Everything Search: How To Use This Powerful File Search Tool For Windows

Nayab Tariq
6 min readMay 15, 2023

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Image: Everything Search

Are you tired of manually searching through your computer files to find a specific document or folder?

Look no further than the powerful file search tool built into Windows: Everything Search. This fast and efficient search tool can help you find any file on your computer in seconds.

In this blog, we will discuss everything you need to know about using Everything Search, including its features and how to maximize its potential.

What Is Everything Search?

Everything Search is a free, lightweight, and incredibly fast file search tool for Windows. It was developed by David Carpenter, first released in 2009, and is now maintained by Voidtools.

It’s a lightweight and easy-to-use tool that allows you to search for files and folders on your Windows system in seconds. Everything Search uses a database to index your files and folders, so it’s faster than the native Windows search tool.

Therefore, it can search for files and folders by name, size, date modified, and file type. Everything Search works with all types of drives and storage devices, including hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, and network drives.

Everything Search is available for Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista. It’s also available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The tool is free to download and use and doesn’t contain any spyware, adware, or malware.

Features Of Everything Search

Everything Search has several features that make it a powerful tool for finding files on your computer. Here are some of its key features:

  • Fast And Efficient Search Engine

Everything Search uses a unique indexing algorithm that scans your computer in real-time and creates a database of all your files and folders. This allows it to search for files and folders almost instantly.

  • Advanced Search Options

Everything Search allows you to search for files and folders by name, size, date modified, and file type. You can also use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to create complex search queries.

  • Customizable Search Filters

Everything Search lets you create custom search filters based on the file name, path, size, date modified, and file type. This makes it easier to find specific files and folders.

  • Support For Regular Expressions

Everything Search supports regular expressions, which allows you to create more complex search queries using pattern matching.

  • Keyboard Shortcuts

Everything Search has several keyboard shortcuts that make it easy to use. For example, you can press Ctrl+Enter to open a selected file or folder.

How To Install Everything Search?

Installing Everything Search is a straightforward process. Follow the steps below to install Everything Search on your Windows system.

  1. Download Everything Search from the official website.
  2. Open the downloaded file.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Everything Search on your system.
  4. Once the installation is complete, launch Everything Search.

How To Use Everything Search

Using Everything Search is simple and straightforward. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Download And Install Everything Search

You need to download and install Everything Search on your computer to get started. You can download the latest version of Everything Search from the official website.

Step 2: Index Your Files

Once you have installed Everything Search, it will automatically start indexing your files and folders. This process may take a few minutes, depending on the size of your hard drive.

Step 3: Perform A Search

To perform a search, simply enter a search term in the search bar at the top of the Everything Search window. You can search for files and folders by name, size, date modified, and file type. You can also use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to create more complex search queries.

Image: Search All the PDF files

Step 4: Filter Your Search

If you want to filter your search results, you can use the filters on the left side of the Everything Search window. You can filter your results by file type, path, size, and date modified.

Image: Advanced Search In Everything To Filter Your Search Results

Step 5: Open A File Or Folder

To open a selected file or folder, simply press Ctrl+Enter or right-click on the file or folder and select “Open Path” from the context menu.

Tips for Using Everything Search

Here are some tips for using Everything Search to maximize its potential:

  • Use Boolean Operators

Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to create more complex search queries. For example, you can search for all files with filenames that contain Anytxt or Searcher using boolean operator “OR” by typing “Anytxt | Searcher”.

Image: Use of Boolean Operator “OR”
  • Use Filters

Use the filters on the left side of the Everything Search window to narrow down your search results. You can filter by file type, path, size, and date modified.

  • Customize Your Settings

Everything Search has a lot of customization options that you can use to make it work better for you. For example, you can change the search location to a specific folder or drive, or you can change the appearance of the search window.

  • Learn Keyboard Shortcuts

Everything Search has several keyboard shortcuts that can save you time and make it easier to use. Take some time to learn the shortcuts and incorporate them into your workflow.

  • Use Regular Expressions

If you’re comfortable with regular expressions, you can use them to create even more complex search queries. Regular expressions allow you to use pattern matching to search for files and folders.

Search Files By Content With Everything

Everything Search for files and folders by name, size, and date. However, the Everything content search feature is limited to certain file types, such as .txt, .doc, .pdf, and .html. Moreover, the Everything content search feature can be slow when searching through large files.

  • Anytxt Searcher: The Alternative To Everything Content Search

If you need a more comprehensive content search feature, you should consider using Anytxt Searcher. Anytxt is a file search tool that allows you to search for files based on their content. Anytxt is not limited to certain file types; it can search through files of any type, including images, videos, and audio files.

The key difference between Anytxt and Everything Search is that Anytxt performs a full-text search, while Everything Search searches for file names. Anytxt uses advanced algorithms to search for files based on their content, making the search process much faster and more efficient.

  • Using Anytxt Searcher

To use Anytxt, you need to download and install it on your Windows computer. Once you have installed it, launch the application. The tool’s interface is simple; you will see a search bar at the top of the window. To search for a file, type the name of the file or the content you are looking for in the search bar and press enter. Anytxt will display all the files that match your search criteria.

Final Takeaway

Everything Search is a powerful file search tool for Windows that can help you find any file on your computer in seconds. Its fast and efficient search engine, advanced search options, and customizable search filters make it an excellent tool for anyone who needs to search for files on their computer.

By following the steps outlined in this blog and using the tips provided, you can maximize the potential of Everything Search and save yourself time and frustration when searching for files on your computer.

However, when it comes to searching through the contents of files, the Everything search tool can be limited in its effectiveness. That’s where a dedicated text search tool like Anytxt can be incredibly useful.

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Nayab Tariq
Nayab Tariq

Written by Nayab Tariq

SEO Content Writer | A Computer Science graduate who is passionate about writing.