Hello, friends! Before writing this article, I hardly used search in Windows. Why, if everything is already clear what is where. It was enough to look at 2-3 places. This took about 5 minutes. Moreover, as unnecessary, the search service was disabled, which provides enormous opportunities in . And the search service also automatically turns off indexing and it was not at all possible to find any files quickly through search. That is, out of ignorance, I turned off this universal thing. But this is no longer the same slow search in . It has evolved greatly into Windows Vista and took a huge step forward in . Here we will look at the main search capabilities in Windows 7, so that we can find the information we need even more efficiently.
First you need to show the main search window. It is called using the keys Win+F or F3 on the desktop.
The window is not bright and there is almost nothing to talk about here. The question immediately arises about the need for it in Windows 7. Most likely, it was left for those who recently switched from previous Windows versions. So as not to get lost.
The most accessible and easy to find search in Windows 7 is from the main Start menu. (You can read how to make a familiar Start button). Just open the main menu and the cursor is immediately placed in the search field. You start typing part of the file name and the results already appear. The speed of issuing results and its further sorting is surprising. We'll talk about this later.
The results are presented as groups of files from different categories. In the figure, these are Programs, Control Panel, Documents, Videos and Music. If you know which category your file might be in, go straight to it and search further. We will also look at this below.
From the Start menu it is convenient to search for programs or control panel items. Now there is no need to go the long way Start > All Programs > Accessories to select the Calculator. Just open Start, write “Ka” and the good old Calculator is already at hand.
For convenience, the width of the search field can be changed by dragging the border between address bar and a search field in the desired location.
You can and should combine different filters. For example, you sorted files by modification date, now you can sort by size. Click on the search field and select the Size filter. The window below will open in front of you with a range selection
If you need files up to 50 MB and between 100 and 200 MB, then search operators come to the rescue again.
size:<50мб + размер:>100mb<200мб — вот такой вот получился запрос.
Of course, typing it is inconvenient because everything slows down due to the search. Therefore, it is recommended to create a query in Notepad and copy it into the search bar.
As I wrote the article and tried different filters and sorting options, I managed to find such files in such places that you are amazed. Search in + indexing for efficiency like Google for the Internet.
In addition, you can search not only by modification date and size, but also by other file properties. For example, by extension, frame width and others. If the search did not give the desired result, then below you are offered the choice of searching in the Libraries (see in the next section) in the Home Group on all of yours, choosing another place to search, searching on the Internet and by the contents of the files.
When you select Other search location, a window will open where you can use checkboxes to select places where the required files may be. This could be flash drives or other storage devices.
Then click OK and the search will automatically begin in the selected locations.
If you select a location that is not in the index, the system will immediately alert you and warn you that the search may be slow. It is also suggested to add the selected location to the index
If you often look for this place, then you need to add it. If this is an isolated case, then most likely you can skip it. The index will be smaller and searching through it will be faster.
Search in Libraries
The library is a place where a lot of useful information is stored. On a computer it’s the same, only there the library is divided into four categories for easy searching: Music, Video, Images and Documents. You can add up to 50 folders to each of these libraries. + you can create your own libraries. To create a new library, click right click click on “Libraries” > New > Library. Give the new library a name
It turns out the Library is virtual folder into which you can connect your real folders from various places in your . The library will be searched across all folders connected to it.
How to connect a folder to a library
Go to the library to which you need to connect the folder. In the “Includes” section, click on the link. In my case - 2 places
In the window that opens, click the Add button... and select the desired folder
Libraries are indexed by default and when the process is finished you will be able to instantly find the information you need.
The libraries have an expanded set of filters, which adds convenience to the search.
When you place the cursor in the search window, in addition to filters, your search queries that you entered in the past are also shown. If they suddenly start to bother you, you can easily remove them by hovering the mouse cursor over the desired one and pressing Del on the keyboard.
