Searching for Items in File Explorer

Windows 8 offers a new Search feature accessible from the Windows 8 environment, but you can still search for folders, files, and other content using the traditional desktop via File Explorer. Using File Explorer provides more options than does the Windows 8 search feature. As always, you can search for folders and files throughout your hard drive or other locations. You can search the contents of files to find specific documents. You can also set a variety of parameters to filter the search. The Windows 8 version of File Explorer offers a new Ribbon menu called Search specifically to help you find items. This task explains how to search for items in File Explorer.

1 Launch File Explorer: Open the desktop and launch File Explorer full screen.

2 Access the Search menu: Double-click your hard drive. Click in the search field to the right of the address bar. A Search menu appears from the Ribbon.

3 Choose the location: Click the Computer button on the Search toolbar if you want to search your entire computer. Click the Current folder icon on the toolbar if you want to search just your current folder. Otherwise, leave the setting at All subfolders if you want to search your current folder and all subfolders.

4 Choose the date: Click the Date modified button if you want to filter the results by a specific date range, such as today, yesterday, or this week. The results display according to the date you specify.

5 Choose the kind of file: Click the Kind button to specify a file type, such as document, e-mail, folder, music, picture, or video. The results display according to the kind of file you specify.

6 Choose the size: Click the Size button to specify a size for the file. The results display according to the size you specify.

7 Choose other properties: Click the Other properties button to select a type, name, folder path, or tag for the file. The results display according to properties you specify.

8 Choose Advanced options: Click the Advanced options button to enable or disable partial matches and to change which locations on your hard drive are indexed by Windows. You can also choose to search the contents of system files and zipped files.

9 Save your search: After you have set all the parameters, you can save your search by clicking the Save search button.

10 Type your search term: Type your search term in the search field after any parameters that appear. Windows searches for that term using the parameters you specify.

11 Open the item: The search results appear in File Explorer. Double-click the folder or file that you want in order to open it.

Quick Fix

Creating a New Taskbar Toolbar

Open File Explorer. Right-click the taskbar and then click Toolbars. Select the New toolbar option. From the File Explorer window, browse to a specific folder. For example, you can choose the Documents folder, the Music folder, or the Pictures folder. Click the Select folder button. A toolbar with the name of the folder appears on the taskbar. Click the double right arrow next to the name of the folder to see all of its subfolders and files.