Content search in windows 7. Advanced search in Windows or how to find a file in Windows? Regular expressions in grep

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Good afternoon friends! Today we will continue our lessons with the Windows 7 operating system and learn another secret - how to properly configure and search for files in windows 7.

It would seem that there is such a thing? The search engine is the search engine. I switched to 7 about a year ago. And to be honest, in XP I tried not to use the built-in search engine. Absolutely uncomfortable. Yes, and what you need either does not find, or finds, but the process is sometimes delayed for several hours.

From the 7-ki, I really did not expect anything. But, just the other day, this OS pleasantly surprised me. I needed to search for one file in Windows 7, I did not remember its exact name, but I typed part of the name .. and got my file in less than 2-3 seconds. Now I use only the built-in search engine.

indexing service in windows 7

Microsoft developers did a good job. The search tool in Windows 7 compares favorably with previous operating systems of this family not only in quality, but also in search speed.

My favorite browser is Chrome, so its search mechanism is very similar to that in Windows 7. The search starts when you enter the first characters. In addition, there is a hint system based on the history of previous requests. If there are too many results for a search query, the system suggests using dynamic filtering by various criteria - date, file size, type, etc.

The basis of such an effective work of the OS search engine is a special indexing service. It starts with the operating system, works in the background, creates a special database of information about files. Updating and restoring the index in case of any failure also occurs automatically, without user intervention.

It should be noted that for the operation of this service, the OS allocates a certain system resource. In order for the service to work efficiently, but not to the detriment of other programs, it must be configured correctly. We will definitely talk about this today.

Instant file search in windows 7

In 7-ke there are two ways to instantly search for files.

1. Search using the start menu. Click on the “Start” button and enter the required search query in the search field at the bottom. For example "Christmas trees".

In the process of entering data, search results will be displayed directly in the “Start” window. It should be noted that the search is also carried out by the contents of the files.

If there are too many results, and you want to see them in more detail, click on the "View more results" button.

The Search Results window will open. The files here are already sorted by type and the search query is highlighted in yellow.

You can refine your search. To do this, scroll the list of search results to the very end.

And in the “Repeat search in:” section, select the appropriate option.

If you assume that the file you are looking for is in the OS Library, then select this option.

If you know approximately what folder to search in, select the “Other…” option and specify a specific folder to search.

If you want to search on the Internet, then click the "Internet" button.

If you want to repeat the search on the entire computer, then click on the “Computer” button. By default, the indexer goes through all files except OS system files and program files. This allows you to increase search speed and reduce the size of the indexer base. But really, how often do we look for system files? It's not often. By selecting the “Computer” option, the system will repeat its search, but only more thoroughly and, accordingly, will take a longer period of time.

2. The second instant search option is to search in the “Windows Explorer” window. The principle of operation is about the same.

Configuring the Indexing Service

1. Go to “Start” –> “Control Panel” –> then in the search area, enter “indexing” –> select the “Indexing Options” section.

2. In the window that appears, you will see all the folders on which the indexing service works. If you want to exclude any folder from the search (for example, you know that one of the partitions of your hard drive is used for backup, then, in principle, you can remove it from this list), click the "Change" button.

And uncheck the box next to the folder that you want to remove from the search engine. Next, click the “OK” button.

3. Next, click on the “Advanced” button. In the window that opens, on the “Indexing Options” tab, uncheck all two items. In 99% of cases, we do not need these functions, and therefore there is no need for an additional load of the indexing service.

4. If you want to move the index base from the system partition of the hard disk to another partition in order to free up free space on the disk, then for this you need to specify a new folder in the “Index location” section on the same tab.

Do not forget to restart the indexing service or simply restart the computer to successfully change the location of the index database.

5. Next, go to the “File Types” tab and edit the list of file types, leaving only the most significant (with which you work). Thus, you will significantly reduce the load on the system. By default, the indexing service handles almost all file types that are used.

6. Finally, decide how the indexing service handles files.

If you select “Index only properties”, then the indexer will only process the file name and its metadata (size, type, creation date).

If you select the “Index file properties and content” option, then the document will be completely processed, including its contents. This will take longer and require additional system resources, but will increase the likelihood of search accuracy.

