Tips for Windows 7 Search

Today, almost every user has stored a large number of files in countless folders. With Windows Search under Windows 7, you can search your computer for any file and thus find your documents, emails, photos, and more more quickly. However, with Windows 7 Search, you can not only search your libraries but also external hard drives and networks.

Searching for files using the Windows search

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You can access the Windows 7 search by pressing the Windows key – you can now enter your search term. After entering the term, the Windows search displays a results list containing the relevant files on your PC; the search terms are highlighted in color. For example, you can search by date, filename, file type, or content. If you click on a result category such as Documents or Pictures, your search results will be filtered according to that category. To see more results, click Show more results. Alternatively, you can navigate to the location where you suspect the file is stored and enter the filename in the search box located at the top right.

Customizing the Windows 7 Search

To make the most of the Windows 7 search, there are several helpful tips and tricks. For example, you can customize the file content search – normally, Windows only searches within pre-configured indexed folders, which include your personal libraries among others. If you want to extend the search to other folders as well, you can have them indexed too: To do this, simply right-click the folder in Explorer, select Properties, and on the General tab, click the Advanced button. Then check the box next to Allow contents of files in this folder to be indexed in addition to file properties. Alternatively, you can allow searching in non-indexed folders by selecting the Always search file names and contents option in the Search tab under Tools/Folder options in the menu.

Saving search queries in Windows 7

If you frequently search for the same files or file types, you have the option to save these search queries: After searching, you must click Save search in the Explorer’s search window to do this; you can then save the search under a specific name in your Search Favorites. To run the search again, simply click the corresponding entry in your favorites.

Advanced search settings for Windows 7 Search

Using operators such as AND or NOT will narrow your search results: If you enter an AND between two words, only results containing both words will be displayed; a NOT excludes the second word from the search query. You can also specify a time frame for the results by entering Modified date:. You can also filter by file size by entering Size:. If you only want to search for files of a specific format, simply enter it into the search box – for example, “Robbie Williams mp3” to limit the search to mp3 files containing the corresponding search term.