How to find out where a file is located on your computer. How to quickly find a file on your computer

In this article we will look at searching for files and folders in the Windows XP operating system.

If your computer has Windows 7, you can refer to the note: “”.

It can be useful, for example, when the files on the computer are not sufficiently organized into folders, i.e. when it’s difficult to find anything on the computer on your own.

Also, searching for files and folders is suitable when everything on the computer is organized, but you just want to find some information faster.

In Windows XP, searching for files and folders is quite well provided and organized.

Finding files in Windows XP through the Start menu

To find a file or folder on your computer, click on the button Start and further on Search as shown in the picture:

We are taken to a menu that allows us to select what we want to find. The most commonly used search categories are: image search, music and video search, document search, and file and folder search:

Let's take a closer look at these three main features.

Find pictures, music, or videos on your computer

By choosing the first search option, we get to an additional window in which:

1. We choose what we want to find: images and photographs, music or video

2. Enter the name of the file to search

3. Click on the button Find

Note: You can also use additional search options by following the suggested link and specifying where on your computer to look for the file, in which folders, etc.

A fairly flexible search system allows you to narrow the scope of your search so as not to waste extra time searching for files and folders.

You can also specify the file extension to find all files of that type. Let's say you need to find all video files in order to display in one list all video films and videos stored in different places on the computer.

For such a task, we simply indicate, separated by commas, the main video formats that we may have on our computer. For example, we write like this: *.avi, *.mpeg, *.mp4, *.mov *.flv, *.3gp, *.swf and perform a search. Or you can specify only part of these formats, for example: *.avi, *.mpeg, *.mp4, if we want to find films only in these formats.

The same can be done with any other groups of files: photographs, text documents, archives, etc., by specifying the appropriate file extensions.

Searching for documents on your computer

This search is carried out according to the same principle as the previous one, so I won’t add a photo, so it will be clear.

By the way, in addition to what is described above, here, as in all categories, you can search for documents by the date of last changes, by size and other criteria.

In addition to the search options described above, in the section search for files and folders, you can also select in the additional parameters from the list of files the format we need for searching:

We can find in which files the word we need appears.

For example, we remember that in some text document they wrote about dumplings. But where is this recording, they have now forgotten.

Let's also go to search for files and folders and perform 4 simple steps:

1. To narrow the scope of the search, we can indicate the extension of the document format in which we could write about dumplings. For example, this could be a text document .doc.

But, if we don’t know how the format is indicated, we can leave this field empty, and in the field File type search for a suitable format for the file you are looking for.

Or you can choose nothing at all, a search will simply be made across all documents. Of course, this may take much longer, but further we will also look at how this process can be accelerated.

2. We indicate the word that we want to find in the file we are looking for. In our case we write: dumplings
3. And we indicate: where to look for this word? If we remember what drive the file is on, we indicate that drive. If we don’t know, you can specify the entire computer, as shown in the picture.
4. All you have to do is click on Find and wait until the file we need is found.

Note: You can even specify part of the file name (starting characters) in the search criteria. You can also use “masks” like: “*” and “?”, as shown in the picture (*.doc).

Sign * (asterisk) indicates to the system that we do not care about the file name, and the system will search for all files with the suggested extension. For example, an indication *.doc will tell the system to search for all files with the .doc extension, i.e. all Word editor documents.

Or an indication book*.xls will show you to search for all files with the extension .xls, i.e. all Excel editor documents whose names begin with symbols book.

And if you use a question mark and specify it like this: ????.txt, then the system will search for all text files with the extension .txt, whose file name consists of any four letters. For example, like this: window.txt

If you often need to search for files on your computer, you can speed up this process. To do this you need to follow the link Set up an assistant, then select: Using an indexing service And Turn on this service:

After this, the computer will index all the files on the computer, “remember” where they are, and when searching for files or folders, it will quickly display them in the search results.

So we looked at how to search for files on a computer in Windows XP.

By the way, in this article we looked at how to find files using standard Windows search. If you have difficulties finding files using a standard tool, I recommend using a third-party one, which allows you to find files instantly!

