Description: Learn how to search the content of files in Windows 11. Windows 11 includes a built-in search feature that helps you find files, documents, and apps quickly. You can search a file by content and by its name on your computer and use keywords to search on the web using the search feature in Windows 11. In addition, you can manage search options to control what a search feature can find and how a search works in Windows 11.
There are not any noticeable changes to the overall working of Windows search in Windows 11 compared to Windows 10. However, it comes with many improvements to the search feature, such as dedicated file type search, search a file by content, support for cloud search in conjunction with cloud storage services, indexing options, faster and efficient results.
Continue reading to learn about different ways to search files in Windows 11. Additionally, you will learn how to find files by their type and content/text.
How to search for files in Windows 11?
Following are some ways that you can use different options to search a file in Windows 11.
Keyboard shortcut
Press Windows+S on your keyboard to quickly search for files, apps, or on the web in Windows 11. A window will pop up, then start typing, and you will get the results listed below. You can even narrow down your results by category by clicking on the headings below the search bar, such as apps, documents, web, or more.
Search button on the Taskbar.
Click on the Search Icon (which looks like a magnifying glass) on the taskbar to open the Search Menu in Windows 11. It is the same menu as you get when you press Windows+S. But if you do not have a Search Icon on your Taskbar, you can add it. For this, open Settings and go to Personalization. Click on the Taskbar, then Taskbar Items, and turn ON the switch beside Search.
Click Start and type your search.
Click the Start button on the Taskbar, the Start Menu will appear. Then start typing, and the menu will turn into the Windows Search Menu, and you can search the same as the last two methods.
Search in File Explorer.
Another way to search files is within File Explorer. Open File Explorer by clicking on the folder icon on your desktop/taskbar or pressing Windows+E. Navigate to the folder you want to search. Then in the upper right corner of the window, click on the Search Bar and type your search query. You will get every matching result for files.
How to add file extensions to Windows Search Index?
You can find files using the search feature in Windows 11. However, you can search for text in a file for limited file types by default. But you can include other text-based files to expand your searching options in Windows 11.
- Press on the Search Icon in the Taskbar to open a Windows Search window.
- Type index and open the Indexing Options from results.
- Once the Indexing Options window opens, press the Advanced button.
- In the Advanced Options, press on the File Types tab. Mark the extensions for the file type that you want to include in your content searches. Then select the Option Index Properties and File Contents under the list to see the filter in the filter description that will be used to open a specific file type. For example, when you choose the bat extension, the plain text filter will be the filter type.
- However, if you do not have your required file type in the list, it means that the file type does not have an app as the default handler. You can add your new file type by typing the extension in the box under Add New Extension to list and then press Add. Because Windows Search does not have another app associated with those types of files, it will use a plain text filter to search their contents by default.
To search for a specific file extension/type.
Follow the given steps to search for a file type in file explorer.
- Open File Explorer by clicking on the folder icon on your desktop/taskbar or pressing Windows+E.
- Navigate to the folder you want to search. Then in the upper right corner of the window, click on the Search Bar and type the extension of the file you intend to search.
- You will get files matching your extension.
How to enable searching a file by content/text using Windows Search in Windows 11?
Use the following steps to enable searching a file by content/text using Windows Search in Windows 11.
- Click on Start, and open the Control Panel from the Start Menu.
- Once the Control Panel window opens, click on Folder Options.
- In the Folder Options window, click on the Search tab.
- Then under the What to Search option, select the Always Search File Names and Contents and press OK. It will enable searching a file by its name and content in Windows 11.
How to search a file by content/text using Windows Search in Windows 11?
Using Windows Search in Windows 11, you can search a file by content/text by following the steps below.
- Open File Explorer by clicking on the folder icon on your desktop/taskbar or pressing Windows+E.
- Navigate to the folder you want to search. Then in the upper right corner of the window, click on the Search Bar and type the string: content: “your phrase/text/content”. Window 11 will recognize this as a specific instruction, and the text color will change to light blue.
- You will get files matching your text. For example, if you type .pdf in the search box to find all the files with the pdf extension.
Bonus: Search Text in Files with AnyTxt
AnyTxt is a powerful tool that allows you to search text in files on your computer. You can use AnyTxt to find any document, email, ebook, or archive that contains the keywords you are looking for.
It supports multiple file formats, such as PDF, DOCX, EPUB, ZIP, and more. You can also customize the search options, such as case sensitivity, file size, and date range. AnyTxt is fast, accurate, and easy to use. It can help you search files by content in Windows 11/10/7.
Conclusion
To conclude, one can say that the search feature in Windows 11 makes the process of searching files and documents convenient and quick. You can find a file by its name, type, date, size, and even by its content using Windows Search in Windows 11.
Manage Indexing Options and Settings for Windows 11 – A Tutorial