If your business uses laptops or PCs, you’ll probably be used to saving and searching for files in Windows. Depending on what version you have, you might find that there are a few ways to locate the files you want.
Below, we look at how to search for files in Windows 10 and 11 to give you insight into the easiest method. Plus, we explore other options that can make life simpler.
Windows 11 is the latest operating system and was released in October 2021. In this version, there are a few ways to find your files, including:
On your taskbar is a search icon (a magnifying glass). Clicking on this brings up a search box. In this box, type the name of the document you want to find, and this will filter results from your PC and OneDrive (cloud-based storage).
In the results, you can also filter down further by clicking specific file types. So, if you’re looking for a document, select the Documents tab.
Another way to locate files is via File Explorer. You can find this on the taskbar or right-click on the start menu, choose File Explorer, and search location.
From here, you can search for files via the Home tab. This will bring up files on your PC and OneDrive. If you know the folder your file is in, you can search via this, for example, in Downloads.
However, if you want to do an in-depth and slower search, go to This PC instead of the Home tab.
If you have the older version of Windows, version 10, it has similar pathways to find your files.
The taskbar will have a search icon, and you enter the search term in this. The results will show from the PC and OneDrive, but they are listed under Best Match.
Like Windows 11, this search starts with a right-click on the Start Menu or clicking on the File Explorer tab in the taskbar and selecting where to search in the search pane.
Unless you know the file name, finding what you’re looking for can be tricky. However, Windows does have some shortcuts if you know where to look. For example, you can search by date modified or created, or the file type with search terms such as:
Before settling on a library software system, there are a few things to consider:
However, if you don't know these elements, it’s back to a manual search.
Depending on how many files you have, it can take some time to find what you want in Windows. However, there is a great alternative to make life easier – DAM software. This tool provides a central hub for digital assets and is searchable by file name, content keywords and tags. So, there’s no need to worry if you can’t remember what you saved it as. What’s more, it’s cloud-based and works alongside Windows.
Want to find out more about digital asset management software? Contact us for a free demo.
