How to search for files in Windows 7. How to search in Yandex and Google correctly - we reveal some secrets! Quick search by file type

Useful Tips

Most people know how to use Google for search - go to the main page, enter keywords, click SEARCH and get a list of results.

Using Google search

6. How to search on a specific site

If you enter the desired word in the search box, and next to it add "site:" and the site name (without a space). For example "useful tips site: site"

7. How to convert different currencies and values

With this search engine, you can convert different currencies and values. For example, in the search bar, you can write "1 kg in pounds", or say this sentence into the microphone using voice search (in this case, the search functions must be in Russian), or for example "1 dollar in rubles" (currency can be different).

You can also quickly convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, miles to meters or dollars to rubles.

8. How to find out the time in any city on the planet

Enter the syntax: "time:" in the search line, then specify the city. For example "time: africa".

9. How to use Google calculator

10. How to search for a word on sites of only the language you need

Using the "lang" function, you can find any term that is used on sites written in the language you need. For example, you want to read about the iPhone on Russian sites - write "iPhone lang: ru". Use en for English and fr for French.

11. How to find out the weather forecast

To find out what the weather is at the moment in one or more cities of the same country or continent, just enter "weather" or "weather" in the search box and enter the city. For example, "weather Moscow".

Google translate and other search engine features

12. How to translate in Google search engine

Google has its own translator (google translate) but some words can be translated using only a search engine. You need to enter in the search string: "translate [word] into [language]" (translate [word] into [word]). For example, "translate i love summer into italian".

If you have a favorite site and you want to find similar sites, then type in "related:" and the name of your favorite site.

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 to understand some of the search features. So how do I find file and folders in Windows 7? What does the user need to know about this process? Perhaps, this procedure is subject even to those who are not yet familiar with the computer.

About search

The first thing worth paying attention to is that the search in Windows is carried out, as a rule, without additional software. This is a standard feature found on all operating systems. There is no need to download additional programs to help you find information on your PC.

How do I find a file on my computer? Windows 7 or any other version of the operating system is not that 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 Web, which supposedly allow you to quickly search for information on your computer. It has already been said - no additional programs are needed for this!

Location address

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

Usually it consists of the name of the hard disk partition on which the document is located, followed by the path to the desired object. It consists of folders. For example: C: / Windows / system32 / drivers / etc / host /.

Accordingly, the "host" document is located in the etc folder, which is located in drivers. That, in turn, is in a folder called "sistem32", located in Windows on the partition of the 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 later. First you need to figure out how to find the 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 \u200b\u200bhow exactly the search subject is called. It is about self-detection of a document in the operating system. It is enough just to examine the files and folders on the computer, to think exactly where this or that document may be located. This method is called Extremely unstable. But if the user at least roughly guesses where this or that information can be stored, such a solution can help.

If you know the exact location address, you can simply follow it. On the computer, the user searches for the required hard disk partition and the folder in which the document is located. Then the opening of the latter takes place. Inside, a specific file is searched for manually.

Exact jump to address

But this is only the first scenario. In practice, it is not often used if the user is not sure about the location of the document. How do I find a file on my computer? Windows 7 offers one tricky 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 the exact location address, you can quickly open the source of the document. The best way to do this is to open Libraries. Next, copy the file address to the address bar and press Enter. A folder will open in which a particular document or another folder is attached.

That is, when you need to find 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, situations have been considered in which the address is either known for sure, or known about it approximately. What if there is no such information?

Through "Start"

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

The first way to do a real quick search is to use the Start bar. How is the implementation of the idea going 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. There is an empty field with a magnifying glass at the bottom of the service. On some operating systems, it says "Find programs and files". It is required to click there once with the left mouse button.
3. A slider cursor appears. In the field you need to type the name of the file, program or folder.
4. Press Enter and wait for the results.

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

Through additional windows

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

It is required to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

1. Open the root folder where the document can be located.
2. Find a field with a magnifying glass in the upper right corner.
3. Type the address or name of the document.
4. View search results.

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

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 that important. Anyway, if we are talking about newer types of Windows. You can use one trick. It will help you quickly find what you need among the results. The method builds on the previous method. It is about specifying search parameters.

The fact is that if you do not use filters, then often during the search you will have to look through a lot of documents and folders. It is clear how to find the file on the computer. How do I find the right one among the search results?

In this situation, it is proposed:

1. Search for a particular folder.
2. Click on the search bar in the upper right corner of the window.
3. Mark the required filters and set their parameters. In this case, the name of the file or folder does not need to be erased. For example, you can select the type of document. In the case of host, this is .txt.
4. Press Enter and look at the output again.