The Windows 7 operating system has many different features and utilities that make life much easier for the user. Sometimes, the user accumulates a huge amount of information, folders and files on his computer, which are not systematically located on the computer and make them difficult to find. Then finding the desired file or folder becomes difficult, and sometimes impossible, without special Windows 7 operating systems. Then the file and folder search system in Windows 7 comes to the rescue.

Let's take a closer look at all the possible ways to find a file or folder in Windows 7.

How to find a folder or file in Windows 7

There are three simple ways to find the desired folder with files or the files themselves among a lot of other information in the Windows 7 operating system:

Using the search field in the Start menu;
Using the search field in a folder or library;
Or using advanced search beyond folders and libraries.

Let's look at each method in more detail.

Search box in the Start menu

The easiest way to find folders or files on your computer is to use the search box in the Start menu. To do this, just open “Start” and write any name in the search field, which is located at the bottom next to the computer shutdown button. After this, the Start menu is transformed into a list of possible options for files and folders with the same name.

Moreover, with such a search, a list will be displayed not only of files and folders with the same name, but also files where this word may be mentioned in one form or another inside the file or its properties. In addition, please note that only those files that have been indexed are displayed in the list. However, most files are indexed automatically.

Search field in a folder or library

You can also search for files locally if they are stored in a specific folder or library. For this:

This search returns results even for part of a word. The search is carried out by name, internal text of the file and file properties. The library searches all folders within a particular library. It is not necessary to enter the full name. Just enter the part and find the file you need. Also, when displaying a search result, words will be highlighted in color for user convenience.

Among other things, you can enter several keywords that will narrow the search area very significantly.

Advanced Search

If a folder or file cannot be found by searching specific folders and libraries, you can expand the search scope. For this.

Read, about ways to search for files, folders or applications in Windows. How Search works through the Start menu and Cortana voice search. Windows 10 has received a much more refined search tool in the system. It now has its own button on the toolbar, and search tools and filters help you find a file, folder, application, or setting using a variety of suggested options. But, many users do not use it or do not use all its features.

Anyone who has ever used search in Windows knows that in the seven he looked more modest.

Content:

Search and Cortana

Although Windows 10 search is definitely much better than in earlier versions, it is nevertheless limited in the Russian version of the system. This is due to the fact that Cortana is not available in this version. So far she has learned to understand and speak only six languages: English, German, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, French.

Accordingly, it only works in those countries where one of these languages is used as the main one. Over time, the developers promise that this voice assistant will become available in all countries.

When running on Windows, Cortana helps you search the web and on your Windows device, offers quick answers and translations and does calculations, sets alarms, and performs other tasks that don't require any personalization. Cortana can provide search suggestions as soon as you start typing or speaking. To do this, Cortana sends your typed or spoken search query to Bing, which interprets it in real time and provides autocomplete suggestions.

Search and Start Menu

The easiest way to search for a file, application or setting is by clicking on the search icon (in the form of a magnifying glass) on the Taskbar. Or by entering the desired parameter directly in the open menu Start. To do this, open Start and start entering the word you want to search for; Windows automatically takes the user to the search tool.

By default, the system searches for all the most relevant results on the computer: among files, applications, settings, etc. But your search parameters can be significantly narrowed using a search filter.

To do this, after entering the search word, select the Filters menu in the upper right corner. And limit the search by one of the parameters: All, Videos, Documents, Music, Folders, Options, Applications, Photos, or even select the location of the object you are looking for.

Change the search scope for a Windows service

Windows 10 users have repeatedly noted that searching through the Cortana text field in the new system is sometimes too slow, in addition to consuming a significant amount of RAM.

This is due to the fact that when searching for data, Windows 10 uses a special internal database of indexed data. This database contains the names of objects that, in the opinion of developers, are more important and which should be returned first during a search. When the user requests a file that is not included in this list, Windows begins to search for it only after it checks the internal database of “important” objects.

Of course, this will be felt to a greater extent by users of weak computers or systems to which very large volumes of storage are connected.

However, you can speed up your search by indexing locations that are important from the user’s point of view.

