Audience
Windows users
About Windows Search
Windows Search is a desktop search platform that has instant search capabilities for most common file types and data types, and third-party developers can extend these capabilities to new file types and data types. Windows Search is a standard component of Windows 7 and Windows Vista, and is enabled by default. Windows Search replaces Windows Desktop Search (WDS). The WSS organizes the extracted features of a collection of documents. The Windows Search Protocol enables a client to communicate with a server that is hosting a WSS, both to issue queries and to enable an administrator to manage the indexing server. When processing files, WSS analyzes a set of documents, extracts useful information, and then organizes the extracted information so that properties of those documents can be efficiently returned in response to queries.
Other Popular Alternatives & Related Software
FileSearchEX
FileSearchEX is the no-nonsense file search utility for Windows 7 and higher. It offers a classic and simplified search interface to make finding files and searching their contents a less frustrating experience. Enjoy the most natural way to locate files and folders on modern operating systems. FileSearchEX is a Windows search tool alternative that provides a standard context menu enabling it to blend in with the OS. This prevents user confusion on how to use the software. With low system requirements, easy network deployment, and locked down user account compatibility, FileSearchEX is the Windows search tool replacement you've been looking for. FileSearchEX runs well with LUA & SRP (limited user and locked down) accounts while still being easy to install by network administrators. Indeed, no installer is needed and admin rights are not required. No matter what software you have on your business systems, users will find it refreshing to have FileSearchEX's simplified search interface.
Learn more
Everything
"Everything" is search engine that locates files and folders by filename instantly for Windows. Unlike Windows search "Everything" initially displays every file and folder on your computer (hence the name "Everything"). You type in a search filter to limit what files and folders are displayed. "Everything" only indexes file and folder names and generally takes a few seconds to build its database. A fresh install of Windows 10 (about 120,000 files) will take about 1 second to index. Everything can search file content with the content, search function. File content is not indexed, searching content is slow. A fresh install of Windows 10 (about 120,000 files) will use about 14 MB of ram and less than 9 MB of disk space. 1,000,000 files will use about 75 MB of ram and 45 MB of disk space. Your search windows will reflect changes made to the file system. "Everything" will run on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.
Learn more
Apple Spotlight
Spotlight is the default search tool for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Quick access to content is key to an efficient workflow, and there are several ways you can make it easy for people to locate your app's content. Spotlight is a powerful search technology that makes it easy to locate files and content across the system. Using Spotlight, people can search for things using meaningful attributes like the intended audience for a document or the orientation of an image. Make your app’s content searchable. You can share content with Spotlight by making it indexable and specifying descriptive attributes—known as metadata. Spotlight extracts, stores, and organizes this information to allow for fast, comprehensive searches. For developer guidance, see Core Spotlight. Define metadata for your custom file types. Supply a Spotlight Importer plug-in that describes the types of metadata your file format contains.
Learn more
wList
Fast File Search & Find and List Files
wList is a professional Windows application designed to transform how you find and organize your files. In an era of massive hard drives, locating a specific file should not be a chore. wList bridges the gap between simple discovery and comprehensive file management by offering a high-speed disk indexer that makes searching local drives and network shares fast.
More than just a search tool, wList serves as a dedicated directory printer and file list creator. Whether you need a professional file inventory for an audit or a clean list for a backup log, wList delivers organized results in seconds. You can export lists in various formats or copy them to your clipboard instantly.
The smart categorization within wList allows you to filter results into groups like Audio, Video, or Documents. Lightweight and efficient, wList respects your system resources, running only when you need it. Stop hunting for files and start finding them with wList.
Learn more
Pricing
Free Version:
Free Version available.
Integrations
Company Information
Microsoft
Founded: 1975
United States
microsoft.com
Videos and Screen Captures
Other Useful Business Software
$300 Free Credits to Build on Google Cloud
Put your $300 in credit toward real workloads, then keep building with free monthly usage for 20+ products. No commitment and no charge until you upgrade.
Product Details
Platforms Supported
Windows
Training
Documentation