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

Search service

Now it is clear how to find the file on the computer (Windows 7). But there is one more scenario. You can call a separate search service on your computer. This requires pressing a specific key combination. Then it will scan and search the entire operating system.

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. The name of the file or folder is typed into the search bar (upper right corner, field with a magnifying glass).
3. The user should press Enter and wait for the results. You can work with search filters in advance. This will shorten the output.

By content

There is one more last trick. It's called "searching 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, type the name of the document / folder / word.
4. Click on "Enter".

This method is often used when working with Word. It not only helps to search for data by text, but also facilitates the search for documents.

For a long time working with a computer, a huge number of files and documents accumulate on it. In order not to clutter up the desktop, files are transferred to other storage locations. As a result, a huge number of folders, subfolders appear and it becomes more and more difficult to find the required file. After all, it is difficult to remember which "new folder" it is in. Fortunately, windows has a built-in handy search system that will help you find a file on your computer, even if you don't remember its exact name.

Search files on PC with Windows XP / Vista / 7

If you can't find the file you need, the first step is to look on the desktop in the system folder "Trash". Suddenly, you accidentally deleted it, and because of this you cannot find it in your usual place. It is better to check right away so that you do not clear all files later by permanently deleting the information. Although, in fact, information deleted from the trash can be restored using special programs. But this is a completely different topic, so if you're interested, read this article.

To find files on a Windows XP computer, do the following:

1. Give the command "Start - Search".
2. Click on "Files and Folders" to launch the File and Folder Search Wizard.
3. Select a category such as Video. You can select one, several or all categories at once. Click the Find button.

Windows will find all the above files on any partitions of the PC disk and external storage devices (including network). For example, when you put together all the movies and videos, it's time to use a search, for example, only video files. It is also worth refining the search in order to quickly find a specific file by entering at least part of its name.

The asterisk character replaces any number of letters and numbers in the file name. For example, instead of the keyword "asterisk" you can enter "z * ka" - all variants of this word in the name of the searched file will be interrogated, for example, a file named "No sound.mp3". Specifying only the file name extension, for example, * .docx, will find all your Word documents in this format, for example, the "resume.docx" file.

It is also permissible to schedule a file search on a Windows PC in hidden files and folders.

To find files by keyword in a document, do the following:

1. Give the already familiar command "Start - Search" and in the column "Word or phrase in the file" specify a keyword, for example, "abstract".
2. Specify the extension in the file name, for example, ".doc".
3. Also specify the search location, for example, drive C. Select the desired options, for example, search in hidden and system folders, and click the "Find" button.

All documents containing the word "abstract" in the DOC file format will be found.

How to find files on Windows 8 / 8.1 / 10 / 10.1 PC

After upgrading the Windows version to 8 or 10, the user will notice that the search tools are collected and configured more conveniently than in previous versions of this OS. Although at first it can be inconvenient to use them.

Search files on PC by name

1. Give the command "This computer - Search" (search tab). In the search bar of the Windows window, enter part of the file name (or the entire name if you remember it). Press "Enter" on your keyboard.
2. The required file (or files) will be found (or will be found).

Search for files by name extension

Remembering the filename extension you were working with, you can find it by it. For example, archive files most often have the extension .rar or .zip, program files (including installation packages) - .exe or .msi, etc. As a result, when searching for files by extension, you will most likely find yourself missing.

It happens that you do not remember the file extension, since the Windows system does not display any file extensions by default. To enable them, do the following:

1. Give the command "Start - Control Panel - Folder Options".
2. Go to the command "View - Options - Change settings for files and folders".
3. Uncheck "Hide extensions for registered file types." For more advanced users, the "Hide protected system files" feature may be useful.
4. Click the "Apply" and "OK" buttons in sequence.

Windows Explorer will restart and display the file extensions. Having compared the desired file with the extensions of similar files (by the type of file icon), enter its extension into the already familiar search bar and press the "Enter" key. Windows will find the missing file.

For example, an AVI video clip is missing. Open the familiar file search bar and enter the .avi file extension. Press the "Enter" key and browse the found files.

Search for files by occupied disk space

Having guessed that, for example, a two-hour movie has a large volume, for example, a video file in UltraHD format (“rip” from a Blu-Ray disc), you can enter, for example, a command to search for files larger than 10 GB.

In Windows, the command format for searching a file by size is used: "System.Size:\u003e size_in_megabytes". For example, in this case it will be the "System.Size:\u003e 10240MB" command.

