How to find what you need in a search engine. Advanced search in Windows or how to find a file in Windows? Search with some missing words

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In the era of digital technologies and high-speed Internet, you can find out any information. In a few minutes we find recipes for a delicious cake or get acquainted with the theory of particle-wave dualism.

But often you have to sow the necessary information bit by bit and spend more than one hour on it. site collected for you the most effective ways to help you find precious materials in a couple of clicks.

1. Either one or the other

Sometimes we are not exactly sure that we have memorized or heard the necessary information correctly. No problem! Just enter some suitable options using the "|" or the English "or" and then select the appropriate result.

2. Search by synonym

As you know, the great and mighty Russian language is rich in synonyms. And sometimes it doesn't work at all. If you need to quickly find sites on a given topic, and not just a specific phrase, put the "~" symbol.

For example, the results of the query "healthy ~ food" will help you learn about healthy eating principles, introduce you to healthy recipes and foods, and suggest eating healthy restaurants.

3. Search within the site

4. Strength of the sprocket

When an insidious memory fails us and hopelessly loses words or numbers from a phrase, the "*" sign comes to the rescue. Just put it in place of the forgotten snippet and get the results you want.

5. Lots of missing words

But if not one word, but half of the phrase fell out of memory, try to write the first and last words, and between them - AROUND (the approximate number of missing words). For example, like this: "I loved you AROUND (7) not quite."

6. Time frame

Sometimes we desperately need to get acquainted with the events that happened in a certain period of time. To do this, add a time frame to the main phrase, spelled out with ellipses. For example, we want to know what scientific discoveries were made between 1900 and 2000.

Many novice users are wondering how to find a file on a computer. Windows 7 or any other operating system is not that important. The principle of searching for documents on a computer is approximately the same. Especially when it comes to the Windows platform. In general, there are quite a few options for action. They are all very simple. But you will not only have to study them, but also to understand some of the features of the search. So how to find file and folders in Windows 7? What does the user need to know about this process? Perhaps, this procedure is subject even to those who are not yet familiar with the computer at all.

About search

The first thing worth paying attention to is that the search in Windows is carried out, as a rule, without additional software. This is a standard feature found in all operating systems Oh. You do not have to download additional programs to help you find information on your PC.

How do I find a file on my computer? Windows 7 or any other version of the operating system is not that important. You need to understand that the process is extremely simple. It is enough to know the name of the file or folder you want to find. And do not fall for offers on the Web, which supposedly allow you to quickly search for information on your computer. It has already been said - additional programs you don't need to!

Location address

How do I search for files in Windows 7? As soon as the data reaches the computer, it is assigned a special address. It is on it that information is searched for. All documents in the operating system have a similar component. There is not a single file without an address on the computer.

It usually consists of a section title hard disk, on which the document is located, then the path to the desired object is indicated. It consists of folders. For example: C: / Windows / system32 / drivers / etc / host /.

Accordingly, the "host" document is located in the etc folder, which is located in drivers. That, in turn, is in a folder called "system32", located in Windows on the partition of the hard drive C. If you know the exact location of the document, you can quickly find it. This is why some recommend finding out or file. It can be used in the future. But more on that later. First, you need to figure out how to find the file on your computer (Windows 7).

Manually

The first method is well suited when either the location of the document is known, or there is simply not the slightest idea of how exactly the search subject is called. It is about self-detection of a document in the operating system. It is enough just to examine the files and folders on the computer, to think exactly where this or that document may be located. This method is called Extremely unstable. But if the user at least roughly guesses where this or that information can be stored, such a solution can help.

If you know the exact location address, you can simply follow it. On the computer, the user searches for the partition hard disk and the folder in which the document is located. Further, the opening of the latter takes place. Inside, a specific file is searched for manually.

Exact jump to address

But this is only the first scenario. In practice, it is not often used if the user is not sure about the location of the document. How do I find a file on my computer? Windows 7 offers one tricky and interesting trick. It will only work when the exact location of the document is known.

It is not at all necessary to manually open all the folders in which the file is attached. If you have the exact location address, you can quickly open the source of the document. The best way to do this is to open Libraries. Further in address bar copy the file address and press Enter. A folder will open, in which a particular document or another folder is attached.

That is, when you need to find a host, you need to copy the inscription "C: /..../ etc" into the address bar. Then the etc folder will open, in which you will need to manually find the required document. Nothing difficult or special. But so far, situations have been considered in which the address is either known for sure, or they know about it approximately. What if there is no such information?

Through "Start"

How do I find files on a Windows computer (XP, 7, 8, 10 - this is not so important)? In general, it is required to use the standard function of the operating system. It is called "Search". It is enough to know the name of the document to be found.

