How to Do a Keyword Search in Windows Vista
Plenty of computer users have made a text document or spreadsheet and then later forgot where the file was saved. If you have lost track of a file or program, you don't need to go searching through every folder on your computer's hard drive. The Microsoft Windows Vista operating system includes a built-in search tool that allows you to quickly locate any type of document stored on your computer. You can also use specific keyword functions to narrow down your search results.
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Instructions
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Open the "Start" menu and click the "Start Search" text field. Type the name of the file or program you want to search for and press "Enter." Click the icon that appears to open the file.
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Type "author:" before the search word if you know the user who created the document. For example if you want to search for a document created by a user named Sally you would type "author:sally."
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Add additional keywords after the author's name to search for specific words within the document. To search for a document created by the user named Sally containing the word "payroll" type "author:sally payroll."
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Use the "from" keyword to search for documents sent from other users. Type "from:sally" to search for a document sent by the user named Sally.
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Use the "before" and "after" keywords to search for files created before or after a specific date. Type "before:12/12/09" or "after:12/12/09" to search for a file created before or after the specified date.
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Use the "has:attachment" keyword to locate specific named files that have attachments. Type "payroll:has attachment" to search for any files named "payroll" that also have attachments.
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Tips & Warnings
You can also specify where the Windows Vista search tool searches for files and what types of files it looks for. Type the name of the file or program you are looking for in the "Search" field and then click "Search Everywhere." Select "Advanced Search" and then use the drop-down boxes at the top of the window to select where to search and change other options such as dates and file sizes.
In the "Advanced Search" field you can click the check box labeled "Include non-indexed, hidden, and system files" to locate data stored in hidden system folders.
You can locate the author of a document and the date it was created by right-clicking the file and choosing "Properties." Navigate to the "Details" tab to find the information.
