Fine tune the Windows 7 Search Index for better performance

I recently received email from readers wondering about how the Search Index in Windows 7 works and if it were possible to customize it. Some readers wanted to add different locations to the Search Index and some wanted to remove certain locations. Others wondered about adding or removing certain file types from the Search Index. I also heard from readers who were encountering problems with the Windows 7’s Search and wondered how to fix it. Read more.

Tag your files for easier searches in Windows 7

In a recent Windows Desktop Report, “Take Advantage of Search Filters in Windows Explorer,” I showed you how to use and take advantage of the Search filters built in to Windows Explorer’s Search box in Windows 7. As I told you in that blog post, as soon as you begin typing text in the Search box, Windows immediately begins sifting through the search index for that text in folder names, file names, the contents of the file, and file properties, such as Tags. Since that blog was posted, I have received several emails from readers asking how you go about tagging files so that you can search on Tags. Read more.

Inside Microsoft Entertainment Packs 1 - 4

Back in the early 90's, Microsoft released set of games designed exclusively for Windows 3.x called the Microsoft Entertainment Packs. In this series of galleries I'll take you back to the Windows 3.x days and look over the games and screen savers that came in the Microsoft Entertainment Packs.

Inside Microsoft Entertainment Pack 1

Inside Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2

Inside Microsoft Entertainment Pack 3

Inside Microsoft Entertainment Pack 4

Weed through your files Part Two: Windows 7 Group By and Filter features

In last week’s blog, “Weed through Your Files with the Windows Explorer Arrange By Feature,” I showed you how to use the Arrange By feature in Windows 7’s Windows Explorer to gain a different perspective on the data files that you have stored on your hard disk. However, the Arrange By feature isn’t the only method that you can use to gain an interesting perspective on your data files. There are two other features that you can use to weed through your files: Group By and Filter. Read more.

Weed through your files with the Windows Explorer Arrange By feature

No matter how organized you are with your data files, chances are good that you don’t know where every document is located. Nor do you even remember every document that you have on your hard disk. While Microsoft Windows 7’s Search feature can help you out when you have an idea of what you are looking for, it really can’t help you when you are not sure what to look for. Fortunately, you can use Windows Explorer’s Arrange By feature to gain a different perspective on the data files that you have stored on your hard disk. Read more.

Take advantage of Search filters in Windows Explorer

I recently received an email from a reader who was frustrated with the Search feature in Windows Explorer. His complaint was that the Search feature is good in Microsoft Windows 7, but it always turns up too many results, so it is hard to find exactly what he wants. Of course, I agree that the Search feature built in to Windows 7 is great. However, it also has a terrific Search filtering system built right in to Windows Explorer’s Search box. Read more.