Setting up search in Windows 7. How to find a file on a computer with Windows

Search is an integral part of the operation of any computer; in fact, it is its most important function. If you, say, need to find answers to basic questions, then, of course, there is no point in bothering with search settings. However, if you set more complex tasks for yourself and the computer, and the end result is important to you, it’s better to worry about it. A standard search in Windows 7, of course, will bear fruit and will produce many results, but will they be suitable and necessary? The question is rhetorical, but if you are still concerned about properly setting up your computer, I offer variations on the topic of how to modernize/improve the built-in search in Windows 7.

How to set up search in Windows 7

First of all, let's understand how the search happens. You can only find indexed files and folders, that is, those that have been assigned an index. It is assigned to all elements that are in standard folders. In order to set up indexing, you need to do the following: go to the start menu, look for “search options” and select “Change search options for folders and files” in the drop-down list. In the window that appears, select the “Search” tab and check the boxes wherever you see fit, but it’s better to do it as in the picture below . By the way, I advise you not to choose a search by file name, but to give preference to indexed applications, this way you will limit yourself from unnecessary garbage.

It also wouldn't hurt to set up indexing by extension. To do this, click on the “Advanced” – “File Types” tab. This allows you to index exactly the contents of the folder if you decide to search by this parameter. Then everything is as usual: click “OK”, and go ahead, search through files in Windows 7. And in order for the search to happen as quickly as possible, use from time to time.

Search sources

In order to consolidate the material, let's clearly formulate the places where an extensive search for information will be carried out, namely:

• Start menu;
• main search window;
• libraries;
• other explorer windows, such as folders, open, save as.

In general, if you calmly sit down and figure it out, setting up a search turns out to be a fairly simple process. To do this, you don’t need to have any highly specialized knowledge; just follow the simple tips in this article, and I’m sure you’ll succeed!

Many novice users are interested in how to find a file on a computer. Windows 7 or any other operating system is not that important. The principle of searching for documents on a computer is approximately the same. Especially when it comes to the Windows platform. In general, there are quite a few options for action. They are all very simple. But you will have to not only study them, but also understand some of the features of the search. So how to find file and folders in Windows 7? What does the user need to know about this process? Perhaps this procedure can be done even by those who are not yet familiar with the computer at all.

About search

The first thing you should pay attention to is that search in Windows is carried out, as a rule, without additional software. This is a standard feature found in all operating systems. You don't have to download additional programs to help you search for information on your PC.

How to find a file on your computer? Windows 7 or any other version of the operating system is not so important. You need to understand that the process is extremely simple. It is enough to know the name of the file or folder you want to find. And do not fall for offers on the Internet that supposedly allow you to quickly search for information on your computer. It has already been said - additional programs no need for this!

Location address

How to search for files in Windows 7? As soon as the data reaches the computer, it is assigned a special address. It is through this that information is searched. All documents in the operating system have a similar component. There is not a single file on the computer without an address.

It usually consists of the section title hard drive, on which the document is located, then the path to the desired object is indicated. It consists of folders. For example: C:/Windows/system32/drivers/etc/host/.

Accordingly, the “host” document is located in the etc folder, which is placed in drivers. That, in turn, is located in a folder called “system32”, located in Windows on partition hard drive C. If you know the exact location of the document, you can quickly find it. This is why some recommend finding out or file. It can be used in the future. But more on that a little later. First, you should figure out how to find a file on your computer (Windows 7).

Manually

The first method is well suited when either the location of the document is known, or there is simply not the slightest idea of ​​what exactly the search subject is correctly called. We are talking about independent detection of a document in the operating system. It’s enough just to study the files and folders on your computer and think about where exactly this or that document might be located. This method is called Extremely Unstable. But if the user has at least an approximate guess about where this or that information may be stored, such a solution can help.

If you know the exact location address, you can simply go to it. On the computer, the user searches for the hard drive partition he needs and the folder in which the document is located. Next comes the opening of the latter. Inside, a specific file is manually searched.

Exact navigation to address

But this is only the first scenario. In practice, it is not often used if the user is not sure of the location of the document. How to find a file on your computer? Windows 7 offers one clever and interesting trick. It will only work when the exact location of the document is known.

It is not at all necessary to manually open all the folders in which the file is attached. If you have an exact location address, you can quickly open the source of the document. To do this, it is best to open "Libraries". Next, copy the file address into the address bar and press Enter. A folder will open in which this or that document or another folder is attached.

That is, when you need to find a host, you need to copy the inscription “C:/..../etc” into the address bar. Then the etc folder will open, in which you will need to manually find the required document. Nothing difficult or special. But so far we have considered situations in which the address is either known exactly or is known approximately. What to do if there is no such information?

Via "Start"

How to find files on a Windows computer (XP, 7, 8, 10 - it's not that important)? In general, you need to use a standard operating system function. It's called "Search". It is enough to know the name of the document that should be found.

The first way is real quick search- This is using the Start panel. How does an idea come to life with this opportunity? The user must adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

1. Click on the "Start" button in the left corner of the screen. A small menu will open.
2. At the bottom of the service there is an empty field with a magnifying glass. On some operating systems, it says “Search programs and files.” You need to click there once with the left mouse button.
3. A slider cursor will appear. In the field you need to enter the name of the file, program or folder.
4. Press Enter and wait for the results.

Nothing more is needed. A few seconds of waiting - and the results will appear on the monitor. Perhaps using "Start" is the most common option. But there are other ways. Searching for files on your computer in Windows 7 is carried out using different methods.

Through additional windows

You can implement your idea within a specific folder. This is not as difficult to do as it seems. Typically, the method helps when the user knows the approximate location of the document.

You must adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

1. Open the root folder in which the document may be located.
2. In the upper right corner, find a field with a magnifying glass.
3. Type the address or document name.
4. View the search results.

Using example c, the situation will look like this: the user opens partition of drive C, then in Explorer finds the message “Search: Local disk(C:)". In this field you need to write host and wait until all documents containing this word are found. Next, a specific document is manually searched among the entire list.

Filters

But that's not all. How to quickly find a file on your computer? Windows 7 or any other version of Windows is not so important. At least when it comes to newer ones Windows types. You can use one trick. It will help you quickly find what you need among the results. The method is based on the previous method. We are talking about specifying search parameters.

The fact is that if you do not use filters, then often when searching you will have to look through a lot of documents and folders. It’s clear how to find a file on your computer. How to find what you need among the search results?

In this situation it is suggested:

1. Perform a search in a particular folder.
2. Click on the search bar in the upper right corner of the window.
3. Select the required filters and set their parameters. In this case, there is no need to erase the name of the file or folder. For example, you can select the document type. In the case of host, this is .txt.
4. Press Enter and look at the results again.

Accordingly, all documents and files that meet all search parameters will appear on the screen. This is how the built-in Windows function for quickly detecting the necessary software is implemented.

Search service

Now it’s clear how to find a file on your computer (Windows 7). But there is another option for the development of events. You can call a separate search service on your computer. To do this, you need to press a certain key combination. Then the entire operating system will be scanned and searched.

When using the standard function, you can follow the algorithm:

1. Press Win+F. A window with a bluish background will open. This is the standard Windows search engine.
2. In the search bar (upper right corner, field with a magnifying glass), type the name of the file or folder.
3. The user must press Enter and wait for the results. You can work with search filters in advance. This will reduce the results returned.

By content

There is one more, last trick. It's called "search inside files and folders in Windows 7". Many users are familiar with it. To bring it to life, you need:

1. Open this or that document/folder.
2. Press Ctrl+F.
3. In the field that appears on the right side of the screen, enter the name of the document/folder/word.
4. Click on "Enter".

This method is often used when working with Word. It not only helps you search for data in text, but also helps you search for documents.

