Tips for finding files

Applies to Windows Vista

In this page
 Where should I start searching?
 Which search method should I use?
 Use the Search box
 Use file list headings
 Create an advanced search in the Search folder
 If you cannot find a file
Finding a file is a lot like looking for a pair of socks when you get dressed
in the morning. You can’t really start working until you locate those socks,
and it’s something you need every single day. Windows can’t help you find
your socks any faster, but it can definitely lend you a hand when it comes
to finding your files. Here are some ways to find and organize your files,
no matter where they might be stored.
Where should I start searching?
There are so many ways to find files on your computer that you might not
know where to start. Most of the time, you will probably start by using the
search tools that are available within any folder. For example, here are the
search tools that are available in the Documents folder:

Search tools in the Documents folder

Which search method should I use?
The method you use depends upon what you're searching for, and where
you're searching for it. The following table describes the different search
methods and when they're useful:
Search method When it's useful
Search When it's usefulIf you're looking for a file or folder
methodThe located in a common folder (such as Documents or
Search box Pictures), you can often find it fastest by using the Search
box at the top of the folder window. For more
information, see Use the Search box later in this article.
If you're looking for a program, a website in your browser
history, or a file that you've stored anywhere in your
personal folder, you can use the Search box at the bottom
of the Start menu. For more information, see Find a file
or folder.
Search When it's usefulIf you're looking for several related files,
methodFile listsuch as all the files from a particular month, or all the
headings documents that you have written, you can use the
headings above the file list to filter, stack, or group your
files. Organizing your files in one of these ways makes
them easier to locate and select. For more information,
see Use file list headings later in this article.
Search When it's usefulWhen you need to build a search with
methodSearch multiple filters, or when you're looking for files from
folder several folders at once, create your search in the Search
folder. When you are done, you can save the search
criteria, and use it in the future to find the same set of files
again with a single click. For more information, see
Create an advanced search in the Search folder later
in this article.

Use the Search box

The Search box is located at the top of every folder. It filters the current
view based on text that you type. The Search box finds files based on text
in the file name, text within the file, tags, and other common file properties
that are attached to the file. In addition, it searches the current folder as
well as all subfolders.
 The Search box

For example, if you created a trip report called "Las Vegas Seminar," as
soon as you type Las into the Search box, most files in the folder would
disappear from the list, but the trip report, and any other files with the word
Las in them, would immediately be displayed.
The following table lists the common properties that you can use in the
Search box:

Property What it is How to use it in the

Search box
PropertyFile What it isThe name you haveHow to use it in the
name given the file. Search boxType part or
all of the file name you
are looking for. For
example, to find a file
called November
invoice.txt, you can
type Nov or inv.
PropertyKind What it isA broad description ofHow to use it in the
of file the content. Most of your files fallSearch boxType the
into one of these kinds:kind of file you're
Document, Picture, or Music. looking for. For
example, to find all of
your text, spreadsheet,
and presentation files,
type Document.
PropertyType What it isA more specificHow to use it in the
of file indication of the file's content.Search boxType the file
The last three letters of the filename extension. If you
name, called the file namewant to find only MP3
extension, identify the file type.files, type MP3. For
Common types include DOCmore accurate results,
(Microsoft Word document), XLStype *.mp3.
(Microsoft Excel spreadsheet),
JPG (JPEG image), and MP3 (a
standard digital audio format).
Property What it is How to use it in the
Search box
PropertyTags What it isWords or phrases youHow to use it in the
add to your files to describe them.Search boxType any tag
to see a list of files to
which that tag has been
applied.
PropertyAuthor What it isThe name of the personHow to use it in the
who created the file. Search boxType the
name of an author to see
a list of files by that
person.
Advanced searches in the Search box
Windows will usually search for whatever you type in the Search box by
looking in the file name, file contents, and file properties of all the files in
the current view. Type "Summer," for example, and it will find files named
"sunset in summer.jpg," files tagged with "summer," and files written by
anyone named Summer. This broad approach to search usually helps you
find your file quickly.
If you want to search more selectively, however, you can filter your search
in the Search box by specifying which file property to search. To filter by
file property, separate the name of the property and the search term with a
colon, as these examples show:

