How to Use Advanced Search Options in Windows 10
Windows 10 allows you to run searches with advanced options that will make your searches more precise. Some of the ways you can do this are as follows:
Search with Filters
You can use filters to narrow down the search. Windows 10 will allow you to use date modified and file size as filters. To add a filter, click on the Search box in File Explorer. If you want to use Date modified, select it and then choose the date when the file was modified from the drop down menu. You can then add the Size filter and select the range in which your file falls. Now, enter the keyword and hit Enter.
Note that different folders will offer different filters, such as the Picture folder allowing you to use Date taken, Tags, and Type filters.
Search with Operators
You can use three operators, namely AND, OR, and NOT to refine your search. Always enter them using capitals and with more than one keyword. For example, "chocolate AND eggs NOT milk" will display all files that contain both chocolate and eggs but not milk. You can use a ? as a wildcard for one character, or an * for a number of characters. For example, if you want to search for all files with a jpeg extension, you would search for *.jpeg.
Searching with Keywords and Special Filters
You can use certain special filters that are more advanced than those offered in the search box. You'll have to type the keyword and then the correct operator. Some of these filters are as follows:
Windows 10 gives you the option to save searches, which is useful if you used lots of advanced filters to find files and would rather avoid going through that again. To save a search, when the results are displayed, click on Save Search from Search tab at the File Explorer. A dialog box will open, where you'll have to choose the folder where you want the search saved. Give it a name and save. By default, the search will be saved in the User Documents\Searches folder, but you can change the location if you want.
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Search with Filters
You can use filters to narrow down the search. Windows 10 will allow you to use date modified and file size as filters. To add a filter, click on the Search box in File Explorer. If you want to use Date modified, select it and then choose the date when the file was modified from the drop down menu. You can then add the Size filter and select the range in which your file falls. Now, enter the keyword and hit Enter.
Note that different folders will offer different filters, such as the Picture folder allowing you to use Date taken, Tags, and Type filters.
Search with Operators
You can use three operators, namely AND, OR, and NOT to refine your search. Always enter them using capitals and with more than one keyword. For example, "chocolate AND eggs NOT milk" will display all files that contain both chocolate and eggs but not milk. You can use a ? as a wildcard for one character, or an * for a number of characters. For example, if you want to search for all files with a jpeg extension, you would search for *.jpeg.
Searching with Keywords and Special Filters
You can use certain special filters that are more advanced than those offered in the search box. You'll have to type the keyword and then the correct operator. Some of these filters are as follows:
- System.FileName:~<"red" - will return files that start with red.
- System.FileName:="blue widget" - will return files with the exact blue widget string in their names.
- System.FileName:~="pro" - returns files that have pro in the name, either as a word or a string of characters.
- System.FileName: <>picture - will return files that aren't pictures.
- System.DateModified:04/28/2016 - will return files that were modified on that date.
Windows 10 gives you the option to save searches, which is useful if you used lots of advanced filters to find files and would rather avoid going through that again. To save a search, when the results are displayed, click on Save Search from Search tab at the File Explorer. A dialog box will open, where you'll have to choose the folder where you want the search saved. Give it a name and save. By default, the search will be saved in the User Documents\Searches folder, but you can change the location if you want.
Did you find this tutorial helpful? Don’t forget to share your views with us.