In this article you will learn some very interesting things about the built-in file Windows search and after reading the material you will be able to find even files lost in folders about which you know bits of information.

It is not difficult to guess that this article will talk about advanced search in Windows. Undoubtedly, every computer user periodically uses a form of the standard Windows “search engine,” but not everyone knows that this search engine can be used much more productively and is a difficult tool, as it might seem at first glance.

Options and parameters that expand search capabilities

Despite the fact that the title contains the word “expanding”, these same options will help us install additional screening filters on our search query by files and folders in Windows and will actually narrow down the number of files found, which is to our benefit.

* - Means any sequence of any characters, i.e. all characters.

? - Any one character

~<" something" - Search for a name (File name, author, etc., depending on where to put it) which should begin with the one in quotes. The example searches for the name where the beginning is something.

~>" something" - Search for a name that must end with the one in quotes.

=" Coursework" - Search for an exact match with what is in quotes.

~=" Well" - Search for names that contain the exact set of characters like the one in quotes. Those. on request filename:~="course" there will be files not only with the word Well, but also simply containing this sequence of characters (Kursovoy, Kursach).

~!" Well" - Search for files that do not contain what is in quotes. Those. this parameter is completely opposite to the previous one.

<> - Means like “neither is”, “not”. Those. request where it will be view:<>picture , will search everything except pictures.

() - Brackets serve to separate and clarify the combining group where the operators operate.

"" - Quotes are used to accurately find the order of characters inside quotes. Because of this, operators inside quotes do not work at all, as do filters.

OR- Operator OR. For example, request filename: kcoursework OR work will search for files where words occur either coursework or Job well, or both. In the English version OR.

AND- Operator AND. For example, request filename: k ursovaya and work will look for files where both words are present, and it makes no difference in what places they are located and not necessarily next to each other. In the English version AND.

NOT- Operator NOT. For example, request filename: coursework NOT work will search for files containing the word coursework but there is no word Job. In the English version NOT.

Here are some examples of using operators:

size:10MB and- Finds Ivan’s files of 10 megabytes, which were changed after 2009.

filename: (*156*) AND type:(PNG OR JPEG) - Finds files where the name contains 156 and its extension is PNG or JPEG.

Now filtering options.

Below we present what filtering options you can use when searching for files and folders.

file name:- The name of the file you are looking for. Analogue on English-language Windows - filename.

type: Indicates what type of file is currently being searched. Can take both file extension values ​​(For example, type: PNG), and their logical definition (For example: type: music or type: picture ). Analogue on English-language Windows - type.

view:- Same thing as type:. Analogue on English-language Windows - kind :

modification date:- Indicates when the files were modified. Can take exact values, ranges, as well as verbal meanings (long ago, yesterday, etc.). Analogue on English-language Windows - datemodified.

modified date: 05/25/2010

date modified: >2009

date modified: 21.01.2001 .. 05.01.2014 (Required two points in the range)

creation date:- Indicates when the file was created. The values ​​are the same as for date modified. English equivalent datecreated.

size:- Indicates the size of the searched files. Can take as precise values ​​up to decimal numbers, and the range of sizes. The units of measurement are KB, MB, GB. English language option - size:.

size:<=7Мб >1.5MB - files larger than 1.5 megabytes, but less than or equal to 7.

attributes:- Sets an additional search mask by tags. The parameter is not often used due to the fact that tags are rarely used.

owner:- Search for files of a specific owner.

executor:- Specifying this attribute is relevant when searching for music of a particular artist.

Combining filtering options

You can use several different options at once when searching, and this will even be better, because it will reduce the list of found files, while increasing their relevance. With several search filters put a space between them; in fact, it replaces the AND operator.

Attention! The AND and OR NOT operators are never highlighted in blue in the search bar. If yours is highlighted, it means you forgot either quotes or brackets or something else. Please note that some filters may not work with certain operators. For example it cannot be type:(BMP AND PNG), since any file can only be of one type.

