use Cortana, executing this file may be helpful. There are ways more than one to do that.

Executing The File Using The Rn Dialog Box:

1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R keys

2. Type the following command and press enter

C:\Windows\system32\ctfmon.exe

3. Again open the search bar

Check, if you are now able to type in the search bar

Executing The File Using The File Explorer

You can alternatively execute the ctfmon.exe executable file using the File Explorer by following the steps mentioned below –

1. Open File Explorer

2. Search the following path in the address bar

C:\Windows\System32

3. In the search bar on the right-hand side type ctfmon.exe and press Enter

4. When the file opens, right-click on it and click on Open

5. Close the File Explorer

Wrap Up

If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot just type in Windows 10 search bar needn’t panic. Instead, you can go through the steps mentioned above and solve the issue. And, if you were able to, do give this blog a thumbs up, share it with your friends and family members. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Flipboard. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel.