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How to Search Files on Windows by Name, Type, and Contents

Use File Explorer to search filenames and extensions, or configure Windows indexing to find words inside files. Learn how to choose a search location and fix missing results.
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In File Explorer, search by a filename or distinctive word, use a pattern such as *.pdf to find a file type, or search for words inside documents after confirming that Windows indexes their contents. Start in the folder where the file is likely to be; choose This PC when you need a broader search.

Choose where Windows should search

Open File Explorer and enter a search in the search box. Starting in a likely folder narrows the results. For a wider search across the computer, select This PC in the navigation pane and search there. Microsoft says a This PC search is slower but more in-depth than searching from Home. Taskbar search can also find documents across the PC and OneDrive; use the document filter to narrow its results. Microsoft’s Windows search instructions describe these options.

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Search by file name or type

Find a named file

Enter the full filename or a distinctive part of it in File Explorer’s search box. If you are unsure of the exact name, a memorable word or phrase from it can help narrow the results.

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Find files by extension

Use an asterisk followed by the extension to search for a type of file: *.pdf, *.docx, or *.jpg. For example, *.doc finds Word documents with that extension, and *.mp3 finds audio files. Microsoft explains that extensions identify file types in its guide to common Windows file name extensions.

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If you do not see extensions in File Explorer, turn them on using View > Show > File name extensions. This makes it easier to identify the extension to use in a search.

Search for words inside files

Windows indexes filenames and full paths by default, but searching text inside a file depends on whether its file type is configured for content indexing. A type set to index properties only can still be found by name; it will not be searched for words in its contents.

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  1. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Search.
  2. Under Classic indexing, select Customize search locations.
  3. In Indexing Options, select Advanced > File Types.
  4. Find the extension you want to search and check that it is set to index properties and file contents, not properties only.

Then search from an indexed location for the word or phrase you remember. For Microsoft’s explanation of the settings and how Windows Search works, see Search indexing in Windows.

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Understand indexing coverage

Windows offers Classic and Enhanced indexing. Classic indexes common folders such as Documents, Pictures, Music, and Desktop by default; you can add locations. Enhanced indexes the whole PC, including user folders and files, and may use more system resources.

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Initial indexing can take up to a couple of hours. Windows updates the index in the background as files change, so a newly added location or content-indexing setting may not produce complete results immediately.

If a file or its contents do not appear

  • Broaden the location: Search the folder where the item is stored, or use This PC if you may be looking in the wrong place.
  • Check coverage: Confirm the folder is included in indexed locations, or choose Enhanced indexing if you need whole-PC coverage.
  • Check the file type: For a content search, verify that the extension indexes properties and file contents.
  • Allow indexing to finish: Initial indexing may still be underway, especially after changing indexed locations.
  • Check visibility: The file may be hidden. Microsoft also recommends running the Search and Indexing troubleshooter from Advanced indexing options.

Copilot+ PCs: semantic search is an extra

On Copilot+ PCs, semantic indexing supplements traditional indexing for supported file formats, allowing searches to return conceptually related items. Microsoft lists these document formats: .txt, .pdf, .docx, .doc, .rtf, .pptx, .ppt, .xls, and .xlsx; and these image formats: .jpg/.jpeg, .png, .gif, .bmp, and .ico. Microsoft says semantic-indexing data is stored locally on the PC, or locally in Cloud PC storage for supported AI-enabled Windows 365 devices. Initial indexing is recommended while the device is plugged into power. This feature is specific to Copilot+ PCs and supported Windows 365 devices; ordinary filename, type, and content searches do not require it. See Microsoft’s Windows search guidance and indexing overview for details.

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Windows version note

Microsoft’s guidance covers Windows 10 and Windows 11, but labels and menus can vary by version. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, according to Microsoft’s Windows support page; the steps here are most useful as a guide to the relevant search and indexing settings, not a guarantee that every menu appears identically on every installation.

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