For example, you can use the query:

size:5KB..20 KB type:picturefilename:~<"m" *little* датаизменения:‎01.‎03.‎2014 .. ‎31.‎03.‎2014

This app ros looks for images between 5 and 20 kilobytes in size with a file name that begins with a letter m and in which the word appears little. In this case, the file should have been changed during March 2014.

As you can see for yourself, with such capabilities you can easily search for files from many years ago, remembering at least some little details about it.

Several templates

In order for you to understand everything better and be able to try Windows advanced search yourself, we decided to make several of the most commonly used advanced search templates that can often come in handy.

How to find all files in a folder?

Sometimes a person wants to count how many files are in a particular folder and he is faced with the question of how to do this. Using Windows Search? But then what should I introduce? The input originates from regular expressions, and those who know first-hand what it is have already guessed what kind of character needs to be entered into the search field.

In the search field you need to enter: * (Star).

How to find all files of the same type (Extensions)?

If you want to find, for example, only pictures, use the filter type:picture, and if you want to find files of a certain extension, then you can use either *.jpeg or type:JPEG.

How to find files created at a specific time?

For this you need to use a filter creation date:DD/MM/YYYY. It is written about above. You can also set a filter not by the exact time the file was created, but by the interval. For example, from September 2011 to December 2012. The correct formulation of a search query with such a filter is described above.

How to find files of a certain size?

You need to use a filter size: and indicate the required file size in kilobytes, megabytes or gigabytes. You can read above about how you can search in a range of sizes and how to correctly indicate the size of the files you are looking for.

We really hope that this material will be useful to you, and if you have anything to add, then write in the comments.

When moving from Windows Vista, search only becomes more convenient and does not contain any special surprises. This cannot be said about many Windows XP users who are just discovering the daily use of the system with such a convenient tool as instant search. Searching in Windows 7 is really very simple. But, as with any search, the goal is to find what you need, and sometimes difficulties arise with this. With this article I begin a story about how search works in Windows 7, how to configure it, how to search, and most importantly, how to find.

How search works

You've most likely heard about an index - it's a set of files that contain various information about files and documents stored on disk. When you use search, it is the index files that allow you to quickly display results. The index includes various file properties, and this is not just the path, name or size. For example, all tags of MP3 files are indexed - from the author to the bit rate. For office documents, data is indexed, which can be seen in the file properties on the tab Details, document content, and so on. If this search is new to you, I recommend reading a couple of help articles to get some background information on searching. Minimize all windows, click F1 and in the field Search help enter... Search.

Indexing happens constantly - if you add, delete or change a file in a folder, it will immediately be reflected in the index.

The screenshot shows the locations that are indexed by default. Therefore, if you store your documents somewhere in F:\Documents, they will not be included in the index and will not be found by a quick search - they must be added to the index separately. Setting up the search will be discussed below.

Search and indexing settings

To be honest, the standard search settings are quite good, and most users do not need to change anything in them, especially if documents and files are stored in standard folders. To configure settings, open the Start menu and enter search options in the search box.

This is how we easily used one of the search options - quick access to control panel items from the Start menu.

Change search options for files and folders

I will not duplicate the parameters that are clearly visible in the screenshot.

Please note the following points:

By default, search within a folder searches all subfolders

in non-indexed locations, only file names are searched and compressed files are ignored

you can use language search, i.e. compose search queries in a more fluent language - for example, last week's video (there will be a lot of unexpected results mixed in here, especially in localized versions)

Indexing options and Windows Search services

Here you can configure many more settings. To add folders to the index, click Change.

It is no coincidence that the Windows and Program Files folders are excluded from the search - they will greatly increase the size of the index, and will be of little practical use. Programs can already be found by searching in the Start menu - after all, the main menu is indexed by default.

Clicking Additionally, you get access to two groups of settings:

indexing technical parameters

indexing options for file types

In the first of them, you can add encrypted files to the index, rebuild the index (which may be necessary in case of problems) and set a new location for it.