In Explorer, you can search in the folder you are in and all its subfolders. In the library you can search in all connected folders at once and since they are in the index it will be fast. Another advantage of using libraries is advanced filters for easy searching. I don’t know how you can bypass using the Libraries in .
Since Libraries are something virtual, nothing happens to your files when they are deleted.
Conclusion
Friends! In this article we have touched on a small part, the tip of the iceberg, called - search in Windows 7. We also figured out how to index files on and how this can help you find information faster. We dwelled in more detail on the search in Explorer. Thanks to convenient filters, you can search and find information much more efficiently.
I would also like to add that search terms can be saved. To do this, click on the button of the same name on the toolbar
All saved searches are located in the folder of the same name (Searches) in your profile.
To display the results for one of the searches, just go to the Searches folder in Explorer (on the left side of it) and select the desired one. The results will appear immediately.
More detailed information You can read about search in the operating system on the website http://www.oszone.net/11299/Search
When upgrading from Windows Vista, search in Windows 7 it just becomes more convenient and does not contain any special surprises. This can't be said about many people. Windows users XP, just discovering everyday work in the system with such a convenient tool as instant search. Searching in Windows 7 is really very simple. But, as in any search, the goal is to find what you need, and sometimes difficulties arise with this. With this article I begin a story about how search works in Windows 7, how to configure it, how to search, and most importantly, how to find.
How search works
You've most likely heard about an index - a set of files that contain various information about files and documents stored on disk. When you use search, it is the index files that allow you to quickly display results. The index includes various file properties, and this is not just the path, name or size. For example, all tags of MP3 files are indexed - from the author to the bit rate. For office documents, data is indexed, which can be seen in the file properties on the tab Details, document content, and so on. If this search is new to you, I recommend reading a couple of help articles to get some background information on searching. Minimize all windows, click F1 and in the field Search Help enter... Search.
Indexing happens constantly - if you add, delete or change a file in a folder, it will immediately be reflected in the index.
The screenshot shows the locations that are indexed by default. Therefore, if you store your documents somewhere in F:\Documents, they will not be included in the index and quick search are not found - they need to be added to the index separately. Setting up the search will be discussed below.
Search and indexing settings
To be honest, the standard search settings are quite good, and most users do not need to change anything in them, especially if documents and files are stored in standard folders. To configure settings, open the Start menu and type search options into the search box.
So casually we used one of the search options Windows 7- quick access to control panel elements from the Start menu.
Change search options for files and folders
I will not duplicate the parameters that are clearly visible in the screenshot.
Please note the following points:
By default, search within a folder searches all subfolders
in non-indexed locations, the search is carried out only by file names, and compressed files ignored
you can use language search, i.e. compose search queries in a more fluent language - for example, last week's video (there will be a lot of unexpected results mixed in here, especially in localized versions)
Indexing options and Windows Search services
Here you can configure many more settings. To add folders to the index, click Change.
It is no coincidence that the Windows and Program Files folders are excluded from the search - they will greatly increase the size of the index, and will be of little practical use. Programs can already be found by searching in the Start menu - after all, the main menu is indexed by default.
Clicking Additionally, you get access to two groups of settings:
indexing technical parameters
indexing options for file types
In the first of them, you can add encrypted files to the index, rebuild the index (which may be necessary in case of problems) and set a new location for it.
For file type (extension) you can:
include or exclude it from the index
determine whether only properties or content will be indexed
add new extension
For example, if suddenly your exchange client instant messages saves history in text files with the LOG extension or you just need to parse logs, their contents will not be indexed by default. But you can easily customize the search - just type log on your keyboard to move through the list of extensions and enable content search.
How to search
When starting a search, it is advisable to immediately imagine whether the search object is included in the index. As I said above, the index covers the user's profile - libraries, files, etc. Here you can find the files you need relatively easily.
