Vista Tutorial - Advanced Search

**Brink**

How to Use Advanced Search Options in Vista

Information

Advanced Search allows you to do a customized search. The is a good choice for searches whenever you:

Don't know where a file or folder is located, and want to look in many locations at once.
Want your search results to include files from several folders at once.
Want to create an advanced search that looks for files using several different criteria.

NOTE

By default, the Search folder searches in a set of locations called Indexed Locations. This includes all of the folders in your personal folder (which includes Documents, Pictures, Music, Desktop, and other common locations), e‑mail, and offline files. You can add additional locations to be included in the Indexed Locations if you commonly store files in different locations. For how see: How to Use the Indexing Options in Vista

RELATED LINKS:

EXAMPLE: Advanced Search Window

Here's How:

1. Press the Windows Key + F.
NOTE: This will open the Advanced Search window from anywhere in Vista.

2. Click on the drop down arrow by Advanced Search. (See screenshot below step 11)

3. Select Search Results to be Displayed -
NOTE: This is the Show only section.
A) Select what type of item you want to only see in the search results. (See screenshot below step 11)
NOTE: This will be only All items, E-mail messages, Documents, Pictures, Music, or Other (All items except E-mail, Documents, Pictures, and Music).

4. Select a Location to Search -
NOTE: This will allow you to select any location to search in for the file.
A) Click on the drop down arrow to the right of Location. (See screenshot below step 11)
B) Select the search location.

5. To Narrow the Search by Date -
NOTE: You can narrow the search to any time before or after the date you specify.
A) Click on Date and choose to search by either the Date, Date Modifed, or Date Created for the file. (See screenshot below step 11)
B) To the right of Date, click on any. Select to search for any date or when a date is, is before, or is after a the date you specify in the field to the right.
C) Select a specific date.
NOTE: This will be grayed out for any in step 3B since you will not be narrowing the search by date.

6. To Narrow the Search by Size -
NOTE: You can look for files larger or smaller than the specified size.
A) Next to Size (KB), select to search for any size or for a size that equals, is less than, or is greater than the size you specify in the box to the right. (See screenshot below step 11)
B) Type in a file size number for KB.

7. To Do a Thorough Search -
NOTE: By default Advanced Search only searches the Indexed files. This will allow you to search all files. See: How to Use the Indexing Options in Vista
A) Check the Include non-indexed, hidden, and system files box. (See screenshot below step 11)

8. To Narrow the Search with a File Name -
NOTE: Type part or all of the file name you are looking for.
A) In the Name field, type in a file name to search for. (See screenshot below step 11)
NOTE: For some search tips, see: Windows Help and How-to: Tips for Finding Files and Windows Vista Blog: Advanced Search Techniques

9. To Narrow the Search by Tags -
NOTE: Type any tag, words or phrases you add to your files to describe them, to see a list of files to which that tag has been applied.
A) In the Tags field, type in a tag to search for. (See screenshot below step 11)
NOTE: For some search tips, see: Windows Help and How-to: Tips for Finding Files and Windows Vista Blog: Advanced Search Techniques

10. To Narrow the Search by Authors -
NOTE: The would be the name of the person who created the file.
A) In the Authors field, type in a author to search for. (See screenshot below step 11)

11. Click Search button when ready for the search. (See screenshot below)

That's it,
Shawn

BobF · 02-01-2008

How do I add "Windows Key + f" as a shortcut on the desktop?

**Brink** · 02-02-2008

Hi BobF,

It took some digging, but I found a way to create a Search Desktop shortcut.

Search Desktop Shortcut

Enjoy,

Shawn

SlntKnight · 02-18-2008

Look at this link for further advanced search tutorial.

Windows Vista Team Blog : Advanced search techniques

**Brink** · 02-20-2008

Updated 2-20-2008 to include more detailed instructions.

Shawn

geez · 06-10-2008

I know this is slightly off topic, but I'm hoping to get this one thing straight: since Vista uses an indexed search process, it does not search unindexed locations? Sounds good on paper... My problem is that when searching a DVD drive from the folder's search box I get no results returned even though many files with this name are on the drive, even though a <windows> - F search will return resuts.

Hmm, maybe I need to include the DVD in the index? No, there is no option to do this in "Indexing Options".

So, the search box only searches indexed locations?

**Brink** · 06-10-2008

Hi Geez,

By default Vista uses the Index for all searches. This will only give you search results from what is included/listed in the Index. External devices cannot be included in the Index though.

However, you can specify Vista to do a non-indexed search so that it will search everything instead of just what is listed in the Index. You can do this through Advanced Search (step 7) here, or adjust your Search settings for all searches here:

Search Options

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Joronamo · 09-12-2008

Is they a way to always keep the index hidden files, system files etc always checked without manually having to do it? same with the location?

**Brink** · 09-12-2008

Hi Joronamo,

You could change the Search settings for this.

Search Options

If you do not wish to use the Index to have more accurate search results, then you might also consider disabling the Index.

Index - Enable or Disable

Hope this helps,
Shawn

**BleepingCrazy** · 11-25-2008

hi shawn, is there a way to have the "include non indexed...." box checked by default on any search? (without having to click it manually)

cause seems i'm using it 99.9% of the time. (and seems more like xp in that way...which i prefer)