Search your computer instead of hunting for it
Find a file by typing its name instead of opening folders.
Opening folder after folder is the slow way. There is a faster one, and it has been there the whole time.
Your computer keeps a running index of your files, the way a book has an index in the back. Type a few words and it checks that list instantly.
On a Windows computer, the search box sits next to the Start button at the bottom left. On a Mac, press the command key and the space bar together, or click the magnifying glass at the top right. On a phone, swipe down from the middle of the home screen.
You do not need the whole name. Type the part you are sure about. Searching for plumbing will find Plumbing estimate April 2026 even though you forgot the rest.
Two things worth knowing. Search usually looks inside documents too, not just at names, so a word from the middle of a letter can find it. And results appear as you type, so watch the list rather than pressing anything yet.
This is also the reason good file names pay off. Search can only find the words you gave it.
Key points
- Your computer keeps an index of your files.
- Windows searches from the bottom left, Mac from the top right.
- Part of a name is enough to find something.
- Search often reads inside documents too.
- Results tell you which folder the file lives in.
What to remember
- A few remembered words are enough to find a file.
- When something is lost, type a word you remember before you start opening folders.
- A word from inside a document is often enough to find it again.
Try this
Think of a file you have not opened in a year, type one word from it into search, and see how fast it comes back.
Practice: Search your computer instead of hunting for it. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.