But if you open the main search window and expect to find something in the Program Files or Windows folder, you may generally get the impression that “the search finds nothing” because only the results from the index are displayed. We’ll talk about searching in non-indexed places later, but now we’ll look at general methods search in Windows 7. You can search:
from the Start menu
in the main search window
in libraries
in other Explorer windows - folders, "Open" and "Save As" dialogs
Search in the Start menu
When you search from the Start menu, the search results show not only files and documents, but also programs and Control Panel items. Now you can safely give up the Windows XP habit of carefully sorting applications in the menu Programs. It is enough to enter the first few letters of the program name to find it. This is much more convenient, especially if you have many programs installed.
Advice. If you use portable applications, just add their shortcuts to the %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs folder (you can create a subfolder for them). They will appear in a group in search results Programs.
In Windows 7, search results in the Start menu are very conveniently grouped, and the number of results in each group is immediately visible - this point has been improved compared to Windows Vista. As you can see in the screenshot, search by word word finds not only applications Microsoft Word and WordPad, but also offers results in other groups.
The Start menu displays multiple results for each group, and clicking on the group name opens a search box with all the search results for the group.
Searching in the Start menu is good when you have an idea of the file name or its contents - the first 5 - 10 results are visible immediately, and you don’t have to look far. In addition, the Start menu is indispensable for quick access to programs and control panel items using search.
Main search window
A blank search window can be opened by pressing the keyboard shortcut WIN+F. It, in my opinion, has somewhat lost its meaning, since it no longer contains advanced file search capabilities. Searching in Explorer windows practically forces it out of the system. It seems to me that links to help on using search or a link to this article could brighten up its dull appearance.
However, the main search window still carries a payload. It opens with search results if you enter a query in the Start menu and click on the name of the search result group, or on View more results right above the search field.
Libraries
Now I will explain why I separated the search in libraries and other Explorer windows. Notice how library search results are displayed. They correspond to the type of files in it and are very well perceived visually. For example, for music files, the album cover, large song name, size are displayed, and there are also “musical” options for organizing the results. This is a property of all libraries, which confirms the thesis - Windows features 7 are best used together. In this case, it is searching in libraries, which has other advantages.
This is what a simple library search will suggest: Music.
While in File Explorer, you can organize your search results by available file properties. The default display order is top scores, but, for example, you can organize music files by album or genre. This feature is available along with the traditional Explorer tools of sorting and grouping (although the latter may be new to Windows XP migrants).
In this case, the results will display several tracks from each album. You can view all the songs on an album, and then “fold” it if the one you need is not there.
If you haven't found required file in the current folder, you can repeat the search:
Other Explorer windows
In folders and libraries, the search field is the same as in the main window. But we must not forget that the same option is available in the “Open” and “Save As” windows, which are used even by those who prefer alternative file managers.
It is more convenient to search in folders when you know the approximate location of the file or document - in this case you will not get lost in the results. In addition, this method is useful when it is known for sure that the file is not included in the index. Finally, in the Open and Save As windows, you can quickly filter the contents of a folder using search.
I'm sure you've already tried simple search queries and you're probably completely satisfied with them. However, sooner or later you will need to find the file, and a simple query will not help with this. Next I'll tell you how to use advanced features Windows search 7 to find the files you need.
New advanced search features in Windows 7
To master search, of course, you need to practice using its capabilities. In articles about Windows 7 search, I will give a number of examples that you can easily reproduce in your own home.
If you're upgrading from Windows XP, absolutely everything in your Windows 7 search will be new. Compared to Windows Vista, Windows 7 looks:
have changed search filters
Search filters
When you roughly know the name of the file or the topic of the document, finding the desired file is usually not difficult - you just enter a partial or full request to the Start menu search. But this information is not always stored in random access memory brain, and simply often need to ask special conditions search - size, modification date or author of the file. Windows XP had a search assistant, Windows Vista had filters.
At first glance, there is nothing that stands out visually in Windows 7. In fact, filters are still there - they just become visible when you place your cursor in the search field.
Advice. To see more filters, expand the search field - position the cursor on the separator between the field and the address bar and drag to the left.
In the screenshot you see a standard set of filters in the main search window.
Hints
Your search queries are remembered if they were entered:
to the search window
in explorer folder or library
in the Start menu (assuming you navigated to results and didn't just open the file)
These prompts annoy some users, and they tend to turn them off immediately. And, in my opinion, they are doing it in vain. The tips remember not only search queries as such, but also filters searches that you specified - for example, the size or modification date of the file. Suggestions are very useful if you want to use the full power of Windows 7 search. It's easy to change the old condition to the current query, and it's faster than entering it again. And you can always delete an unnecessary hint - just select it (with the mouse or cursor) and press Delete on the keyboard.
As I said above, the new features of Windows 7 are best used together. The connection between search and libraries is not only in the display of results, but also in the formation of search conditions. In the next part of the article I will look at:
using filters to search libraries and mail
search in Internet Explorer 8
search in non-indexed places
search operators
In Windows 7, the search service does a pretty good job. By indexing computer files, search necessary information happens almost instantly. But, unfortunately, troubles happen. It happens that the search refuses to work and produces an error, for example, like this: Cannot find “search:query=information”. Check if the name is correct and try again .
I think that there is no need to rack your brains over the reasons for such an error. It will be much more effective to go directly to fixing the problem. I will give several ways to restore search functionality in order of their effectiveness.
1. First of all, you need to check if the service is running. To do this, click Start, right-click on the item Computer and in context menu choose Control.
In the window that appears, on the left, we need to select Services. In the list that opens, find and check the status - if the service is disabled, then you need to enable it.
To do this, in the service properties, click Launch, Startup type put - Automatically.
2. The second way is to perform a clean loading Windows. Its essence is that services and programs not related to work are disabled operating system. Windows boots “naked”, just like when you first start it. I wrote about how to perform a clean boot. If the search works during a clean boot, then the problem is in the installed programs.
3. Check the search parameters in folders. To do this we go to Control Panel and looking for Folders settings, then click on the link of the same name.
In the window go to the tab Search, and then press Restore Defaults, and then OK.
4. Check the indexing settings. IN Control panels we search and open.
There we press the button Change.
We check that all elements are ticked. Click OK.
Now go back to the window and press the button Additionally. Approximately in the middle of the window that appears there will be a button Rebuild- press it.
5. If there is a restore point, you can try to restore the system from the specified point. The problem is that not everyone sets up . But if it does exist, then this method may be the most effective.
6. Try creating a new user. Perhaps the existing profile has become corrupted and some have been deleted system files- anything can happen. If the search works under the new user, then it is no longer advisable to use the old profile.
I told you everything I remembered. If you know any other ways to “treat” search, then share them in the comments - perhaps your answer will be useful :).
Also read on this topic:
Searching for a file in Windows by its contents using the XYplorer program
Windows doesn't work Media Player. What to do?
How to create a restore point in Windows 7?
Missing Language bar in Windows 7. What should I do?
Automatic login in Windows 7. Setting up autologon
How to increase the page file in Windows 7
In order to find any object on your computer, just enter the name of the file or folder you need in the Start menu. The computer will search for all files containing this name in whole or in part. But this is not always enough to find everything necessary information on your computer. There are times when you need to find document(s) with certain words in the text, for example: “free computer courses”, but by default in Windows 7 this feature is disabled.
Setting up file search in Windows 7
To do this, open “Computer”, click on the “Arrange” button on the left and select “Folder and Search Options”.
After such a small setup, the search will work by file names, as well as by its contents.
Finding files in Windows 7 in practice [check]
Let's check if everything works correctly. To do this, open “Computer”, enter in the search field the word that you need to find in the files. For example, I chose the word “quality”. When you enter a word or phrase, the search will begin automatically (no need to click anything).
After the search completes the task on this word, files containing the word “quality” will appear below. You should also know that after searching for the information you need, you need to change the default settings (which were). This is due to the fact that the search will take much longer, since it searches not only the file name, but also its contents.
To quickly search by content in Windows 7, it is best to go to the folder where your file may be located and search from there.
