How to Use Windows Vista Search

Hard drive size continues to increase and we are storing more and more data. As we get more and more data on our hard drives it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find the files that we need. With the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft now offers a search function in its operating system. This article will be talking precisely about this new feature.

The search tool in Windows Vista

Let's start in the Start menu:

In Windows Vista, the search engine is everywhere. It can be accessed from all of the explorer interfaces to allow you to search as quickly and efficiently as possible.

You can find the search input box from the start menu itself.

Overview of the search box:

To find a program, simply type its name. Windows will display the results.

So if you type the letter "p" in the window entry, Windows will display a shortcut to all things that start with "p".

When a single letter has been entered, Windows Vista offers shortcuts to applications, bookmarks and even the complete file history on your PC.

To further filter the results, just continue typing the name of the file you want. Windows Vista will automatically remove files that have not matched your search. It will offer you more results matching your input. Thus, the result now includes files in your personal folders.

In the previous example, we were looking for files starting with the letter "p". By completing the word, only files containing that word will be displayed.

Search from Explorer windows:

Windows Vista now offers the ability to search directly from any window. Indeed, an input box is available at the top right of all explorer windows. This field is not simply a shortcut to a search function, it allows queries and also automatically filters content based on criteria you entered.

This input box allows you to search the current folder and all subfolders.

Contextual search

Another improvement of this search feature is the contextual search. Indeed, depending on the location from where you start your search, Windows Vista offers a different kind of search. Thus, a search in the Start menu will offer shortcuts to prioritize software installed on your machine, while a search in the Control Panel will allow you to filter the different settings modules in your computer.

Enter the keyword "security", Windows Vista will only display modules or options related to the security of the computer.

Canceling a search filter

We have seen that it is possible to filter the current view through the search box. To cancel a filter, you have two options:

- Delete keywords typed into the input box (using the backspace key on your keyboard).

- Click on the 'cross' (or 'X' symbol) closing in the area.

Advanced Searching

The various types of search that we have addressed are relatively basic. Windows Vista lets you search in a more advanced fashion using multiple search criteria.

Advanced search may be useful when:

- You do not know the location of the file you want and you want to search in several different places

- You want the search results to include several file folders

- You want to search on specific criteria

To start a search, you have several options:

- Make a simple search and click on the Advanced Search link that will appear in the results window

- In the Start menu, click Search then scroll through menu Search.

Available Search criteria

- Show only: Allows you to filter the result on a particular file type (Emails, Documents, Images, Music etc)

- Location: Sets the location where Windows Vista should search. Several options are available:

- Indexed locations: Windows Vista indexes files to search very fast among your files. For this to be effective, Windows Vista must index your files beforehand. This indexing engine works in the background automatically. By default, Vista will create an index on the Users folder on the Start menu and Offline Files. You can manually add folders to index.

- Everywhere: This searches all locations available (local disks, networks, DVDs, removable drives...)

- Select the search location: This option allows you to manually select several locations in which to search.

- Date: Allows you to specify the date.

- Size: Allows you to search on the file size.

You can find the tags contained in the properties of your files. These tags will serve you later to facilitate the search. So if you search your e-mail, the name of the sender/recipient could be used. To search for music, a tag of the artist or band could be used.

And that concludes this tutorial for finding files in Windows Vista. You should now be able to search and find any file on your system!!