The first way is real quick search is the use of the Start panel. How is the implementation of the idea in life with this opportunity carried out? The user must adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

Click on the "Start" button in the left corner of the screen. A small menu will open.
There is an empty field with a magnifying glass at the bottom of the service. On some operating systems, it says "Find programs and files". It is required to click there once with the left mouse button.
A slider cursor appears. In the field you need to type the name of the file, program or folder.
Press Enter and wait for the results.

Nothing else is needed. A few seconds of waiting - and the results will appear on the monitor. Perhaps the use of "Start" is the most common option. But there are other ways as well. Searching for files on a computer in Windows 7 is carried out by different methods.

Through additional windows

You can implement the idea within a specific folder. This is not as difficult as it seems. Usually, the method helps when the user knows the approximate location of the document.

It is required to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

Open root folder in which the document can be located.
Find a field with a magnifying glass in the upper right corner.
Type the address or name of the document.
See the search results.

For example, the situation will look like this: the user opens the partition of the C drive, then in the explorer finds the inscription "Search: Local drive (C :)". In this field, you need to write host and wait until all documents that contain given word... Further, among the entire list, a specific document is manually searched for.

Filters

But that's not all. How to quickly find a file on your computer? Windows 7 or any other version of Windows is not that important. Anyway, when it comes to newer Windows types... You can use one trick. It will help you quickly find what you need among the results. The method builds on the previous method. It is about specifying search parameters.

The fact is that if you do not use filters, then often during the search you will have to look through a lot of documents and folders. It is clear how to find the file on the computer. How do I find the right one among the search results?

In this situation, it is proposed:

Search for a particular folder.
Click on the search bar in the upper right corner of the window.
Mark the required filters and set their parameters. In this case, the name of the file or folder does not need to be erased. For example, you can select the type of document. In the case of host, this is .txt.
Press Enter and look at the results again.

Accordingly, the screen will display all documents and files that meet all the search parameters. This is how the implementation of the built-in Windows functions quick detection of the required software.

Search service

Now it is clear how to find the file on the computer (Windows 7). But there is one more scenario. You can call a separate search service on your computer. To do this, you need to press a specific key combination. Then it will scan and search the entire operating system.

When using the standard function, you can follow the algorithm:

Press Win + F. A window with a bluish background will open. This is the standard Windows search engine.
The name of a file or folder is typed into the search bar (upper right corner, field with a magnifying glass).
The user has to press Enter and wait for the results. You can work with the search filters in advance. This will shorten the reported results.

By content

There is one more last trick. It's called "searching inside files and folders in Windows 7". Many users are familiar with it. To bring it to life, you need:

Open this or that document / folder.
Press Ctrl + F.
In the appeared field on the right side of the screen, type the name of the document / folder / word.
Click on "Enter".

This method is often used when working with Word. It not only helps to search for data in the text, but also facilitates the search for documents.

For a long time working with a computer, a huge number of files and documents accumulate on it. In order not to clutter up the desktop, files are transferred to other storage locations. As a result, a huge number of folders, subfolders appear and it becomes more and more difficult to find the required file. After all, it is difficult to remember which "new folder" it is in. Fortunately, windows has a built-in handy search system that will help you find a file on your computer, even if you don't remember its exact name.

Search files on PC with Windows XP / Vista / 7

If you can't find the file you need, the first thing to do is to look on the desktop in the system folder "Trash". Suddenly you accidentally deleted it, and because of this you cannot find it in your usual place. It is better to check right away so that you do not clear all files later by permanently deleting the information. Although, in fact, information deleted from the trash can be restored using special programs... But this is a completely different topic, so if you're interested, read this article.

To find files on a Windows XP computer, do the following:

Give the command "Start - Search".
Click on "Files and Folders" to launch the Find Files and Folders Wizard.
Select a category such as Video. You can select one, several or all categories at once. Click the Find button.

Windows will find all the above files on any partitions of the PC disk and external storage devices (including network). For example, when you put together all the movies and videos, it's time to use a search, for example, only video files. It is also worth refining the search in order to quickly find a specific file by entering at least part of its name.

The asterisk character replaces any number of letters and numbers in the file name. For example, instead of the keyword "asterisk", you can enter "z * ka" - all variants of this word in the name of the searched file will be interrogated, for example, a file named "No sound.mp3". Specifying only the filename extension, e.g. * .docx will find all your Word documents in this format, for example, the file "resume.docx".

It is also permissible to schedule a file search on a Windows PC in hidden files and folders.

To find files by keyword in a document, do the following:

Give the already familiar command "Start - Search" and in the column "Word or phrase in the file" specify a keyword, for example, "abstract".
Specify the extension in the file name, for example, ".doc".
Also specify the search location, for example, drive C. Select the desired options, for example, search in hidden and system folders, and click the "Find" button.

