---
title: "File search for Windows – find documents by content | Lookeen"
url: https://lookeen.com/solutions/desktop-search/file-search
lang: en
description: "Find files by name and content: Lookeen searches local and network drives in almost 100 formats, shows a preview and filters by type, date, size and path."
published: 2018-12-21T13:00:56+00:00
modified: 2026-10-23T09:00:00+00:00
---

# File search

You know what’s in the document, but not what it’s called or where it is? Lookeen finds files by their content – on your own computer and across the network.

[Try it free](https://lookeen.com/get-started) [Search networks](https://lookeen.com/solutions/enterprise-search/search-networks)

## Almost 100 formats

File names are always searchable. You decide which types are also indexed by content.

### Office

Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access, old and new formats, plus LibreOffice.

### PDF and text

PDF, RTF, TXT, HTML, XML and source code.

### Images and scans

Image metadata always, text in scans and photos with OCR.

[Learn more](https://lookeen.com/use-cases/ocr-scanned-documents)

### Archives

ZIP and other compressed formats including their content.

### CAD and engineering

CAD drawings, diagrams and scientific formats.

### Audio and video

Media metadata – sorted by title, length or date.

## Faster to the right document

These tools narrow large result lists down in seconds.

-   **Filters:** file type, size, date, path and tags – in the discovery panel or right on the column.
-   **Search syntax:** ext:pdf, name:invoice or size:\[1MB to 5MB\] narrow it down precisely.
-   **Preview:** look at documents without opening them, with page navigation and zoom.
-   **Actions:** open the folder, copy the path, send as ZIP by email.
-   **Duplicates:** identical files are detected and grouped.

## Frequently asked questions

What to know about file search with Lookeen on network drives and in selected folders.

Does Lookeen search network drives?

Yes. Pick the drives and folders in the settings. For large file servers with many users, [Lookeen Server](https://lookeen.com/solutions/enterprise-search/lookeen-server) is the better fit.

Can I exclude certain folders?

Yes. You select or deselect folders and drives individually and choose which file types are indexed by content.

Related: [File server search](https://lookeen.com/use-cases/file-server-search) · [Search features](https://lookeen.com/solutions/desktop-search/desktop-search-features) · [Manufacturing & research](https://lookeen.com/industries/manufacturing-research)

## Try it free, no strings attached

Test the full feature set of Lookeen for 14 days – with your own data.

[Get started](https://lookeen.com/get-started) [Talk to us](https://lookeen.com/contact)