Now, in our modern age, one cannot do without a good knowledge of the computer. But how to navigate the huge number of programs and files that are on your hard drive? First, we will try to explain to you how you can find a program on a computer.
Looking for a program
If you do not know, then after the program is installed, it automatically creates a shortcut on the desktop. If you want to see where the program has been installed, then just view the PROPERTIES of the shortcut, to do this, right-click on it, then properties and location. The directory where the program you need is installed will be indicated there.
Now let's look at what needs to be done to, for example, find a photo from your picnic.
Remember that the saved photo is the same file, and we will now tell you how to find the file on the computer. The easiest way is to open the folder where your photos are saved. But how to find a folder on a computer is another question.
Looking for a folder
And there are no difficulties here, especially if you remember where you saved the folder. But if you forgot where you placed it, then you should not be upset, the “internal search” will come to your aid.
And so, press the START button and select the SEARCH menu, a search window will open in front of you, there you indicate the name assigned to the folder, in our case it will be the name "picnic". Click the ENTER button, this will start the search. During the search, the computer scans all files and gives you all the available folders with similar names, in the results that the computer gave you, look for the folder you need.
The task becomes more difficult if we do not remember the name of the folder. We use the internal search again and set additional search criteria - name (part of the name), date of creation (changes), size, file extension, intended location (logical drive), after all that has been done, press ENTER. After the search is over, we look at the results that the computer gave us.
My computer
The program is launched by launching them through special shortcuts, which are placed on the desktop for convenience. Basically, each has shortcuts to the desktop of those programs that are often used. Usually, the MY COMPUTER icon is located on the desktop, since we often have to be interested in service information about the system. The more programs installed on our computer, the less free space becomes on the screen, and we have to delete extra shortcuts in the trash. How can we find MY COMPUTER if we accidentally deleted the icon along with unnecessary programs in the trash. In this case, there is nothing easier. To do this, press the START button, right-click on MY COMPUTER, left-click on the menu DISPLAY ON THE DESKTOP. And now, on your desktop, the shortcut MY COMPUTER has appeared again.
There is one more option. To do this, open the trash, find the shortcut MY COMPUTER there, right-click RESTORE.
Many novice users are interested in how to find a file on a computer. Windows 7 or any other operating system is not so important. The principle of searching for documents on a computer is approximately the same. Especially when it comes to the Windows platform. In general, there are quite a few options. All of them are very simple. But you will have to not only study them, but also understand some of the features of the search. So how to find file and folders in Windows 7? What does the user need to know about this process? Perhaps, this procedure is subject even to those who are not familiar with the computer at all.
About search
The first thing you should pay attention to is that the search in "Windows" is carried out, as a rule, without additional software. This is a standard feature found in all operating systems. You do not have to download additional programs that help you search for information on your PC.
How to find a file on a computer? Windows 7 or any other version of the operating system is not so important. You need to understand that the process is extremely simple. It is enough to know the name of the file or folder that you want to find. And do not succumb to offers on the Web that supposedly allow you to quickly search for information on your computer. It has already been said - no additional programs are needed for this!
Location address
How to search for files in Windows 7? As soon as the data gets to the computer, they are assigned a special address. It is on it that information is searched for. All documents in the operating system have a similar component. There is not a single file without an address on the computer.
It usually consists of the name of the hard disk partition on which the document is located, followed by the path to the desired object. It is made up of folders. For example: C:/Windows/system32/drivers/etc/host/.
Accordingly, the "host" document is located in the etc folder, which is placed in drivers. That, in turn, is located in a folder called "system32", located in Windows on the hard disk partition C. If you know the exact location of the document, you can quickly find it. That is why some recommend to learn or file. It can be used in the future. But more on that later. First, you should figure out how to find the file on your computer (Windows 7).
Manually
The first method is well suited when either the location of the document is known, or simply there is not the slightest idea about how exactly the subject of the search is called. We are talking about self-detection of the document in the operating system. It is enough just to study the files and folders on the computer, to think about exactly where this or that document can be located. This method is called Extremely Unstable. But if the user at least roughly guesses where this or that information can be stored, such a solution can help.