The choice is yours, my dear reader.

Next, click the “OK” and “Close” buttons.

Today we looked at the features of the Window 7 search service and how to configure it. In the next article, I will share with you another interesting tool (though from a third-party developer) that allows you to search adapted to the Russian-speaking population, taking into account declensions and cases.

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 the given name in whole or in part. But this is not always enough to find all the necessary information on your computer. There are times when you need to find a document(s) with certain words in the text, for example: “free computer courses”, but by default in Windows 7 this feature is disabled.

Configuring File Search in Windows 7

To do this, open the “Computer”, click on the “Organize” button on the left and select “Folder and Search Options”.

After such a small adjustment, the search will work on file names, as well as on its contents.

Searching for files in Windows 7 in practice [verification]

Let's check if everything works correctly. To do this, open the "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 start automatically (no need to press anything).

After the search completes the task on the given word, files will appear below where the word “quality” occurs. You should also be aware that after finding 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 for the file name, but also for its contents.

For a quick search in Windows 7 by content, it is best to go to the folder where your file may be located and search from there.

Many novice users are interested in how to find a file on a computer. Windows 7 or any other operating system is not so 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. All of them are very simple. But you will have to not only study them, but also 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 familiar with the computer at all.

About search

The first thing you should pay 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. You do not have to download additional programs that help you search for information on your PC.

How to find a file on a computer? Windows 7 or any other version of the operating system is not so important. You need to understand that the process is extremely simple. It is enough to know the name of the file or folder that you want to find. And do not succumb to offers on the Web that supposedly allow you to quickly search for information on your computer. It has already been said - no additional programs are needed for this!

Location address

How to search for files in Windows 7? As soon as the data gets to the computer, they are 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.

Usually it consists of the name of the hard disk partition on which the document is located, followed by the path to the desired object. It is made up of folders. For example: C:/Windows/system32/drivers/etc/host/.

Accordingly, the "host" document is located in the etc folder, which is placed in drivers. That, in turn, is located in a folder called "system32", located in Windows on the hard disk partition C. If you know the exact location of the document, you can quickly find it. That is why some recommend to learn or file. It can be used in the future. But more on that later. First, you should 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 simply there is not the slightest idea about how exactly the subject of the search is called. We are talking about self-detection of the document in the operating system. It is enough just to study the files and folders on the computer, to think about exactly where this or that document can 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 address of the location, you can simply navigate to it. On the computer, the user searches for the hard disk section he needs and the folder in which the document is located. Next comes the opening of the latter. Inside, a specific file is manually searched.

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 to find a file on a computer? Windows 7 offers one tricky and interesting trick. It will only work if 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. Next, copy the address of the file into the address bar and press Enter. A folder will open in which this or that document or another folder is attached.

That is, when you want to find 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 desired document. Nothing difficult or special. But so far, situations have been considered in which the address is either exactly known, or it is known approximately. What if there is no such information?

Through "Start"

How to find files on a Windows computer (XP, 7, 8, 10 - it's not that important)? In general, you need to use the standard function of the operating system. It's called "Search". It is sufficient to know the name of the document to be found.

The first way to do a real quick search is to use the Start bar. How does the idea come to life with this opportunity? 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.
At the bottom of the service there is an empty field with a magnifying glass. In some operating systems there is an inscription "Search programs and files". It is required to click there once with the left mouse button.
A slider cursor will appear. 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 to do 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 the root folder where the document can be located.
In the upper right corner, find the field with the image of a magnifying glass.
Type the address or document name.
View search results.

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

Filters

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

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

In this situation, it is suggested:

Perform a search in a particular folder.
Click on the search bar in the upper right corner of the window.
Mark the necessary 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 a document type. In the case of host, this is .txt.
Press Enter and look at the output again.

Accordingly, all documents and files that match all search parameters will appear on the screen. This is how the implementation of the built-in Windows function for quickly detecting the necessary software is carried out.

Search Service

Now it's clear how to find the file on the computer (Windows 7). But there is another scenario. You can invoke a separate search service on your computer. To do this, you need to press a certain 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 must press Enter and wait for the results. You can work with search filters in advance. This will reduce the returned results.

