Unlock File Explorer Search with These Pro Tips!

On Windows 11, locating files might seem like searching for a needle in a haystack at times, but it doesn’t need to be this way. Regardless if you’re trying to find a specific document, an image lost within folders, or a file hidden somewhere within your system, File Explorer‘s search function can prove to be quite potent – that is, provided you know how to use it effectively.

Instead of just typing a search query in the search box of File Explorer, you can utilize its advanced search functions for quicker and more precise searches. This includes using search filters, boolean operators, wildcards, adjusting indexing settings, and even tapping into hidden features to help streamline your file searching experience.

In this step-by-step tutorial, I’ll walk you through various methods to help you quickly locate files within the File Explorer on Windows 11.

How to search more efficiently on File Explorer

The File Explorer offers numerous features to help you conduct a more accurate search and locate your desired document, video, or photo with ease.

1. Press the Windows key + E on your keyboard to launch File Explorer.

2. Navigate to the desired folder for your search operation.

3. Follow the instructions below to execute the search:

Search with filters and operators

File Explorer supports advanced search filters that let you narrow down your results.

Basic filters

While in the search box, you can use these basic filters:

kind: – Searches for files based on their general type or category.
ext: –Searches for files based on their file extension.
date: – Searches for files based on their modification date.
size: – Searches for files based on their size.

Kind filter examples:

kind:document – Finds all document files (Word docs, PDFs, text files, etc.)
kind:image – Finds all image files (JPGs, PNGs, GIFs, etc.)
kind:video – Finds all video files (MP4s, AVIs, MKVs, etc.)
kind:music – Finds all music files (MP3s, WAVs, FLACs, etc.)
kind:folder – Finds only folders.

‘” with additional filters to make your searches more precise. To illustrate, using “type:image ext:.png” will help you locate only PNG image files specifically.

Ext filter examples:

ext:.pdf – Finds all PDF files.
ext:.docx – Finds all Microsoft Word documents.
ext:.jpg – Finds all JPEG image files.

When employing this filter, don’t forget to put a period (.) before the file type. Additionally, you can use several ‘ext:’ filters to hunt for files with various extensions. For instance, ‘ext:.jpg OR ext:.png’ will locate all JPEG and PNG image files.

Date filter examples:

date:today – Finds files modified today.
date:yesterday – Finds files modified yesterday.
date:last week – Finds files modified in the last week.
date:last month – Finds files modified in the last month.
date:2024-03-15 – Finds files modified on March 15, 2024.
date:>=2025-01-01 AND date:<=2025-02-01 – Finds files modified between January 1 and February 1, 2025.

In simpler terms, when defining date ranges for your searches, you can either utilize common terms like ‘today’, ‘yesterday’, ‘last week’ or specific dates in the YYYY-MM-DD format. Additionally, you can employ comparison operators such as ‘greater than or equal to’, ‘less than or equal to’, ‘greater than’, and ‘less than’ to narrow down your date range.

Size filter examples:

size:>100MB – Finds files larger than 100MB.
size:<10MB – Finds files smaller than 10MB.
size:10MB..100MB – Finds files between 10MB and 100MB in size.
size:tiny – Finds files smaller than 16KB.
size:small – Finds files between 16KB and 1MB.
size:medium – Finds files between 1MB and 128MB.
size:large – Finds files between 128MB and 1GB.
size:huge – Finds files between 1GB and 4GB.
size:gigantic – Finds files larger than 4GB.

Additionally, you have the option to employ comparison operators such as >=, <=, >, < to define size ranges. Furthermore, you can utilize shorthand notations like KB, MB, and GB which represent kilobytes, megabytes, and gigabytes respectively.

The real power of these filters comes from combining them. For example:

kind:document ext:.pdf date:last week – Finds PDF documents modified in the last week.
kind:image size:>5MB – Finds images larger than 5MB.
kind:video ext:.mp4 date:2025-01-01..2025-01-31 – Finds MP4 videos modified in January 2025.