Example Use this to

ExampleName:Sunset Use this toFind only files that have the word
sunset in the file name.
ExampleTag:Sunset Use this toFind only files that are tagged
with the word sunset.
ExampleModified:05/25/2006Use this toFind only files that have been
modified on that date. You can also type
Modified:2006 to find files changed at any
time during that year.
Which file properties can you use in this way? Anything you see in a folder.
You can filter by any property that appears in the file list headings, for
example. To see the complete list of properties that you can filter by, right-
click the heading you want to see properties for, and then click More.
For more information about advanced searches, go to the Windows
Desktop Search: Advanced Query Reference website.
Searching using Boolean filters
Using Boolean filters is another way to perform a more precise search.
Boolean filters let you combine search words using simple logic, as you
can see in the following table.
Filter Example Use this to
FilterAND Exampletropical Use this toFind files that contain both
AND island words "tropical" and "island" (even if
those words are not right next to each
other).
FilterNOT Exampletropical Use this toFind files that contain the
NOT island word "tropical," but not "island."
FilterOR Exampletropical Use this toFind files that contain
OR island either of the words "tropical" or
"island."
FilterQuotes Example"tropical Use this toFind files that contain the
island" exact phrase "tropical island."
FilterParenthesesExample(tropical Use this toFind files that contain both
island) words "tropical" and "island," in any
order.
Filter> Exampledate: Use this toFind files that are more
>01/05/06 than or later than a certain value, such
as after 01/05/06.
Filter< Examplesize: < 4Use this toFind files that are less than
MB or earlier than a certain value, such as
less than 4 MB. You can also specify
other sizes, such as KB and GB.
Tip
 When you type Boolean filters like AND or OR, you need to use all
capital letters.
Combining Boolean filters and file properties
You can combine Boolean filters with other filters. The following table
shows how you can get very different results using the same search words,
but different Boolean filters. Also note how the use of parentheses can
change the effect of a filter.
Boolean filter Use this to
Boolean filterauthor:Use this toFind files that are authored by Charlie as
Charlie AND Herb well as any files that include Herb in the file name
or in any file property.
Boolean filterauthor:Use this toFind only files that are authored by both
(Charlie AND Herb) names.
Boolean filterauthor:Use this toFinds only files that are authored by
"Charlie Herb" someone with exactly this name.
Find files with natural language search
If you turn on natural language search, you can perform searches in a
simpler way, without using colons and without the need to enter AND and
OR in capital letters. For example, compare these two searches:

Without natural language With natural language

Without natural languagekind: musicWith natural languagemusic
artist: (Beethoven OR Mozart) Beethoven or Mozart
Without natural languagekind:With natural languagedocuments
document author: (Charlie AND Herb) Charlie and Herb
To turn on natural language search
1. Open Folder Options by clicking the Start button , clicking
Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then
clicking Folder Options.
2. Click the Search tab.
3. Select the Use natural language search check box.
To use natural language search
Even with natural language search turned on, you can continue to use the
Search box in exactly the same way. If you want to use Boolean filters or
introduce filters with colons and parentheses, you can. In addition, you can
use all the same properties to fine-tune your searches. The difference is that
you can enter searches in a more casual way. Here are some examples:
 email today
 documents 2006
 author Susan
 pictures vacation
Note
 Some searches might give more results than you expect. For example,
if you search for "email today" you will see all messages sent today as
well as any messages with the word "today" in the contents.
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Use file list headings
By clicking the headings that appear above the file list in a folder, you can
change how files are displayed. Viewing files in this way can help you find
files that share something in common.
Show all

To filter your files

When you filter the contents of a folder by file properties (such as file
name, date, author, or tag), only files with those properties are displayed.
For example, if you want to see only files written by a particular author,
filter by that person's name.
1. Open the folder that contains the files you want to filter.
2. Click the arrow to the right of the heading that you want to filter by.
3. Click the property that you want to filter by. If you want to filter by
two or more properties, select the check box for each property that
you want to filter by.
The Authors heading displaying

the properties that are available to filter by, with one property selected

To stack your files

When you stack files, all of the files in the view are arranged into piles,
called stacks. If you stack by Author, for example, you'll see one stack for
each author. If you want to see only the files written by a particular author,
open the desired stack.
1. Open the folder that contains the files you want to stack.
 The files can also be located in subfolders inside this folder
2. Click the arrow to the right of the heading that you want to stack by.
3. Click Stack by to arrange the contents of the folder into stacks that
correspond to the heading.
4. To see the files that are contained in an individual stack, double-click
the stack.
These files are stacked by

file type

To group your files

Unlike a stack, which hides the files it contains behind an icon, a group
displays a sequential list of all of the grouped files. When you group your
files by Author, for example, you'll see several groups, each one displaying
all the files written by a particular author.
1. Open the folder that contains the files you want to group.
2. Click the arrow to the right of the heading that you want to group by.
3. Click Group to arrange the contents of the folder into groups that
correspond to the heading.
 These files are grouped by file

type
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Create an advanced search in the Search folder
The is a good choice for searches whenever you:
 Don't know where a file or folder is located, and want to look in many
locations at once.
 Want your search results to include files from several folders at once.
 Want to create an advanced search that looks for files using several
different criteria.
To customize your search, click the Advanced Search button in the Search
folder.
 The Search folder

Here, you can change any of the following:

 Location. By default, the Search folder searches in a set of locations
called Indexed Locations. This includes all of the folders in your
personal folder (which includes Documents, Pictures, Music, Desktop,
and other common locations), e-mail, and offline files. You can add
additional locations to Indexed Locations if you commonly store files
in different locations. For more information, see Improve Windows
searches using the index: frequently asked questions. Alternatively,
you can choose to search a different set of locations, though any
searches on files that have not been indexed will be slower.
 Date. You can narrow the search to any time before or after the date
you specify.
 Size. You can look for files larger or smaller than the specified size.
 Property. You can filter the search according to one or more file
properties, such as file name, tags, and authors. The search will be
limited to files that include all the properties you specify.