To do this, click among the filters button "Select Locations".

In the window "Index the following locations" you will see the indexed folders. To add the one you need here, select "Change" and specify the desired folder. For convenience, I indicated drive C.

Result of searching through the menu Start or using the taskbar icon will look like this.

To go to the desired result, just click on it with the left mouse button. And the file, folder or settings/options window will open.

Search via file manager

Another way to search in Windows is to search from the file manager window. In other words, this is the search field in the open folder window.

To search for a file, folder, or application, navigate to the folder where you want to find it. Enter the word you want to search for in the field with a magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner of the window and press Enter.

If the folder in which the search is carried out is large or is not indexed, it may take some time, during which the search status will be displayed in the address bar of the file manager.

The found files will be displayed in a list.

To narrow your search options, go to the file manager tab "Search Tools", which will appear if you click in the search word input field.

In this way, you can narrow your search by file modification date, type, size, name, tag, etc.

But note that in non-indexed folders you can only search for files by name. But not in terms of content. However, if desired, this criterion can be changed directly from this menu. To do this, go to "Extra options", and check the box next to the function "File Contents".

Also, from the bookmark "Folder Tools" file manager, you can index the folder. To do this, go to "Extra options", and select "Change Indexed Locations". As a result, the menu already described above will open.

Third-party applications for searching files

There are also third-party applications to search for files on your computer. They can be used if the built-in tool for some reason does not suit the user.

Among them there are both free and paid. Those that have broader functionality than the standard Windows search function, similar or simpler. According to subjective feelings, third-party programs for searching files work faster. Another advantage is the availability of portable versions from some manufacturers, with which you can search for files or folders on your computer without installing this application or by running it from removable media (flash drive, external hard drive).

Using programs to search for files is not difficult. Just enter the word in the special field by which the file will be searched and press Enter. If you need to narrow your search criteria, make appropriate changes to the program settings.

If you cannot find the file you need on your computer due to its accidental or unintentional deletion, then depending on the type of file and storage medium, such files or folders can be recovered using one of the data recovery programs:

Many novice users are interested in how to find the file they need on their computer. It doesn’t matter at all what operating system you use – Windows 7 or any other. The principle of searching for documents is approximately the same, especially when it comes to operating systems of the Windows family. In general, there are quite a few options for the development of events. They are all pretty simple. However, you will have to not only study them carefully, but also understand some of the search features. How to find the desired file or folder in the Windows 7 operating system? What does the user need to know about this process? This procedure is possible even for those users who are new to personal computers.

About search

First of all, you need to pay attention to the fact that search in the Windows operating system is carried out without the use of additional software. This function is standard. It is available on all operating systems. You do not have to download any additional programs to search for information on your personal computer. How to find a file on a personal computer? The Windows 7 operating system in this regard is no different from other versions of the operating system. It is necessary to understand that this process is quite simple. You just need to know the name of the file or folder you want to find. Also, do not fall for offers on the Internet that allow you to quickly search for information on your computer. As mentioned earlier, you do not need to use any additional programs for this.

Address

How to properly search for files in the Windows 7 operating system? As soon as the information reaches the computer, it is assigned a special address. It is at this address that information is searched. Any document in the operating system has such a component. There is not a single file on the computer without an address. The address usually consists of the name of the hard drive partition on which the document is located. After this, the path to the desired object is indicated. The path consists of folders. It looks something like this: C:/Windows/System32/programs/etc/host. Thus, we can say that the host document is located in a folder called etc, which is placed in the programs folder. In turn, the programs folder is located in a folder called system 32, which is located in Windows on partition C of the hard drive. Knowing the exact location of the document, you can find it without any problems. It is for this reason that it is recommended to find out the address of the file or folder. You can use it in the future. But we will talk about this a little later. First, we have to figure out how to find the required file on a computer running the Windows 7 operating system.