Boolean operators

In addition to its standard functions, File Explorer allows users to incorporate logical operators such as ‘AND’, ‘OR’ and ‘NOT’. These simple terms function as connectors, enabling you to combine or exclude specific keywords during your search. This results in a more precise and fitting set of outcomes. For example:

* Using ‘AND’, you can search for multiple keywords at once, like “document AND budget”.
* Utilizing ‘OR’, you can broaden your search by finding files containing either of two keywords, such as “report OR statement”.
* Employing ‘NOT’, you can exclude specific terms from your search, for instance, “presentation NOT meeting”.

AND – report AND budget (files containing both words).
OR – report OR budget (files containing either word).
NOT – report NOT budget (files with “report” but not “budget”).

To clarify, remember that these operators are sensitive to capitalization. To find a document with both “BitLocker” and “Encryption”, make sure your search query reads “BitLocker AND Encryption”.

This function compares the query with details found in both the title and content of a file, thereby displaying relevant results.

Additionally, you can use multiple boolean operators to make your searches more intricate. Group related terms together using parentheses to influence the sequence of operations. Here’s an example: “(Either a report or a presentation) and the year 2025”.

Wildcards for partial matches

In File Explorer, wildcards serve as specific symbols that help locate files or folders even if you don’t know their precise name entirely.

asterisk (*) – report* (finds “report1”, “report_final”, etc.).
question mark (?) – f?le (finds “file” and “f1le”).

As a devoted enthusiast, I’d like to share my thoughts on the asterisk – a remarkable wildcard that truly outshines its counterparts! This symbol can stand in for any combination of characters, be it a single letter, multiple characters, or even nothing at all. To illustrate its versatility, let me provide an example: The asterisk (*) can replace any sequence in the pattern “user*”, making it match “users”, “usermail”, or even just “user”.

*.txt finds all files ending in “.txt” (like document.txt, notes.txt, etc.).
report* finds all files starting with “report” (like report2025.pdf, report_summary.docx, etc.).
*photo* finds all files containing “photo” anywhere in the name (like my_photos.jpg, summer_photos.png, etc.).

This wildcard represents any single character. For example:

file?.txt finds files like file1.txt, file2.txt, but not file12.txt.
report_202?.docx finds files like report_2025.docx, report_2024.docx, etc.

As an extra tip, you can use both * and ? in the same search term for more complex searches.

Additionally, when you’re looking for a particular phrase that contains a wildcard character, make sure to enclose the whole phrase within quotes. For instance, ““report*2025”” will retrieve files that begin with “report” and end with “2025“, but it won’t match files like “report2025“.

Lastly, remember to add the file extension to your search for a more focused outcome. For instance, using “*.jpg” can help you locate all JPEG image files.

Search by file properties

Instead of just searching for file names, you can also use specific properties inside the metadata.

Of course, this only works if the file includes the metadata you want. For example:

author:John – Finds files created by “John.”
tag:important – Finds files tagged as “important.”
title:project – Searches for documents with “project” in the title.

In simpler terms, metadata can be thought of as additional, hidden details embedded within your files. It’s like a mini-summary or description about the main content of the file, offering insights to help you comprehend, sort, and control your files more efficiently.

Typically, while dealing with files, an operating system and applications may provide details like creation and modification timestamps, creator, device name, among others. Nevertheless, it’s your responsibility to input extra information like the title, subject, keywords, ratings, classifications, and so on.

Another option for editing metadata is by right-clicking the file, selecting “Properties”, then navigating to the “Details” tab.

Search with advanced query syntax

In addition to using File Explorer’s basic search functions, you can enhance your search by employing more complex search syntaxes. Here’s an illustration:

Beyond the standard search options in File Explorer, you can elevate your searches with advanced search syntaxes. For instance:

datemodified:last week – Finds files changed in the past week.
content:Windows – Finds documents that contain the word “Windows.”
foldername:Projects – Searches inside a folder named “Projects.”

Search with File Explorer options

Should filters and operators seem a bit challenging, you can opt for the “Search Options” within File Explorer instead. This menu provides many of the same filtering and operator options demonstrated earlier, but without needing to recall any specific syntax. Instead, you merely select the type of search that suits your needs best.