All documents containing the word "abstract" in the DOC file format will be found.

How to find files on Windows 8 / 8.1 / 10 / 10.1 PC

By updating Windows version by 8 or 10, the user will notice that the search tools are collected and configured more conveniently than in previous versions this OS. Although at first it can be inconvenient to use them.

Search files on PC by name

Give the command "This computer - Search" (search tab). In the search bar windows windows enter part of the file name (or the entire name if you remember). Press "Enter" on your keyboard.
The required file (or files) will be found (or will be found).

Search for files by name extension

Remembering the filename extension you were working with, you can find it by it. For example, archive files most often they have the extension .rar or .zip, program files (including installation packages) - .exe or .msi, etc. As a result, when searching for files by extension, you will most likely find that you are missing.

It happens that you do not remember the file extension, since the Windows system does not display any file extensions by default. To enable them, do the following:

Give the command "Start - Control Panel - Folder Options".
Go to the command "View - Options - Change settings for files and folders".
Uncheck "Hide extensions for registered file types." For more experienced users the function "Hide protected system files».
Press the "Apply" and "OK" buttons in sequence.

Windows Explorer will restart and display the file extensions. Having compared the desired file with the extensions of similar files (by the type of the file icon), enter its extension into the already familiar search bar and press the "Enter" key. Windows system will find the missing file.

For example, a video in AVI format has disappeared. Open the familiar file search bar and enter the .avi file extension. Press the "Enter" key and browse the found files.

Search for files by occupied disk space

Having guessed that, for example, a two-hour movie has a large size, for example, a video file in UltraHD format (ripped from a Blu-Ray disc), you can enter, for example, a command to search for files larger than 10 GB.

In Windows, the command format for searching a file by size is used: "System.Size:> size_in_megabytes". For example, in this case it will be the "System.Size:> 10240MB" command.

With a high degree of probability, this movie will be found, for example, on an external (network) drive.

How to find hidden files

To get access to hidden files, enable the function of showing them.

Switch to the already familiar Windows folder settings window.
Give the already familiar command to change folder and search settings.
Enable the option "Display hidden files, folders and disks ".
Click the Apply and OK buttons.

Repeat the search for the file using the already familiar attributes: name and / or its extension, size, etc.

Search files by keywords

Keywords in the content of the file (letters, documents, books, etc.) can be specified directly in the "File name" field. So if you are looking for course projects, and write in the file name - "course".

Windows will display the files containing the keywords (or phrases) that are present.

Third-party file finders

Functional file manager endowed not only with the built-in Windows "Explorer". In the past, these were programs Norton / Volkov Commander, Far File Manager, Total commander, File Explorer and their counterparts.

Search for files by example with Total Commander

Text documents, regardless of their formatting, Total Commander searches by name, size and keywords (or phrases).

Windows will find the files it is looking for.

Find file on PC under Windows control- not a problem. The main thing is that you do not erase it irrevocably using other applications for this purpose. System Windows already has the necessary tools to search for files, folders and disks, but if for some reason it does not suit you, use a third-party file manager, which may contain additional functions for finding files on disks.

The large capacity of modern discs allows you to store many documents or multimedia files. Therefore, without initially subjecting your directories to a certain structuring, you can get complete chaos on your hard disk. If this has already happened, and you have forgotten the location of any files, it will be difficult to find them, not knowing how to use the built-in search of the operating system.

Search by file name

Knowing the name of the document, you will greatly facilitate your task and after a short period of time you will already see the file you are looking for on your computer screen. There are several ways to find it by name in Windows 7.

Through the start menu

There is a search box in the start menu of the operating system. To find the required document through this field, you must:

Click on the "Start" button.
Find a field.
Enter the name by which the search will be carried out.
Read the proposed results.

After entering the proposed name of the document, you will immediately be presented with a list of found files:

In this case, Windows 7 was looking for a document called "Agency". As you can see from the previous screenshot, the first suggested option is the desired file.

How to find in a folder?

There is another way to find documents. Each directory of Windows 7 Explorer has a corresponding field:

Therefore, knowing the name of the file and its location, you can:

Open the desired folder in the explorer.
Enter the name of the document in the field.
Get the result.

In this example, the search was performed using the Biology template. As a result, the following files and folders were found:

Knowing the location of the object is not necessary. It simply speeds up the search for files by the operating system. Because modern computers have high productivity, the duration of finding the necessary information with a known location and with an unknown one practically does not differ. If you have no idea in which folder and even on which disk the file is saved, you can search all over your computer:

Additional filters

With a common file name, you run the risk of seeing several thousand options that complicate the choice of the desired document. If you know the date the file was modified or its size, you can specify them when searching (by entering a template in the field, you will see the proposed filters):

You can also scroll down the found list and limit the search range by clicking the "Other" button:

After such a click, Windows 7 will display the settings window:

In this window, you must:

Mark the necessary folders in which the search will be carried out.
Confirm the selection with the "OK" button

After the performed actions, the number of found items in the list will significantly decrease, so it will become much easier to find the one you need.

