Skip to main content

#169 Find Files with Windows 7 Search

May 09, 2013

The search feature in Windows 7 can locate files and folders on your computer.  Here are some tips to get the most out of this feature by using search filters and operators.

The search feature in Windows 7 can be used to locate files and folders, go to specific locations, or run applications.  Here are some tips to get the most out of this feature:

 

  • Access Windows Search Using a Keyboard Shortcut

You can access Windows Search by just pressing the Windows Key (located next to Alt).

 

  • Use Filters to Refine Search Results

Search filters allow you to refine your search to files that meet specific criteria.  Some examples of commonly used filters are:

    • “datecreated:” find files that were created on, before, or after a specific date
    • “datemodified:” find files that were modified on, before, or after a specific date
    • “contents:” find files whose contents contain a particular phrase or word
    • “size:” find files that are larger, smaller, or equal to your given criteria

 

  • Use Operators to Combine Filters and Keywords

Operators can be used to combine keywords and filters for advanced searches.  Operators must be entered in capital letters.  Here are the three operators available:

    • AND - find files that meet both entered criteria
    • NOT - find files that meet the first entered criteria but not the second
    • OR - find files that meet either the first or second entered criteria

 

Here are some examples of search syntax that use filters and operators together:

    • datecreated:5/5/13 AND contents:”University of Pennsylvania”
      • This would search for all files created on 5/5/13 that contain the phrase “University of Pennsylvania”
    • size:>1GB NOT datemodified:today
      • This would search for files that are bigger than 1 GB that were not modified today

 

For more information on how to use filters and operators in Windows Search, please visit Microsoft’s Website.