How To Search Files In Windows 7

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This wikiHow teaches you how to search for files past their content instead of just their titles on a Windows computer. Y'all tin can easily exercise this on a case-by-instance basis by using a folder's search bar, or you can enable content searching for all searches.

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Open up the folder that you want to search. In gild to search a specific folder for a file'south contents, you lot'll showtime need to open that folder.
- For instance, if you wanted to search for a file within of the "Documents" binder, y'all'd open Documents.
2

Click the search bar. Information technology'south in the upper-right corner of the folder'south window.

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3

Enter the "content search" prompt. Blazon in content: into the search bar. Annihilation that y'all blazon after this prompt volition be used as a content search term.
4
Enter the content search term. Immediately afterwards the "content:" prompt, type in the word or phrase that you want to use to search the folders' files' contents.
- For case, if yous're looking for a file that has the phrase "An elephant never forgets" in its body, you lot would have content:an elephant never forgets in the search bar.
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Review the results. Each of the files in the search results will be indexed by content, meaning that you should come across your preferred file somewhere nearly the top of the window if you entered correctly the word or phrase.
- You lot can narrow your search results by typing in a longer or more singled-out phrase from the file that yous want to find.
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1

Open Starting time . Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. The Start carte will open up.
2

Type modify search options for files and folders into Start. The search bar is at the bottom of the Offset window. Doing this will search your reckoner for the option you'll need to change in order to search by contents.
iii
Click Change search options for files and folders . You'll find this most the top of the Beginning window.
- You might instead see Files and folders hither instead. If so, click that option.
iv
Bank check the "Ever search file names and contents" box. It's in the "When searching non-indexed locations" section of the window.
- If this box is already checked, file contents searching for Windows is currently enabled.
- You may first have to click the Search tab at the acme of the window.
5

Click Apply , then click OK . Both options are at the bottom of the window. Doing and then will salvage your settings and close the window; from this point on, Windows will search both for titles and for file contents.

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i

Open up Start . Click the Windows logo in the lesser-left corner of the screen.
ii

Type in change how windows searches. Yous'll do this in the search bar at the bottom of the Get-go window.
3

Click Change how Windows searches . Information technology should be near the summit of the Start window. Doing so opens the Indexing Options window.
4

Click Advanced . This option is at the lesser of the window. A pop-up window volition open.
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Click the File Types tab. You'll discover this option nearly the top of the window.
6

Select your preferred file type. Scroll through the listing of file types almost the pinnacle of the window until you observe the one that you lot desire to utilize, and then click the file blazon's name to select it.
7

Check the "Index Backdrop and File Contents" box. This pick is beneath the "How should this file be indexed?" heading near the bottom of the window.
8

Click OK . It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will save your changes and close the window. You should now exist able to search for your selected file type both by title and past contents.

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Question

When I search I get no results, what should I practise?

Change your keywords. Windows search isn't like Google. If you are searching, allow'south say, "password" and no results come up, try "passcode."
Question

This is non working on Windows 7; peradventure my Trend Micro software is blocking information technology. What could I practice?

Windows search is oft not working well, you tin can attempt other tools, such equally docfetcher, anytxt, dtsearch, etc.

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After updating your indexing options, you may accept to expect some time before your results will appear every bit expected, equally Windows must rebuild its index with the contents of the new files. Restarting your computer may assist expedite the process.

Enable file contents-searching may dramatically slow down your computer. This is because your computer must now search inside each file as opposed to scanning only the files' titles.

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Article Summary 10

i. Open a folder in which you want to search.
2. Click the search bar in the upper-right corner.
iii. Type "content" followed by your search give-and-take or phrase.
4. Review the results.

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