Windows Search provides you with several different ways to find files and folders. The method you can use varies according to the situation.
If you wish to perform a General Search a good place to start is using the Search box in the Start menu. Another place where you can search for more specific files, such a pictures, documents and so on is in Libraries where you will see the specialized folders, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos.
Music Library Search box
You can perform a search in the Libraries folder itself as well as its sub-folders. All of these locations have their own Search Box located on the top right hand section of their window.
Libraries Search box
Performing a Search using the Start Menu Search Box
The Start Menu Search box allows you to find files, folders, programs, and e-mail messages stored on your computer.
Here’s a situation! I want to find the digital pictures I took on a recent trip to Norfolk Island. I know I downloaded then onto my computer but I can’t track them down!
To find these missing pictures, I’ll use the Search feature from the Start menu:
- Press the Window key or click the Start button. ‘
- In the Search box, type Norfolk Island.
Search Results
- The Search results begin to appear as soon as you start typing in the search box.
- When Search has completed its task, the items matching your text appear in the Search window.
Having found them the next thing is to go to their actual location. To do this click on Show More results.
Show Results option!
As soon as you do that the Search Results window opens, highlighting all instances of the item you are searching for. When you see the wanted folder in the Search List, right-click on it and in the pop-up menu, select, Open folder location. Windows 7 obliges taking you straight there!
The illustration below shows you how I found my Norfolk Island pictures folder.
Locating the Missing Folder
Note: Search results are based on text in the file name, text within the file, tags, and other file properties.
A Few Pointers about Search
When you search from the Start menu, only indexed files appear in search results. Your computer indexes most files automatically. For example, all data, documents, pictures etc you add to a library (Documents Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos) are automatically indexed.
Performing a Search using the Libraries Search Box
When searching for a missing file, quite often it may be tucked away in a particular library, such as Documents or Pictures, but to make matters even more difficult they may be inside folders or sub-folders within that library.
Once you open the Library looking for that elusive file there might be hundreds of files and many sub folders. You will find the missing file far quicker using the Libraries Search box or a Search box from an individual Library, for example My Documents.
Use the Search box located on the right-hand side of the open window.
Libraries Search Box
In the example below, I typed the word “text”.
Entry typed in!
In my Search request, Windows 7’s Search looks for the words “text” in the file name and contents; and in the file properties, such as in tags. When searching in a library, the search covers all folders including sub folders that may be within folders.
Windows 7′s Search is very diligent!
Once Search locates any file containing the word “Text”, it displays them in the Search Results window. All documents containing the word “text” ahave the word “text” highlighted. If the file you want is not visible you may need to scroll down the list to find it.
Search Results for word "text"
Viewing Found Files!
However, you can do better than that by ensuring the Preview Pane is turned on. Then, once you find the file, you can view its contents just by clicking on it.
To turn on the Preview Pane, follow the illustrations in the illustration below.
Setting the Preview Pane to work!
Once you activate the Preview Pane,when you click on the file you suspect is the right one and Windows displays its contents. This way you can be sure you’ve got the correct one.
Preview Pane allows you to view found file contents!
Now you know how to perform a General Search from the Start Menu’s Search Box and a more Specific Search from the Libraries Search Boxes, you’ll never lose another file!