For file type (extension) you can:

include or exclude it from the index

determine whether only properties or content will be indexed

add new extension

For example, if your instant messaging client suddenly saves history in text files with a LOG extension, or you just need to analyze logs, their contents will not be indexed by default. But you can easily customize the search - just type log on your keyboard to move through the list of extensions and enable content search.

How to search

When starting a search, it is advisable to immediately imagine whether the search object is included in the index. As I said above, the index covers the user's profile - libraries, files, etc. Here you can find the files you need relatively easily.

But if you open the main search window and expect to find something in the Program Files or Windows folder, you may generally get the impression that “the search finds nothing” because only the results from the index are displayed. We'll talk about searching in non-indexed places later, but now we'll look at general search methods in Windows 7. You can search:

from the Start menu

in the main search window

in libraries

in other Explorer windows - folders, "Open" and "Save As" dialogs

Search in the Start menu

When you search from the Start menu, the search results show not only files and documents, but also programs and Control Panel items. Now you can safely give up the Windows XP habit of carefully sorting applications in the menu Programs. It is enough to enter the first few letters of the program name to find it. This is much more convenient, especially if you have many programs installed.

Advice. If you use portable applications, simply add their shortcuts to the %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs folder (you can create a subfolder for them). They will appear in a group in search results Programs.

In Windows 7, search results in the Start menu are very conveniently grouped, and the number of results in each group is immediately visible - this point has been improved compared to Windows Vista. As you can see in the screenshot, a search for the word word finds not only Microsoft Word and WordPad applications, but also offers results in other groups.

The Start menu displays multiple results for each group, and clicking on the group name opens a search box with all the search results for the group.

Searching in the Start menu is good when you have an idea of ​​the file name or its contents - the first 5 - 10 results are visible immediately, and you don’t have to look far. In addition, the Start menu is indispensable for quickly accessing programs and Control Panel items using search.

Main search window

A blank search window can be opened by pressing the keyboard shortcut WIN+F. It, in my opinion, has somewhat lost its meaning, since it no longer contains advanced file search capabilities. Searching in Explorer windows practically forces it out of the system. It seems to me that links to help on using search or a link to this article could brighten up its dull appearance.

However, the main search window still carries a payload. It opens with search results if you enter a query in the Start menu and click on the name of the search result group, or on View more results right above the search field.

Libraries

Now I will explain why I separated the search in libraries and other Explorer windows. Notice how library search results are displayed. They correspond to the type of files in it and are very well perceived visually. For example, for music files, the album cover, large song name, size are displayed, and there are also “musical” options for organizing the results. This is a property of all libraries, which confirms the thesis - the capabilities of Windows 7 are best used together. In this case, it is searching in libraries, which has other advantages.

This is what a simple library search will suggest: Music.

While in File Explorer, you can organize your search results by available file properties. The default display order is Best results, but, for example, you can organize music files by album or genre. This feature is available along with the traditional Explorer tools of sorting and grouping (although the latter may be new to Windows XP migrants).

In this case, the results will display several tracks from each album. You can view all the songs on an album, and then “fold” it if the one you need is not there.

If you don't find the file you need in the current folder, you can search again:

Other Explorer windows

In folders and libraries, the search field is the same as in the main window. But we must not forget that the same option is available in the “Open” and “Save As” windows, which are used even by those who prefer alternative file managers.

It is more convenient to search in folders when you know the approximate location of the file or document - in this case you will not get lost in the results. In addition, this method is useful when it is known for sure that the file is not included in the index. Finally, in the Open and Save As windows, you can quickly filter the contents of a folder using search.

I'm sure you've already tried simple search queries and you're probably completely satisfied with them. However, sooner or later you will need to find the file, and a simple query will not help with this. Next, I'll show you how to use Windows 7's advanced search capabilities to find the files you need.

New advanced search features in Windows 7

To master search, of course, you need to practice using its capabilities. In articles about Windows 7 search, I will give a number of examples that you can easily reproduce in your own home.