Manual search

The first method can be useful if you know exactly the location of the document or simply have no idea what the correct name is for the file you are looking for. In this case, we are talking about independently searching for a document in the operating system. You just need to study the folders and files on your computer and think about where exactly the document you are looking for might be located. This method is popularly called the “poke method.” He is extremely unstable. Such a solution can help if the user has at least an approximate guess of where a particular file may be stored. If you know the exact location of the file, you can simply navigate to it. The user simply searches on the computer for the desired folder or hard drive partition on which the document is located. You need to open the folder and find a specific file inside it.

Exact navigation to address

So far we have considered only one scenario. In practice, it is not used very often, especially if the user is not sure of the location of the document. How to find the file you need on your computer? The Windows 7 operating system offers one rather cunning and interesting trick. However, it will only work if you know the exact location of the document. It is not necessary to manually open all the folders in which the desired file is attached. If you have an exact location address, you can quickly open the source of the document. It is best to open “Libraries” for this purpose. After this, you need to copy the file address into the address bar and press the Enter key. As a result, the folder in which this or that document or another folder is attached will open. That is, when you need to find the host, you need to copy C:/…/etc into the address bar. As a result, the etc folder will be opened, where you can manually find the desired document. As you can see for yourself, there is nothing complicated about this. So far we have considered situations in which we know exactly or at least approximately the location of the document. But what if there is simply no such information?

Using the Start menu

How to find files on a computer with a Windows operating system? To do this, you need to use a standard operating system function called “Search”. In this case, all you need to know is the name of the document that needs to be found. The first way to quickly find the document you need is to use the Start panel. How does this idea come to life? The user needs to adhere to the following algorithm of actions. First of all, you need to click on the “Start” button located in the left corner of the screen. This will open a small menu. At the bottom of the service there is an empty field with a magnifying glass. In some operating systems there is an inscription: “Find programs and files.” You need to click there once using the left mouse button. As a result, a cursor-slider will appear. In the field you must type the name of the file, folder or program. After this, you need to press the Enter button and wait for the results to appear. You don't need to do anything else. After a few seconds, the search results will appear on the screen. Using the Start menu is perhaps one of the most common options. However, there are other ways. You can search for files on a computer running Windows 7 using various methods.

Search through additional windows

You can also search for the desired document within a specific folder. Doing this is actually not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. This method is usually effective when the user knows the approximate location of the document. The following algorithm of actions must be used:

— open the root folder where the document may be located;

— in the upper right corner find the field in which a magnifying glass is depicted;

— type the name and address of the document;

— view the search results obtained.

The situation in the example with the host file will look like this: the user opens the partition of drive C, after which in Explorer we find the inscription “Search: Local disk (C)”. In this field you must write host. After this, all that remains is to wait until all documents in which this word is present are found. Among the entire list, a specific document is most often manually searched.

Using filters

These are not all possible methods. How can you quickly find a file on a personal computer? In this case, it doesn’t matter what operating system you use – Windows 7 or any other. In any case, when it comes to newer types of Windows operating systems. You can use one rather tricky trick. It can help you find what you need among the results. This method is based on the previous method. We are talking about specifying search parameters. The fact is that if you do not use filters, then when searching you often have to look through a lot of folders and documents. Now it’s more or less clear how to find a file on your computer. But how can you find the file you need among the search results? In this situation, it is suggested to do the following:

— search in a particular folder;

— click on the search bar located in the upper right corner of the window;

— mark all the necessary filters and set their parameters;

— there is no need to erase the name of the folder or file.

So, for example, you can select the document type. In the case of the host file, it will be .txt. After this, you just need to press the Enter button and view the search results. All files and documents that match the search parameters will appear on the screen. This is how the function of quickly detecting the necessary software built into the Windows operating system is implemented.

Using the search service

There is another option for the development of events. You can call a separate service to search for files. To do this, you need to press a certain key combination. After this, the entire operating system will be scanned and searched. When using the standard function, you can use the following algorithm:

— press the key combination Win+F. As a result, a window with a blue background should open. This is the standard search service of the Windows operating system;

— in the upper right corner in the search bar you need to type the name of the file or folder. The user needs to press the Enter button and wait for the results to appear;

— to reduce the list of results, you can work with search filters in advance.