When switching from Windows Vista, search only becomes more convenient and does not contain any special surprises. This cannot be said about many Windows XP users who are just discovering the daily use of the system with such a convenient tool as instant search. Searching in Windows 7 is really very simple. But, as in any search, the goal is to find what you need, and sometimes difficulties arise with this. With this article I begin a story about how search works in Windows 7, how to configure it, how to search, and most importantly, how to find.
How search works
You've most likely heard about an index - a set of files that contain various information about files and documents stored on disk. When you use search, it is the index files that allow you to quickly display results. The index includes various file properties, and this is not just the path, name or size. For example, all tags of MP3 files are indexed - from the author to the bit rate. For office documents, data is indexed, which can be seen in the file properties on the tab Details, document content, and so on. If this search is new to you, I recommend reading a couple of help articles to get some background information on searching. Minimize all windows, click F1 and in the field Search Help enter... Search.
Indexing happens constantly - if you add, delete or change a file in a folder, it will immediately be reflected in the index.
The screenshot shows the locations that are indexed by default. Therefore, if you store your documents somewhere in F:\Documents, they will not be included in the index and will not be found by a quick search - they must be added to the index separately. Setting up the search will be discussed below.
Search and indexing settings
To be honest, the standard search settings are quite good, and most users do not need to change anything in them, especially if documents and files are stored in standard folders. To configure settings, open the Start menu and type search options into the search box.
This is how we easily used one of the search features - quick access to control panel elements from the Start menu.
Change search options for files and folders
I will not duplicate the parameters that are clearly visible in the screenshot.
Please note the following points:
By default, search within a folder searches all subfolders
in non-indexed locations, only file names are searched and compressed files are ignored
you can use language search, i.e. compose search queries in a more fluent language - for example, last week's video (there will be a lot of unexpected results mixed in here, especially in localized versions)
Indexing options and Windows Search services
Here you can configure many more settings. To add folders to the index, click Change.
It is no coincidence that the Windows and Program Files folders are excluded from the search - they will greatly increase the size of the index, and will be of little practical use. Programs can already be found by searching in the Start menu - after all, the main menu is indexed by default.
Clicking Additionally, you get access to two groups of settings:
indexing technical parameters
indexing options for file types
In the first of them, you can add encrypted files to the index, rebuild the index (which may be necessary in case of problems) and set a new location for it.
For file type (extension) you can:
include or exclude it from the index
determine whether only properties or content will be indexed
add new extension
For example, if your instant messaging client suddenly saves history in text files with a LOG extension, or you just need to analyze logs, their contents will not be indexed by default. But you can easily customize the search - just type log on your keyboard to move through the list of extensions and enable content search.
How to search
When starting a search, it is advisable to immediately imagine whether the search object is included in the index. As I said above, the index covers the user's profile - libraries, files, etc. Here you can find the files you need relatively easily.
But if you open the main search window and expect to find something in the Program Files or Windows folder, you may generally get the impression that “the search finds nothing” because only the results from the index are displayed. We'll talk about searching in non-indexed places later, but now we'll look at general search methods in Windows 7. You can search:
from the Start menu
in the main search window
in libraries
in other Explorer windows - folders, "Open" and "Save As" dialogs
Search in the Start menu
When you search from the Start menu, the search results show not only files and documents, but also programs and Control Panel items. Now you can safely give up the Windows XP habit of carefully sorting applications in the menu Programs. It is enough to enter the first few letters of the program name to find it. This is much more convenient, especially if you have many programs installed.
Advice. If you use portable applications, simply add their shortcuts to the %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs folder (you can create a subfolder for them). They will appear in a group in search results Programs.
In Windows 7, search results in the Start menu are very conveniently grouped, and the number of results in each group is immediately visible - this point has been improved compared to Windows Vista. As you can see in the screenshot, a search for the word word finds not only Microsoft Word and WordPad applications, but also offers results in other groups.
The Start menu displays multiple results for each group, and clicking on the group name opens a search box with all the search results for the group.
