Is there a smarter Find files utility for Windows 8 than Windows key + F?

Question

Is there any utility for Windows 8 that will basically do the same thing the old "Find" dialog in Explorer did?

Often times (many times a day) I need to find a particular file, and I don't know the name of it or where it is, but I can remember a phrase in it, and approximately when it was written, e.g., it has the phrase "Duckbilled Platypus" in it and was written sometime in the last week.

The Find Files functionality in Windows 8 is lame by comparison; I know there are probably geeky ways to jump through hoops and do it, but I don't want to have to write GREP expressions, I want something easy like the old functionality...

Doesn't something like `content:Duckbilled` or `content:"Duckbilled Platypus"` work in Explorer's search box? — Karan, Nov 28 '12 at 01:43
Yes, actually it does, but it works too good/casts too wide a net. I want to be able to limit it to certain file types, such as *.txt. I reckon all this can be done with this kind of "content:"" stuff, but I feel a slippery slope afoot filled with furlongs of nefarious and hard-to-remember switches and such. — B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven, Nov 28 '12 at 23:51
`*.txt content:Duckbilled` will narrow it down for you then, but I have a much better suggestion for you below. — Karan, Nov 29 '12 at 14:30
Related: [How can I see the available Windows Search Filters?](http://superuser.com/q/531659/150988) — Scott - Слава Україні, Jun 24 '15 at 02:51

score 7 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 27 '12 at 22:55

7

Open the Start Screen
Type in indexing options
Select Advanced ⇨ File Types
Select Index Properties and File Contents instead of the default of Index Properties

edited Nov 27 '12 at 22:55

Synetech

68,243
36
223
356

answered Nov 27 '12 at 22:32

Snailbarf

71
1

"Index Properties and File Contents" for *which* file type? All of them? – Karan Nov 28 '12 at 01:37
Didn't work, anyway - Windows key + "indexing options" gave "no such app" or whatever; Windows key + F + "indexing options" returned 203 files, but...? – B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven Nov 28 '12 at 23:53

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 29 '12 at 14:32

5

AstroGrep is extremely powerful and allows the use of regular expressions, but can do simple keyword searching as well:

answered Nov 29 '12 at 14:32

Karan

55,947
20
119
191

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 27 '12 at 00:25

1

If you launch the Windows 8 start menu and start typing it should search files on your system with you having to know the name or where it is. I believe this also searches applications that have search providers.

answered Nov 27 '12 at 00:25

Natalie Adams

2,137
1
16
23

Yes, having to know the name is the part I don't like, because I don't always know it; I want to be able to search for some phrase regardless of the name of the file. – B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven Nov 27 '12 at 01:35

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Nov 28 '12 at 02:26

1

While Google doesn't promote it anymore, you can still find download for Google Desktop. Just, ahem, google it. :-)

I used to use it quite a bit. It's excellent for searching by contents across all your data: files, email, internet, etc.

Kinda sad they don't support it anymore.

answered Nov 28 '12 at 02:26

Steven

166
2

As the old gent oftmals intoned in "Never Cry Wolf": Good idea! I'll see if it runs fine on Windows 8... – B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven Nov 28 '12 at 23:43
It seems all it does is a google search, not a hard drive search (on Windows 8) – B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven Nov 29 '12 at 02:08
It definitely searches the hard drive, click around through some of the options to see if you can enable it. You may have to tell it to index your hard drive. – Steven Nov 29 '12 at 17:49

score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Jun 20 '15 at 18:11

1

You could try also:

Just my 2 cents, hope it could help.

answered Jun 20 '15 at 18:11

danicotra

1,934
2
14
25

score -3 · Answer 6 · edited Nov 28 '12 at 01:34

-3

If you press the Windows+ F, just typing the word you are searching for will work.

It is the same as pressing Start and starting to type in Windows 7.

edited Nov 28 '12 at 01:34

avirk

15,689
16
59
104

answered Nov 28 '12 at 00:18

rosi

1

The question explicitly says it dosen't work for him... – Journeyman Geek Nov 28 '12 at 00:32
In Windows 8.1 it doesn't really work for anyone. The integrated search in Windows is now quite worthless. It's a good thing there are many excellent 3rd party search utilties available. – Ville Jun 03 '14 at 22:05

Is there a smarter Find files utility for Windows 8 than Windows key + F?

6 Answers6

Linked