To put it simply, when using File Explorer, navigate to the specific location where you wish to find a document, image, audio file, video, or folder.

In the search box, type the search query using keywords, such as “Windows 11,” and press “Enter.”

Handy hint: Whenever you need, simply use the ““Ctrl + F” ” keystroke combination to direct your attention to the search field in File Explorer.

On the search results screen, the File Explorer program will display the accessible search tools within the toolbar at the top.

Navigate to the “Search Menu” and select a filter or operator to fine-tune your search query. As an example, you might do this:

All subfolders – Performs a search in the current location and subfolders.
Current folder – Performs a search in the current location but doesn’t search inside the subfolders.

Some of the available filters include:

Date modified – Shows files changed in the time period you specified, such as “Today,” “Yesterday,” “This week,” and all the way to “Last year.”
Kind – Filters the result by the specified type, some of which include “Note,” “Music,” “Picture,” “Program,” “Folder,” “Game,” etc.
Size – Shows results based on the size you specified. For example, “Empty (0 KB),” “Tiny (0 – 16KB),” “Small (16KB – 1 MB),” “Medium (1 – 128 MB),” “Large (128 MB – 1 GB),” “Huge (1 – 4 GB),” and “Gigantic (>4 GB).”

Whenever you choose one of these filters, you’ll see the search phrase automatically adjust to reflect the correct syntax, similar to typing it yourself. This can aid in remembering the search term for future use.

Additionally, the “Search Options” menu offers flexibility in modifying certain characteristics of your search process. To illustrate, selecting the “System files” option expands the search to encompass outcomes from your operating system’s installation files as well.

When you select the “Compress (Zip) files” option, the File Explorer will scan within compressed (zip) files to match your search queries.

Lastly, when you opt for the “File Contents” choice, this handy tool delves into the files to uncover your specified search terms from within them. (First-person perspective: When I choose the “File Contents” option, it dives right into my files to locate the search terms I’ve specified.)

Save query for frequent searches

Instead of continuously re-running the same search query multiple times, consider saving it for quick access in the “Favorites or Quick Search” area. This way, you can quickly retrieve your preferred results with just a few clicks.

To keep a search within File Explorer for quick access, carry out a search, press the “‘Show more results’” button, then select the “‘Pin to Favorites’” option from the menu that appears.

After finishing the process, your search request will be saved as a favorite in the system. You’ll find it conveniently located in the “Quick Actions” area on the side menu page and also on your main dashboard.

Enabled enhanced Indexing

On Windows 11, the system is set to locate files and folders only within designated folders like Documents, Pictures, and Music. But if you wish to search for content across your entire computer, you’ll need to activate the “Advanced Search” feature.

Upgrading to the Advanced Search feature expands the database used for indexing and uses more system resources, enabling you to search all files on your computer in a single go.

As a researcher, I’d guide you through enabling the advanced search feature on Windows 11: Navigate to the Settings, then delve into Privacy & security, followed by Searching Windows. In the “Find my files” setting, opt for the “Enhanced” choice.

Search with AI (Copilot+ PCs)

Microsoft is additionally developing AI capabilities for the Windows Search interface, complementing its current search function, by incorporating the Semantic Indexing feature.

Semantic Indexing employs Natural Language Processing (NLP) alongside an on-device Phi Silica AI model to grasp the essence of your search query. Essentially, this innovative system allows you to hunt for files, settings, and other content using everyday language rather than specific keywords within the file itself.

As an analyst, I might rephrase it like this: When you search for “mountain bike” images, the system doesn’t necessarily need those exact words to appear in the photo’s content or metadata. Instead, it intelligently scans through the pictures using its Semantic Indexing system, recognizing and understanding the actual scenes within the photos themselves.

This functionality is currently being tested as a trial version, and because it necessitates a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), it will only be accessible on Copilot+ computers. Microsoft is evaluating this feature within the File Explorer, Start menu, and Settings application.

(Or)

The trial version of this functionality needs an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), which restricts its availability to Copilot+ PCs only. Microsoft is examining the feature in the File Explorer, Start menu, and Settings app on these computers.

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2025-02-07 17:17