If you're upgrading from Windows XP, absolutely everything in your Windows 7 search will be new. Compared to Windows Vista, Windows 7 looks:

have changed search filters

Search filters

When you roughly know the name of a file or the topic of a document, finding the desired file is usually not difficult - you simply enter a partial or full query into the Start menu search. But this information is not always stored in the RAM of the brain, and it is simply often necessary to set special search conditions - size, modification date, or author of the file. Windows XP had a search assistant, Windows Vista had filters.

At first glance, there is nothing that stands out visually in Windows 7. In fact, filters are still there - they just become visible when you place your cursor in the search field.

Advice. To see more filters, expand the search field - position the cursor on the separator between the field and the address bar and drag to the left.

In the screenshot you see a standard set of filters in the main search window.

Hints

Your search queries are remembered if they were entered:

to the search window

in explorer folder or library

in the Start menu (assuming you navigated to results and didn't just open the file)

These prompts annoy some users, and they tend to turn them off immediately. And, in my opinion, they are doing it in vain. The tips remember not only search queries as such, but also filters searches that you specified - for example, the size or modification date of the file. Suggestions are very useful if you want to use the full power of Windows 7 search. It's easy to change the old condition to the current query, and it's faster than entering it again. And you can always delete an unnecessary hint - just select it (with the mouse or cursor) and press Delete on the keyboard.

As I said above, the new features of Windows 7 are best used together. The connection between search and libraries is not only in the display of results, but also in the formation of search conditions. In the next part of the article I will look at:

using filters to search libraries and mail

search in Internet Explorer 8

search in non-indexed places

search operators

Almost all users who switched from Windows XP to “Seven” were disappointed with the more meager set of search functions, since, at first glance, the search for programs and files in Windows 7 is not equipped with the usual filters. However, if you know the basic techniques for using the system in order to find the necessary data on the computer, it will not require a significant investment of time and effort, even for novice users. Below are all the main methods on how to quickly find any file or program on a computer with Windows 7.

Using the Start button

You need to do the following:

Note: As you can see from the example above, this same method allows you to find the program, not just the files.

As an example of quickly finding and launching a utility, consider launching the “Console”. You can simply type “cmd” in the same column, and a link to open the “Command Prompt” will appear in the top line.

Using a special search interface "Windows 7"

Of course, the relevance of this method has almost completely disappeared after specialists from Microsoft introduced a search field directly in the start menu, but knowing about its capabilities will be useful for any owner of a computer running a “Seven”.

The following sequential steps are required:

Via Explorer

The algorithm of actions consists of the following stages:

How to configure search parameters

The following steps need to be taken:

Quick search by file type

In the case when the user knows the type of file being searched, you can specify its extension, and only specific types of files will be displayed: images, videos, text, audio, etc.

To perform the operation only among “Word” files, you need to type the extension “*.doc” or “*.docx” in the column. Instead of *, enter characters from the document name. The procedure for Excel is similar, only “*.xls” or “*.xlsx” is used.

Examples for searching images, videos, text and audio files:

*.jpg, *.avi, *.txt, “*.mp3”.

Search by content

“Seven” has a convenient ability to find the file you need by the text it contains. For example, the user knows that inside the document there are definitely characters printed sequentially and next to each other - “Shovel”.

To identify the location of a file with such a word, you will need to perform the following steps of sequential actions:

Note: the search procedure will now take the user several times longer, so it is recommended to use this filter only when the others do not allow you to obtain a successful result.

Fixing search parameters

Users usually need to use the same search parameters. In Windows 7, there is a convenient option for saving them in order to eliminate the time wasted on re-entering them in the future.

For this purpose, it is enough to specify the necessary parameters once and, having received the result, click “Save conditions”. Next, a menu will be displayed in which you should type the name of the request and click “Save”.

During the next search with similar parameters, the user will only need to enter the “Favorites” section and click on the previously specified name of the request.