With a high degree of probability, this movie will be found, for example, on an external (network) drive.

How to find hidden files

To access hidden files, enable the function of showing them.

1. Switch to the already familiar Windows folder settings window.
2. Give the familiar command to change folder and search settings.
3. Enable the option "Show hidden files, folders and drives".
4. Click the Apply and OK buttons.

Repeat the search for the file by the already familiar attributes: name and / or its extension, size, etc.

Search for files by keywords

Keywords in the file content (letters, documents, books, etc.) can be specified directly in the "File name" field. So, if you are looking for term projects, just write in the file name - “term paper”.

Windows will display the files with the keywords (or phrases) that are present.

Third-party file finders

The functionality of the file manager is endowed not only with the built-in Windows Explorer. In the past, these were programs Norton / Volkov Commander, Far File Manager, Total Commander, File Explorer and their analogues.

Search for files by example with Total Commander

Text documents, regardless of their formatting, are searched by Total Commander by name, size and keywords (or phrases).

Windows will find the files it is looking for.

Finding the file on a Windows PC is no problem. The main thing is that you do not erase it permanently, using other applications for this purpose. The Windows system already has the necessary tools for finding files, folders and drives, but if for some reason it does not suit you, use a third-party file manager, which may contain additional functions for finding files on disks.

A properly organized search in the operating system allows you to better navigate the files on your hard drive and easily find the information you need in a short time. For this, Windows 7 has a sufficient number of settings, which we will discuss below.

In this article, we will talk about how to properly and correctly configure the search capabilities of the system. If you are faced with a problem in which the search through the menu "Start" refuses to work, check out our other article at the link below.

Indexing settings

Indexing is an operating system function that dramatically speeds up searches within the operating system by compiling a "database" of files based on their content and / or properties. Due to this, when typing a search query in the menu "Start" or in the field "Explorer" the system turns to indexing and provides you with the information you are looking for faster. Indexing keeps track of all files on your computer, adding and removing positions from its database when you manage them. By default, this process is already enabled in the system, but it works selectively (that is, it is distributed only to some folders of the Windows directory), for example, quick search is absent on other logical partitions ( D, E etc.) and in system folders with a lot of content such as system "Windows" (C: \\ Windows). In view of the above, it makes sense to configure indexing only in two cases:

• You are storing files in non-standard system folders such as "My documents" and so on, but manually create directories and logical partitions on your hard disk;
• An HDD is installed in the computer - it makes no sense to enable indexing on an SSD, since it itself works quickly and it is generally better for owners of solid-state drives to deactivate it.

For all other users, we suggest using the following instructions:

1. Discover "Start" and start typing a word "indexing" - from the presented results select the item Indexing Options.



2. In the window that opens, it immediately says how many items are indexed, and below are all those folders that are currently being indexed.



3. Only the most basic is located here, and to enable custom indexing, you need to click on the button "Change".



4. At the top are all available directories in a tree-like form. Expand "Local disk"and then the subfolders of interest to find the required directories.



5. Check the boxes that you want to include in indexing, and this will be transferred to the block below for a visual overview of the list of everything that will be included in the quick search.



6. Be sure to configure exclusions: those subfolders that you do not want to index. To do this, expand the folder that you added to indexing and uncheck unnecessary subfolders. They'll hit the column "Exclude" the future list of indexed elements.



7. Pressing "OK", you will probably notice that the number of items indexed increases.



8. In addition to performing the main action, you can also go to advanced settings by clicking on "Additionally".



9. Here in the tab Indexing Options it is possible to adjust the technical parameters, change the location where the indexing data is saved (relevant if the C there is little free space) and search for indexing problems.



10. More interesting tab "File types" - here it is proposed to choose which file extensions will and will not be taken into account, as well as indicate the type of their indexing.

Quick search for a program in Start

Often many programs are installed on the user's computer, scattered throughout the hard drive. Because of this, it is far from always possible to find them through "Start", and not everyone likes adding a large number of shortcuts to the desktop. To fix this, it is enough to place the shortcuts of all installed and portable (portable) programs, games in a certain place in Windows.

Unfortunately, this is the possibility of customizing the "Start" end - in the "seven" there are practically no settings for this menu, which could be optimized to facilitate the search. Nevertheless, it is possible to search inside folders through the standard system "Conductor".

Folder search settings

Often users refer to the search box inside "Explorer", which can also be customized, and also use some search functions.

Now let's move on to examining the capabilities of the search field.