By content

There is one last trick. It's called "search inside files and folders in Windows 7". Many users are familiar with it. To make it a reality, you need:

Open a particular document/folder.
Press Ctrl+F.
In the field that appears on the right side of the screen, type the name of the document/folder/word.
Press "Enter".

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

In this article, we will discuss searching for files on a computer, and in particular, we will look at searching for files in Windows 7.

If you have a Windows XP operating system, then the note is more suitable for you: ""

Searching for files on a computer may be needed when the information on the computer is not organized into folders with the appropriate name, so that you can easily find it.

But also the search for files and folders is quite convenient when, simply knowing the name of a file or folder, you want to find it (or it) faster.

So, consider the search for files and folders in Windows 7.

Finding files in Windows 7 via the Start menu

To find a file or folder on your computer, click the button Start, where we immediately see a field for information search ( Find programs and files):

Enter a word or part of a word in the search field
We immediately get the search result in the form shown in the picture:

Moreover, all folders and files that have such a name, or this word, which is part of the phrase of the file or folder, will be found. And also files will be shown, inside of which (for example, in the text of the contents of the file) the given word is present.

Let's move on to the next way to search for files on a computer in Windows 7.

Advanced search for files and folders in Windows 7

In the above method, searching for files and folders on a computer can produce a large list of results in which it is difficult to immediately find what we are looking for, so you can use the additional search option.

As shown in the picture above under the number 3, we can click on the link: See other results. All search results will be presented and if you scroll to the end of the list, you can find additional features that allow you to:

Narrow your search to a specific folder or library;
Filter search by some parameters

In search it looks like this:

The second possibility (search filter) is especially interesting, because if you use the filter Type, you can find the desired file by extension, such as a photo, jpg extension, video file, avi extension, etc. That is, choosing from the proposed list of file formats, you can find the desired file of the desired type.

Thus, you can very conveniently and quickly search for files on your computer.

By the way, searching for files in Windows 7 can also be called up by pressing the keys simultaneously Win+ F:

To better understand how file search works in Windows 7, try to find something on your computer right now and then write in the comments - did it work out?

By the way, in this article we looked at how to find files using the standard Windows search. If there are difficulties with finding files with a standard tool, I recommend using a third-party tool that allows you to find files instantly!

Finding files can be difficult for novice users and take a long time. In this article, we will look at all the ways to search for files on a computer.

Important: Search results through the Start menu display not only files, but search results will also display Windows system commands of the same name. For example, entering the search query "cmd" will result in a command (program) that launches the command line.

Main search box

Explorer window

The next way to find files is to use any explorer window. To search for files using Explorer, you must make a request to the appropriate section of any open window (for example, “My_computer”).

This method is more convenient than the others because, using Explorer, you can search for files directly inside the specified (open) hard disk partitions (folders) without the need to enter the appropriate restrictions through the search filter. What is significantly the file search process.

Search filters

In addition to how you find files, it's also important how you can narrow your search results to find exactly the file you're looking for. This is done through the use of special search filters, you can use them when looking for files in the explorer window. Since the submariner uses the most filters that filter out unnecessary search results.

Search settings

Sometimes the search is unable to find the file of interest, this happens if it is located inside an unindexed hard disk partition. This can be fixed if you configure, expand the search parameters. To do this, follow the instructions below.

Search Operators

Operators are symbols/words that include additional options for filtering search results. In other words, these characters are used to quickly filter out results, similar to how it is done in Internet search engines (Yandex, Google, Yahoo).

The most popular operators:

Quotes "" - finds files containing the exact phrases of the search query in the name (for example, "rules of the game");
Asterisk * - finds files of the extension specified after the asterisk (for example - *.doc);
Logical "AND" "AND or +" - finds files containing all the listed words, between which "AND or +" is written. (for example - "rules + game + football", "rules AND football + game");
Matching relative to the specified file parameters >, 1GB, color depth:
Exact value = - searches for files equal to the specified parameters (for example - dimensions:>="800 x 600");

Reference

If after reading the article you have any questions regarding the search for files, then you can find answers to them in the specially created help section of the operating system. The help menu will open after pressing the F1 key. For information on searching for files, enter the search term - "search".

This way you will find all Windows help topics related to file search.