If you know the exact address of the location, you can simply navigate to it. On the computer, the user searches for the hard disk section he needs and the folder in which the document is located. Next comes the opening of the latter. Inside, a specific file is manually searched.
Exact jump to address
But this is only the first scenario. In practice, it is not often used if the user is not sure about the location of the document. How to find a file on a computer? Windows 7 offers one tricky and interesting trick. It will only work if the exact location of the document is known.
It is not at all necessary to manually open all the folders in which the file is attached. If you have the exact location address, you can quickly open the source of the document. The best way to do this is to open Libraries. Next, copy the address of the file into the address bar and press Enter. A folder will open in which this or that document or another folder is attached.
That is, when you want to find host, you need to copy the inscription "C:/..../etc" into the address bar. Then the etc folder will open, in which you will need to manually find the desired document. Nothing difficult or special. But so far, situations have been considered in which the address is either exactly known, or it is known approximately. What if there is no such information?
Through "Start"
How to find files on a Windows computer (XP, 7, 8, 10 - it's not that important)? In general, you need to use the standard function of the operating system. It's called "Search". It is sufficient to know the name of the document to be found.
The first way to do a real quick search is to use the Start bar. How does the idea come to life with this opportunity? The user must adhere to the following algorithm of actions:
- Click on the "Start" button in the left corner of the screen. A small menu will open.
- At the bottom of the service there is an empty field with a magnifying glass. In some operating systems there is an inscription "Search programs and files". It is required to click there once with the left mouse button.
- A slider cursor will appear. In the field you need to type the name of the file, program or folder.
- Press Enter and wait for the results.
Nothing else is needed. A few seconds of waiting - and the results will appear on the monitor. Perhaps the use of "Start" is the most common option. But there are other ways as well. Searching for files on a computer in Windows 7 is carried out by different methods.
Through additional windows
You can implement the idea within a specific folder. This is not as difficult to do as it seems. Usually the method helps when the user knows the approximate location of the document.
It is required to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:
- Open the root folder where the document can be located.
- In the upper right corner, find the field with the image of a magnifying glass.
- Type the address or document name.
- View search results.
For example, the situation will look like this: the user opens the C drive partition, then finds the inscription "Search: Local disk (C:)" in Explorer. In this field, you need to write host and wait until all documents containing this word are found. Further, among the entire list, a specific document is manually searched.
Filters
But that's not all. How to quickly find a file on a computer? Windows 7 or any other version of Windows is not so important. At least when it comes to newer types of Windows. You can use one trick. It will help you quickly find what you need among the results. The method is based on the previous method. It's about specifying the search parameters.
The fact is that if you do not use filters, then often when searching, you will have to look through a lot of documents and folders. It is clear how to find the file on the computer. How to find the right one among the search results?
In this situation, it is suggested:
- Perform a search in a particular folder.
- Click on the search bar in the upper right corner of the window.
- Mark the necessary filters and set their parameters. In this case, the name of the file or folder does not need to be erased. For example, you can select a document type. In the case of host, this is .txt.
- Press Enter and look at the output again.
Accordingly, all documents and files that match all search parameters will appear on the screen. This is how the implementation of the built-in Windows function for quickly detecting the necessary software is carried out.
Search service
Now it's clear how to find the file on the computer (Windows 7). But there is another scenario. You can invoke a separate search service on your computer. To do this, you need to press a certain key combination. Then it will scan and search the entire operating system.
When using the standard function, you can follow the algorithm:
- Press Win+F. A window with a bluish background will open. This is the standard Windows search engine.
- The name of a file or folder is typed into the search bar (upper right corner, field with a magnifying glass).
- The user must press Enter and wait for the results. You can work with search filters in advance. This will reduce the returned results.
By content
There is one last trick. It's called "search inside files and folders in Windows 7". Many users are familiar with it. To make it a reality, you need:
- Open a particular document/folder.