Using search filters

In this section, we want to talk about the use of search filters operating within the search field.

1. By placing the cursor in the field, you will see filters that simplify the process itself. By default, there are two main filters here:
   
2. You can see more filters by stretching the field. To do this, move the mouse over the left edge of the field so that the cursor appears as in the screenshot below, hold down the left mouse button and drag to the left.



3. This will bring up additional options corresponding to the subject of the folder.



4. For example, the screenshot below shows the filters for a shared folder.



5. If you go to the standard folder "Music", the set of filters will change.



6. To see thematic filters, you can always assign a certain type to any of your own folders by right-clicking on it and selecting "Properties".



7. In the tab "Setting" specify the appropriate folder type.



8. Immediately tick the box next to "Apply this same pattern to all subfolders"if there are subfolders inside the folder to be changed.



9. It is allowed to set the filter yourself by writing its name and putting a colon. Then this word will turn blue, meaning that the entered text is not part of the search query, but a filter.

A reasonable question arises - how to find out and where to get the rest of the names of filters that you can write yourself? Most of the names can be taken from the names of the columns into which the folder is divided, if it is in the form of a table (see screenshot below).

We will talk about this just below (in the subsection "Ordering"), but now we want to provide a list of simplified symbolic and literal operators:

• "" Is the exact phrase.
  Example: the query "photo" will find all files containing the word photo.
• * - any characters.
  Example: * .png will find all PNG files, and picture * .png will find all PNG files that contain the word picture.
• AND (or +) is a logical AND operator.
  Example: The request picture and photo + image will find all files whose names contain these 3 words.
• OR - logical operator "OR".
  Example: picture or photo query will find all files whose names contain one or a second word.
• NOT (or -) - logical operator "NO".
  Example: request picture not photo -image will find all files that contain the word picturebut no words photo and picture.
• \u003e - more than.
  Example: request\u003e 120MB will find all files over 120MB, request for frame width:\u003e 1024 will find all videos where frame width is more than 1024 pixels.
• Example: similar to filter\u003e.
• > Example: request\u003e 2mb
• \u003d - exact value.
  Example: request \u003d 200MB will find all files of only 200MB, request\u003e \u003d 200MB will find all files of 200MB or more.
• \u003e \u003d (or ..) - strict meaning.
  Example: query year:\u003e \u003d 2000

Despite the fact that the name of any filter must always be written ( flow rate:, frame width:), filter the size: there is no need to enter, so instead of a search query size: \u003d 200mb you can write simply \u003d 200mb.

Often, users prefer to use the same search terms; for this, the system provides for their storage. When you have used some complex search query, you can click on the button "Save search terms", so that in the future you do not need to type it again, but use the template.

A save window will appear, prompting you to select a location and file name.

By default, the search is saved in the Navigation Pane in "Chosen One"... From here it will be easy to call the desired search and remove it from the list (RMB to save\u003e "Delete"). Saving can be called from any folder "Explorer", but it only works for the folder for which this request was created, be careful and better choose a shared folder that contains several subfolders, inside which you also need to search.

Organizing and grouping files

One way to make it easier to find files within folders is to use the organizing and grouping functions within a folder.

Ordering

First, the user should understand the possibilities of organizing, which often speeds up the search for the necessary documents and files among a large list.

1. The columns are responsible for this, which are highlighted in the screenshot below.



2. For example, in our folder, you can sort by the parameter "Genre"... By clicking on this word, we will see the files sorted by direction. Let's say, first there will be all files of the "Electronic" genre, then Classical "and at the end" Jazz ". But since we have only 3 songs, they just changed the order.



3. Right-clicking on the row with the column names calls up the context menu, where you can find various column values \u200b\u200bthat you can add.



4. If you do not find what you are looking for, click on the line "More ...".
5. A list of available characteristics will open. There are a lot of them, so you will definitely be able to choose the appropriate parameter for yourself. Check the boxes you want and click "OK".



Almost all the names of these columns can be used as filters for the search field! We talked about this earlier in the section "Using Search Filters"... If there are several words in the name, you need to write them without a space, and always put a colon at the end, for example, to search by creation date, you must enter date of creation: and specify the date from the options that appear automatically.

6. We chose "Authors"... This parameter was immediately applied and available for use, now, by clicking on it, you can also organize files.



7. A small triangle button appears to the right of each column name on hover. Click on it to see the values \u200b\u200bavailable for filtering. Each column is sorted differently, so keep that in mind!