Many of us prefer not only to watch movies, read text, listen to music on the Internet. I would also like to download this to my computer or laptop. But where to find downloaded files can be somewhat difficult in some cases.

Although many are gradually abandoning this idea, realizing that any information can be found on the Internet again and again. But, firstly, the Internet is not yet available everywhere. Secondly, Internet access is not always cheap or free. Thirdly, you just want to have your favorite files on your PC or laptop. I want it, and that’s it.

Therefore, the task of downloading is relevant. It seems like it was downloaded, but where did it all go, where can I find the downloaded files? The problem has arisen.

Let's look at 3 (three) ways to find downloaded files from the Internet on your computer:

using Explorer, which is available on computers with the Windows operating system,
via "Search"
using the "Downloads" folder that is found in every browser.

Let's start searching for files using Explorer. This method is suitable for those who have the Windows operating system installed on their computer.

1 Explorer for searching files downloaded from the Internet

Open Explorer. In Windows 7, Explorer is located next to the button:

Rice. 1. Downloaded files from the Internet are located in the “Downloads” folder in Explorer

There is a “Downloads” folder in Explorer (1 in Fig. 1). If you click on it, then in this you can see downloaded files from the Internet.

2 “Search” line to search for the downloaded file

On a computer, the “Search” line can be found, for example, in Windows 7 in the “Start” menu.

Rice. 2. “Search” line to find the downloaded file

1 in Fig. 2 – click “Start”.
2 in Fig. 2 – in the “Search” line you need to enter the name of the file downloaded from the Internet.
3 in Fig. 2 – file search results.

If the file name in “Search” is entered more or less reliably, then it is very likely that the file will be found as a result of the search.

There is no doubt: searching for a file by its name is a convenient service on your computer. But who remembers the name of a file once downloaded on the Internet?

I will take the liberty of saying that most users do not remember it. In addition, files downloaded from the Internet may have strange names that are impossible not only to remember, but even to understand, some kind of gobbledygook. Therefore, we move on to the next method of searching for a file on your computer downloaded from the Internet.

3 “Downloads” folder in different browsers and how to change it

A browser is usually used to access the Internet. Using a browser, users access social networks and visit various sites. Therefore, files from the Internet (pictures, songs, videos, etc.) are most often downloaded through a browser. The browser has a “Downloads” folder in which you can find downloaded files from the Internet.

Below we will look at how to find the “Downloads” folder in the Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Yandex Browser, Internet Explorer browsers, as well as how to change the standard download folder for downloaded files to a convenient folder.

So, we will look for downloaded files in the browser, in the “Downloads” folder. To do this, you usually need to go to the menu of any browser and find the “Downloads” option there.

1 in Fig. 3 – in the Google Chrome browser, in the upper right corner, click on the “Customize and manage Google Chrome” menu button.
2 in Fig. 3 – a menu will open in which you need to click on the “Downloads” option.

Rice. 3. Downloads folder in Google Chrome browser

By clicking on the “Downloads” option, we will see the downloaded files.

How to delete download history in Google Chrome?

To delete something unnecessary, just click on the cross next to the irrelevant file:

Rice. 4. Downloaded files in the “Downloads” folder in Google Chrome

In the browser settings there is a “Personal Data” tab, and in it there is a “Clear history” button. This way you can quickly delete the history of downloaded files over a period of time:

in the past hour,
for yesterday
over the past week,
for the last 4 weeks, for all time.

This deletes the list of files downloaded using Google Chrome. The files themselves remain on the computer.

How to change the Downloads folder in Google Chrome

By default, in the Google Chrome browser, files are saved in the following folders:

Windows Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8: \Users\<имя_пользователя>\Downloads
Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\<имя_пользователя>\My Documents\Downloads
Mac OS: /Users/<имя_пользователя>/Downloads
Linux: /home/<имя пользователя>/Downloads

To change the Downloads folder, open the Google Chrome settings (3 in Fig. 3). At the end of the settings page, click on the “Show additional settings” button and in the additional settings we find the “Downloaded files” option (1 in Fig. 5).