- Press Ctrl+F.
- In the field that appears on the right side of the screen, type the name of the document/folder/word.
- Press "Enter".
This method is quite often used when working with Word. It not only helps to search for data by text, but also facilitates the search for documents.
I often come across the fact that even experienced users do not know a simple trick that allows you to quickly find a file in a folder.
Suppose that you have a folder in which there are a lot of objects and, as usual, it is difficult to find the desired object in it. How to quickly find the desired file or folder? For example, starting with "B" without using the "Find" function (ctrl + F).
Of course, you can use the search, that is, go to Start and enter a word, or press the hot key ctrl + F and search directly in the folder. You can search with your eyes.
But there is an even easier way.
For example, I need to find the Bob Marley folder. To do this, make the window active (select it) and press the letter "b" on the keyboard - the object with the name starting with this letter will be highlighted in the directory. To cycle through the objects on "b" press the letter several times.
Thus, even in the most heaped folder, you can quickly find the desired file!
How to quickly find a file in a folder of a certain format
To select files of a specific format, such as .mp3, use the search ctrl + F3. To do this, type *.mp3 in the search bar.
Where the * sign will denote all possible characters. In the same way, you can find files with any number of characters in the name by substituting a combination of characters *file* between the asterisks.
Share our article on your social networks:The Windows 7 operating system has many different features and utilities that make life easier for the user. Sometimes, a user's computer accumulates a huge amount of information, folders and files that are still located non-systemically on the computer and make it difficult to find them. Then it becomes difficult, and sometimes impossible, to find the desired file or folder 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 easy ways to find the right 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 outside of folders and libraries.
Let's consider each of the methods 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 on the Start menu. To do this, just open the "Start" and write in the search field, which is located at the bottom next to the computer shutdown button, any name. After that, 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 can 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 box 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 the word. The search is carried out by the name, the internal text of the file and the properties of the file. The library searches through all folders within a particular library. It is not necessary to enter the full name. It is enough to enter a part and find the desired file. Also, when displaying the search result, the words will be highlighted in color for the convenience of the user.
Among other things, you can enter a few 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 scope of the search. For this.
In the modern world, one cannot do without a good knowledge of the computer. But how to navigate the huge number of files and programs that are on our hard drive? First, we will help you learn how to find the program on your computer.
Looking for a program
When installing any programs, they create launch shortcuts that are automatically placed on your “desktop” in order to find where the program itself is located, just look at the “properties” of the shortcut (right-click - properties - location), the directory where the program is located.
Now consider what needs to be done to find, for example, a photo from our summer vacation.
A saved photo is also a file, but how can I find the file on my computer? The easiest way is to open a folder with a photo, but here another question arises - how to find a folder on a computer?
Looking for a folder
Again, no problem if you remember where you saved the folder, but sometimes we just forget where we put everything. The “internal search” will come to our aid.
We press the “start” button and select the “search” menu, in the search window we indicate the name assigned to the folder (in our case, this is the “rest” folder) and start the search with the “enter” button. The computer scans all the files and gives us all the available folders with similar names, in the results we are looking for the folder we need.
The task becomes a bit more difficult if we don't remember what we named our photo folder, or if we need to find the right photo directly. We reopen the internal search and set additional search criteria - name (part of the name), date of creation (changes), size, file extension, estimated location (logical drive) - after that we press "enter", after the search is completed, we view the output results, this will already be much easier to do than browsing through all the folders on the computer in turn.
My computer
Programs are launched by launching them through special icons that are placed on the “desktop” for convenience (usually shortcuts to frequently used programs and services are placed on the desktop). The “my computer” icon is usually located on the desktop, because we often have to view service information about the system. The more we install programs, the less free space on the screen becomes, and we have to remove unnecessary shortcuts, how to find "my computer" if we accidentally deleted it too?
There is nothing easier: press the "start" button - right-click "my computer" - left-click the menu "display on desktop". The "my computer" shortcut is back on the "desktop".