Grouping

For convenient orientation, the folder also has a grouping function - combining files into a block according to a user-specified property. Right click on an empty space, select "Grouping" and specify an appropriate parameter for this. If you don't find the one you need, click on "More ..." and choose it there.

Again, we chose the genre grouping. All audio recordings of certain genres have become part of the lists, which can be collapsed by clicking on the black triangle to the left of the name - this will allow you to hide unnecessary positions and quickly navigate among the current folder objects.

Now you know more information about setting up the search as through the menu "Start"and inside "Explorer"... All these recommendations will greatly simplify the use of Windows while working with a large amount of information divided into files.

The search engine in Windows 7 is organized slightly differently than in Windows XP, but it is no less convenient, and is performed at a much faster speed.

How to start a search

To start searching for files in Windows 7, you need to open Explorer and select the folder in which you want to search, or, if you do not know where the file is located, select "My Computer". Then the search will be performed on all hard drives.

You need to search for files of any format using the search bar, which is located in the upper right corner of the Explorer in any of its windows. You must enter a keyword or phrase on this line.

The search is done very quickly by analogy with the request processing mechanism in any search engine. As you enter a query word, the system immediately begins to scan files and display results with titles containing the entered characters, words, or phrases.

How to use search filters

At first glance, it may seem that such familiar filters available in XP, such as creation or modification date, file type, size and author, are not available when searching in Windows 7, but this is not at all the case.

When you enter a search query, a list of filters corresponding to the type of file you are looking for appears in the drop-down line below, the conditions of which can be set right there, in the search line. To do this, you need to click on the desired filter and set its value, for example, the change date "Last week".

How to find files of a specific type

To find a file whose format is known, for example, audio, video, photo, or document, but its name, creation date, or other parameters are unknown, you can use the file type search by specifying its extension in the search terms.

Documents . To search for documents in Word format, enter the characters "* .doc" (for the Word 2003 format) or "* .docx" (for the Word 2007-2010 format) in the search bar. An asterisk denotes any sequence of any characters.

For Excel files, use the characters "* .xls" (for Excel 2003 format) or "* .xlsx" (for Excel 2007-2010 format).

For text files created using the Notepad application, enter "* .txt" in the search box.

Video. To search for video files, enter the video file extension in the search bar. The most popular extensions: "* .avi", "*. Mp4", "* .mpeg", "* .wmv", "* .3gp", "* .mov", "* .flv", "*. Swf ". You can find out the file extension by right-clicking on it and selecting Properties from the context menu, where its extension will be indicated in the File type line.

Audio. The most popular audio file format used on computers is MP3, and to search for them, you need to enter the characters "* .mp3" in the string.

Images and photographs. To search for pictures in the search bar, enter the most commonly used extensions of such files "* .jpg", "*. Jpeg", "* .png", "* .bmp", "* .tiff", "* .gif".

How to find a file in a large list of already found files

It often happens that the attributes of a file are unknown, or only one is known, and it is very uninformative. For example, we know that the document was created last year. However, over the past year, a huge number of documents have been created, stored in different places. It often does not seem realistic to view and check a huge number of files found based on one attribute.

To find the desired file in the list of already found files, you can use several filters at the same time, setting and changing each of them during the search as needed. Each time a new filter is added, the selection will be repeated already in the list of found files, reducing the processing time and the number of results, which greatly simplifies the search for the very desired file.

How to find a file by content

As a rule, Windows 7 searches for files by the content of the query in the file name, and not in the text that the file contains. To find the file with the desired word in its text, and not in the name, you need to make simple settings.

Let's say the task is to find among 500 files a document with the word "Shovel" in its content. To do this, on the control panel, click "Organize" and select in the drop-down menu, select the line "Search folder options".

It is worth noting that a search with this parameter will take a longer time, and when the need to search through content is no longer needed, this option should be disabled.

How to save your search terms

It often happens that files need to be searched frequently, the same search conditions are used for this, and there are several of these conditions. In order not to waste time each time entering the same search parameters, the list of these conditions can be saved.

To do this, you need to set the search conditions, wait for the results to be displayed, and upon its completion, click on the "Save search conditions" on the control panel, and in the window that opens, enter the file name for a repeated query, for example, "JULY 2013".

Later, when the saved set of search conditions is needed again, the desired shortcut can always be selected in Explorer and the Favorites folder under the saved name.

How to clear search terms

By clicking on the cross at the end of the search line, you can clear the previously entered information and filter conditions that were used for the search, and the line will become empty.

Having tried searching in Windows 7 several times, you can see in practice that it is practical, lightweight and fast. Now you know how to search for files in Windows 7.