Searching in the Start menu is good when you have an idea of the file name or its contents - the first 5 - 10 results are visible immediately, and you don’t have to look far. In addition, the Start menu is indispensable for quickly accessing programs and Control Panel items using search.
Main search window
A blank search window can be opened by pressing the keyboard shortcut WIN+F. It, in my opinion, has somewhat lost its meaning, since it no longer contains advanced file search capabilities. Searching in Explorer windows practically forces it out of the system. It seems to me that links to help on using search or a link to this article could brighten up its dull appearance.
However, the main search window still carries a payload. It opens with search results if you enter a query in the Start menu and click on the name of the search result group, or on View more results right above the search field.
Libraries
Now I will explain why I separated the search in libraries and other Explorer windows. Notice how library search results are displayed. They correspond to the type of files in it and are very well perceived visually. For example, for music files, the album cover, large song name, size are displayed, and there are also “musical” options for organizing the results. This is a property of all libraries, which confirms the thesis - the capabilities of Windows 7 are best used together. In this case, it is searching in libraries, which has other advantages.
This is what a simple library search will suggest: Music.
While in File Explorer, you can organize your search results by available file properties. The default display order is top scores, but, for example, you can organize music files by album or genre. This feature is available along with the traditional Explorer tools of sorting and grouping (although the latter may be new to Windows XP migrants).
In this case, the results will display several tracks from each album. You can view all the songs on an album, and then “fold” it if the one you need is not there.
If you don't find the file you need in the current folder, you can search again:
Other Explorer windows
In folders and libraries, the search field is the same as in the main window. But we must not forget that the same option is available in the “Open” and “Save As” windows, which are used even by those who prefer alternative file managers.
It is more convenient to search in folders when you know the approximate location of the file or document - in this case you will not get lost in the results. In addition, this method is useful when it is known for sure that the file is not included in the index. Finally, in the Open and Save As windows, you can quickly filter the contents of a folder using search.
I'm sure you've already tried simple search queries and you're probably completely satisfied with them. However, sooner or later you will need to find the file, and a simple query will not help with this. Next, I'll show you how to use Windows 7's advanced search capabilities to find the files you need.
New advanced search features in Windows 7
To master search, of course, you need to practice using its capabilities. In articles about Windows 7 search, I will give a number of examples that you can easily reproduce in your own home.
If you're upgrading from Windows XP, absolutely everything in your Windows 7 search will be new. Compared to Windows Vista, Windows 7 looks:
have changed search filters
Search filters
When you roughly know the name of a file or the topic of a document, finding the desired file is usually not difficult - you simply enter a partial or full query into the Start menu search. But this information is not always stored in the RAM of the brain, and it is simply often necessary to set special search conditions - size, modification date, or author of the file. Windows XP had a search assistant, Windows Vista had filters.
At first glance, there is nothing that stands out visually in Windows 7. In fact, filters are still there - they just become visible when you place your cursor in the search field.
Advice. To see more filters, expand the search field - position the cursor on the separator between the field and the address bar and drag to the left.
In the screenshot you see a standard set of filters in the main search window.
Hints
Your search queries are remembered if they were entered:
to the search window
in explorer folder or library
in the Start menu (assuming you navigated to results and didn't just open the file)
These prompts annoy some users, and they tend to turn them off immediately. And, in my opinion, they are doing it in vain. The tips remember not only search queries as such, but also filters searches that you specified - for example, the size or modification date of the file. Suggestions are very useful if you want to use the full power of Windows 7 search. It's easy to change the old condition to the current query, and it's faster than entering it again. And you can always delete an unnecessary hint - just select it (with the mouse or cursor) and press Delete on the keyboard.
As I said above, the new features of Windows 7 are best used together. The connection between search and libraries is not only in the display of results, but also in the formation of search conditions. In the next part of the article I will look at:
using filters to search libraries and mail
search in Internet Explorer 8
search in non-indexed places
search operators
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