If you use Windows, you presumably have a large number of files saved on your computer. Documents, pictures, movies, music, emails, and more. Finding the proper file when you need it can be difficult, especially if you have a vast and complicated file structure. That is why having a reliable desktop search engine is critical for saving time and increasing productivity.

In this post, I will recommend the best desktop search engines for Windows, which may help you discover files quicker and simpler. You will learn their features, benefits, and downsides, as well as provide advice on how to select the ideal one for your requirements.

Everything

Everything is a very quick and efficient desktop search engine that can locate any file on your computer in seconds. It works by generating a database of all the file and folder names on your hard disk and updating it in real time as you add or remove files. This allows you to quickly search for any file name using a simple and easy interface.

Everything has several elements that make it a great search tool, including:

•  It allows for sophisticated searches using wildcards, Boolean operators, and regular expressions.
•  You may filter results by size, date, qualities, and more.
•  It allows you to change the design and functionality of the search window, including fonts, colors, columns, hotkeys, and more.
•  Search results may be exported or imported as CSV or TXT files.
•  It may be launched as a portable program from a USB drive or a network site.

AnyTxt Searcher

AnyTXT is another quick and effective desktop search engine that can locate any text file on your PC. It indexes the content of numerous file kinds, including PDF, DOCX, TXT, and HTML, and allows you to search text in Excel or other files.

AnyTXT includes various advanced capabilities that distinguish it from other desktop search engines, such as:

•  It enables OCR (optical character recognition) searches, which means it can search text in photos or scanned documents.
•  It offers a fuzzy search, which allows it to detect similar terms or typos in your search query.
•  It provides full-text preview, allowing you to see the context of your search results inside the file content.
•  It supports a variety of languages and encoding schemes.

Listary

Listary is a sophisticated desktop search application that works perfectly with Windows Explorer. It improves the built-in Windows Search capability by adding new capabilities and shortcuts. To open Listary from any folder or program, press Ctrl twice or use a mouse motion.

Listary offers various sophisticated search options that make it a flexible and useful tool. These include:

•  It allows real-time search, which means the results appear as you enter.
•  It features keyword shortcuts, which allow you to rapidly access folders, apps, webpages, and other resources by typing predetermined terms.
•  It supports a variety of file types and extensions, including ZIP, RAR, and ISO.
•  It features smart commands, allowing you to conduct actions on your search results like as copy, move, delete, rename, and more.

Copernic Desktop Search – Free Trial

Copernic Desktop Search is a powerful search tool for Windows that can locate any file or email on your PC. It indexes the content of multiple file kinds and email systems, including Outlook, Gmail, and Thunderbird, and allows you to search for keywords or phrases inside them.

Copernic Desktop Search includes several characteristics that make it a dependable and accurate search tool, including:

•  It supports content indexing, which means it may look for words or phrases in the file content as well as file names.
•  It features complex filters, which allow you to narrow your search results by category, date range, size range, and so on.
•  It offers search customization, which allows you to define and save your search criteria for later use.
•  It integrates with several file formats and email systems, including PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, Outlook, Gmail, and Thunderbird.

Lookeen – Free Trial

Lookeen is a powerful desktop search engine that can locate any file or email on your computer with rapid indexing and precise results. It indexes material from various file formats and email platforms (e.g. Outlook, Exchange, Office 365) and searches for keywords or phrases inside them.

Lookeen offers user-friendly and effective search options, including:

•  Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) can be used to combine or exclude terms in search queries.
•  Filters allow you to restrict your search results by category, date, and size.
•  Preview options allow you to examine search results without opening files or emails.
•  The user-friendly design allows for easy access and customization of the search window, toolbar, and settings.

Windows Search: Advanced Query Syntax

Windows Search is Windows’ built-in search feature, which can find any file or folder on your computer. It works by indexing the file and folder names on your hard disk and updating them as you add or delete files. You may use Windows Search from the Start menu, the taskbar, or any folder.

Windows Search has a feature called Advanced Query Syntax, which allows you to improve your file searches with operators and filters. Windows Search Syntax can help you search files more quickly and accurately by setting parameters such as file name, extension, date, size, type, and so on.

For instance, you may use AQS to look for:

•  Files with the following name: name:report.docx
•  Files having the following extension: ext:pdf.
•  Files changed on a certain date: datemodified:20240122
•  Files greater than a certain size: size:>10mb
•  Files of a certain type: kind:picture

You may also combine numerous criteria using parenthesis and Boolean operators. In addition, you can use Findstr commands to search and find files in Windows from a command prompt. 

Selecting the Right Desktop Search Engine

As you can see, there are several desktop search engines available for Windows that may help you discover files more quickly and easily. However, not all of them may meet your requirements and preferences. As a result, while choosing a desktop search engine, various variables must be considered, such as:

•  Speed: How quickly does the search engine index and search your files?
•  Features: What features does the search engine provide to help you improve your file searches?
•  Customization: How much can you change the search engine’s design and behavior?
•  Compatibility: How well does the search engine work with your file system and apps?

Depending on these considerations, you could favor one desktop search engine over another. For example, if you value speed and simplicity, you could like Everything or Listary. Copernic Desktop Search or Lookeen may appeal to you if accuracy and comprehensiveness are important. If you value flexibility and ease, you might choose AnyTXT or Windows Search with AQS.

Finally, the best approach to finding the finest desktop search engine is to test them out and discover which one works best for your needs.

Conclusion

In this post, we’ve looked at and selected some of the best desktop search engines for Windows that can help you discover files faster and simpler. We examined their features, benefits, and downsides and provided advice on how to select the best one for your requirements.

We hope this information was helpful and instructive to you. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below.