Can't find that file? These Windows Search tips can help
PCWorld|November 2022
Use indexing, File Explorer, and even Photos to beef up Windows’ search capabilities.
MARK HACHMAN
Can't find that file? These Windows Search tips can help

Let's face it: Searching your PC for files within Windows has always been mildly confusing, especially with several options for searching right in Windows 10 and 11. But if you're convinced a particular file is hidden somewhere on your PC, try these tips to find it and get back to work.

We can't guarantee that finding a file will be as easy as using a search engine like Google. (Incidentally, Google once made a desktop search engine for your PC, but it has since been discontinued.) But realizing what Windows is searching for, when it's doing it, and how to interpret results should make life much easier.

Finally, it's important to realize that there are essentially two search mechanisms built into your PC: the built-in Windows Search, and File Explorer. The first is best for commonly used files, while File Explorer’s search function is a powerful tool that can be used to root out more deeply hidden files. Both Windows Search and File Explorer are integrated with Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage, but File Explorer does a better job of letting you know which files are where.

ALL SEARCH BOXES ARE NOT THE SAME

Before you begin, there are two things you need to know: where to search, and what to search. Windows Search appears as the magnifying glass icon on your Windows 11 taskbar, and as the search box on your Taskbar in Windows 10. In Windows 11, there’s a search box at the top of the Windows 11 Start menu, which magically reconfigures the Start menu into the Search menu when you click on it. Windows File Explorer also has a search box at the top of its search window.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2022 من PCWorld.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2022 من PCWorld.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من PCWORLD مشاهدة الكل
Facebook wants to use your posts to train Al. Here's how to object
PCWorld

Facebook wants to use your posts to train Al. Here's how to object

Facebook is changing its privacy policy and plans to use posts and images to train its Al. To prevent this, you need to object.

time-read
2 mins  |
July 2024
Windows 11's new AI feature could be a privacy nightmare
PCWorld

Windows 11's new AI feature could be a privacy nightmare

Your PC will be watching your every move by default.

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
The future of Windows: Copilot+ PCs unleash practical AI tools
PCWorld

The future of Windows: Copilot+ PCs unleash practical AI tools

Microsoft is aligning AI with its Copilot brand.

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2024
If you get a phone call from LastPass, it's a scam
PCWorld

If you get a phone call from LastPass, it's a scam

A new breed of sophisticated phishing scammers are targetting LastPass users with phone calls and emails.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
Sick of ads in Windows? This ingenious program eradicates them all
PCWorld

Sick of ads in Windows? This ingenious program eradicates them all

This clever free tool removes all the ads that Microsoft keeps stuffing into Windows 10 and 11.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
Controversial Windows 11 Start menu ads begin rolling out
PCWorld

Controversial Windows 11 Start menu ads begin rolling out

Microsoft has pushed “Promoted” apps from the Store to the Windows 11 wide build just a few weeks after they started appearing to Insiders.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
Ring of bogus web shops steals 850K credit card numbers
PCWorld

Ring of bogus web shops steals 850K credit card numbers

Fake online storefronts, which show up in great numbers in Google and other search engines, are becoming a big problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2024
This free, ancient Windows app will watch your laptop battery
PCWorld

This free, ancient Windows app will watch your laptop battery

BatteryInfoView gives you the laptop battery information you didn’t know you wanted.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2024
How to use your smartphone as a Windows 11 PC webcam
PCWorld

How to use your smartphone as a Windows 11 PC webcam

Windows 11 now allows the wireless connection of Android smartphones for use as a webcam.

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2024
How to digitize VHS tapes the cheap way
PCWorld

How to digitize VHS tapes the cheap way

Preserve your old video tapes with an inexpensive capture card and free software.

time-read
4 mins  |
June 2024