Rice. 5. You can change the location of downloaded files in Google Chrome

If you click on the “Change” button (2 in Fig. 5), the “Browse Folders” will open. In this review you can

use the slider (3 in Fig. 5) to find the desired download folder,
or create a new download folder (4 in Fig. 5).

After selecting a new download folder, do not forget to click on “OK”.

Screenshots are shown for the Google Chrome 55.0.2883.87 browser.

To do this, in the “Downloads” folder, you need to right-click on the file icon (but not the link). Or, on the touch screen, hold your finger on the file icon a little longer. A context menu for the file should appear that contains a list of all valid actions for that file.
From this menu, you should click the “Save As” option (for example, maybe “Save Picture As”).
The “Save As” window will open, in which you need to find a folder to save the file from the downloads in another location. Instead of a folder, you can select Desktop. Although you need to understand that cluttering the desktop on your computer with files downloaded from the Internet is not a good idea.
Once you have decided on the save location, you can change or leave the file name the same.
Now that the file storage location (folder) and file name are determined, click the “Save” button in the “Save As” window.
You can make sure that the file is saved in a place where it can be easily found later. To do this, find the file in a new location. You can check that it opens and everything is OK with it.
You can now remove the duplicate of this file from your Downloads folder.

Where are the downloads in Yandex Browser?

Yandex Browser has the same engine as the Google Chrome browser, so the settings of these browsers have a lot in common.

In Yandex Browser, in the upper right corner, click on the “Yandex Browser Settings” menu (1 in Fig. 6), and in the menu that appears, click on the “Downloads” option.

Rice. 6. Downloads in Yandex.Browser

Open “Downloads” and see the downloaded files. Move the mouse cursor to the downloaded file and click on button 1 in Fig. 7, or you can right-click (right mouse button) on the file. A list of operations that can be applied to the downloaded file will appear. For example, you can delete the file (2 in Fig. 7).

Rice. 7. What can you do with downloaded files in Yandex Browser

Screenshots are shown for Yandex browser version 17.1.0.2034.

How to change the Downloads folder in Yandex Browser

To change the standard Downloads folder in Yandex Browser to another folder, you need to open “Settings” (3 in Fig. 6).

Then on the settings page, click “Show additional settings” and there find the “Downloaded files” option, which has the same as for the Google Chrome browser (Fig. 5).

Opposite the “Downloaded files” option, click on the “Change” button and select the appropriate folder to save the downloaded files.

Downloads folder in Mozilla

Rice. 8. Downloads in Mozilla

The Mozilla Downloads folder looks like a down arrow (1 in Fig. 8). You can click on this arrow and a drop-down menu will appear.

2 in Fig. 8 – By clicking the “Show all downloads” option, we will see all the downloaded files in the Mozilla browser.

To change the default Downloads folder in Mozilla to a different folder,

click “Open menu” (1 in Fig. 9),
then “Settings”, the “Basic” window will open.

You can click on the “Browse” button (2 in Fig. 9) and select another folder so that the downloaded files are saved in it:

Rice. 9. Change the “Downloads” folder for downloaded files in Mozilla

Screenshots are for Mozilla browser version 50.1.

Downloads folder in Opera

Rice. 10. “Downloads” folder in the Opera browser

To find downloaded files in Opera:

1 in Fig. 10 – click “Menu” in the upper left corner of the Opera browser,
2 in Fig. 10 – open “Downloads”.

How to change the download folder in Opera

To change the download folder for downloaded files from the Internet, click “Settings” (3 in Fig. 10). Then, in the “Downloads” tab, opposite “Download folder”, click on the “Change” button and select another folder to upload the downloaded files.

Screenshots for Opera browser version 42.0.2393.137.

Where are the downloads in Internet Explorer?

Rice. 11. Downloads in Internet Explorer browser

To find downloaded files in Internet Explorer:

1 in Fig. 11 – click “Service” in the top menu,
2 in Fig. 11 – click “View downloads”.

Screenshots for Internet Explorer browser version 11.0.9600

What can you do with the files in your Downloads folder?

Video version of the article “Where to find downloaded files from the Internet on your computer”