How to find inside files?

The above methods make it easier to search by name. But what if you don't know the name? In this case, you should know approximately the text of the document you are looking for. Windows 7 can find files by their contents. Such a function was not introduced in vain, because it is easier for a computer user to remember what is inside a document than to try to recall its name in memory.

By default, this method of finding files is disabled in the operating system. To enable it, you must:

Open "Computer" in Explorer.
Press and release the ALT button (this action allows the top horizontal menu to appear, which is normally hidden in its normal state).
Select the "Service" item.
Go to the sub-item "Folder options".

After clicking the mouse on the specified submenu, Windows 7 will display the following window:

In it, you must:

Go to the "Search" tab.
Check the box responsible for scanning the contents of objects;
Confirm the changes with the "Apply" button.

The procedure is shown in the following screenshot:

This method significantly slows down the search for the desired object, but sometimes it is simply irreplaceable (for example, if several people use the computer). Therefore, if you do not want to wait and do not want to waste time scanning inside all documents, you can enable or disable this option at your discretion. After changing the settings, the file search is carried out according to the same scheme as described above, without any changes.

An example of finding a document by its content

You can find an object by any phrase, but it is especially easy to search for a file with poems. After all, it is easier to remember a line from a poem than a phrase from an accounting report. However, in the second case, a few of the most common words in the document will help you find any report.

For example, somewhere you have a document with Shakespeare's sonnets, and you remember the phrase from one sonnet: "Will you compare me." To find this collection on your computer, you need:

Open "Computer" in the explorer.
Go to the required folder (if known).
Enter the phrase you remember in the search field.
Get the result.

In this way, any information is found, provided that it is saved on your disk.

Starting to use new system I think you may have encountered the fact that the search for files in Windows 7 is organized a little differently, unlike other operating systems. Now I will tell you about where in Windows 7 search, and also take an example, find files in Windows 7.

Configuring Search in Windows 7

Windows 7 has a built-in search bar that lets you find not only menu programs by name, but also files and folders. I should note that not all files are searchable, but only indexed, that is, those that have been assigned a special number by the system, which is called an "index". If your files and folders are located in standard folders, then you do not need to configure indexing.

To make the settings, open the "Start" menu and type "search parameters" and in the results select "Change search parameters for files and folders."

In the "Search" tab, the parameters should be as in the picture below.

I do not advise you to choose a search by file name, although at first glance this seems like a good idea, in practice it will lead to the fact that the search will not only be incredibly long, but will also return a lot of extraneous results, which means it will not be effective. In this window, all the settings are set optimally, there is no need to change anything.

Now, similar to the previous case, we find it in the "Indexing Options" menu. In the window that opens, click "Change" and now we can select all your data folders for indexing. Do not choose system Windows folders, select only the data that you need. You don't have to choose like Plyushkin. What if it comes in handy !?

Another useful customization feature is customization of indexing by extension. Click the "Advanced" button and select the "File Types" tab. Here you can add indexing of the content of the files that you will search by content. For example, you want to search documents by content. Click on "doc" and select "Index file properties and contents" at the bottom.

Now that you have everything set up, you can click "OK" and "OK" again to save the results and start searching in Windows 7 in practice!

Search in the Start Menu

In the previous paragraph, we easily found required programs in the start menu using the search bar, I will only add that now that your indexing system is set up, you can search not only programs, but everything required files and folders, and they will be conveniently grouped by type.

To consolidate, so to speak, the material, let's repeat the steps that have already been voiced in the article. To start the search, you need to click on Start and enter the word or phrase of the item at the very bottom.

Search using Windows Explorer

In the previous chapter of the article, you could have opened the search box from the start menu, the same effect can be achieved by opening "File Explorer" or "Computer". You will see a search bar at the top right of the window. You can enter the file name, part of the content of the files or their extension, for which you have previously configured content search.

But this is not all the possibilities. You can enter various filters there: type, modification date, author, and others. You can see the filters by placing the cursor in the search field in one of the "Libraries" folders, the wider the field, the more filters are visible. Each of the Libraries folder has its own filters, such as the length of the music file or the date the picture was taken.

You can also see that now the search results can be sorted by choosing a method in the upper right corner of the window, and by scrolling down the results to the end, you can repeat the search in other folders of the "Libraries".

And finally, I will add that a similar file search in windows 7 is available everywhere. You can open any folder and start searching in it. And this is very convenient!

For those considering switching to Windows 8: