All about Windows 10 searching
1 ACCESS SEARCH OPTIONS
Assuming you have upgraded your computer to at least Windows 10 May 2019 Update – and by now you really should have done so – you will find that within Settings there is a section for configuring Search options. Click the Start button followed by Settings, and then click the Search icon to start choosing the options you would like to put in place for your searches.
3 ADDITIONAL SEARCH SETTINGS
While you are in that section of search settings, scroll down a little further. By enabling the Microsoft Account setting, the search tool can look for content in your Outlook emails and OneDrive documents. It’s also a good idea to enable My Device History and My Search History so Windows can learn from your searches and the way you use your PC to provide better results.
2 SAFESEARCH
Windows 10’s search tool can be used to search the web as a well as local files, and this means there is potential to be exposed to content you may not want to see. You can stop adult content from being previewed by enabling SafeSearch. If you opt for Moderate filtering, Windows will filter videos and pictures. If you choose the Strict setting, text will also be subject to filtering.
4 INDEXING OPTIONS
Windows indexes files in key locations so it can deliver results faster, and you can customise this in the Searching Windows section. If you stick with the Classic indexing setting, it is worth adding all the folders you store files in for indexing. Click Customise search locations here, then Modify, then tick the boxes next to all of the folders you would like to include.
5 ENHANCED INDEXING Alternatively, you can select Enhanced to index the entire contents of your computer. Now, you can choose to exclude certain folders from being indexed – just click ‘Add an excluded folder’ and select those you want to remove. You can also stop indexing certain types of file by clicking Advanced Search Indexer Settings followed by Advanced, and then deselecting file types.
6 STARTING A SEARCH
To start a search, click in the Search box in the taskbar and start typing; if you have opted to display a search button instead of the box, click before typing. Alternatively, click the Start button or press the Win key and start to type your search term before pressing Enter, or press Win and S. All these methods produce the same result, so just use whichever works best for you.
7 SEARCHING BY CATEGORY
You can make your searches more precise from the offset by searching by category. When you call up the search window you’ll see a list of your top apps, as well as series of tabs labelled Apps, Documents, Email and so on. Click one of these tabs, and when you type your search term, the results will be limited to this type of content. So, if you’re looking for an app, click the Apps tab.
8 GENERAL SEARCHES
You don’t have to narrow the focus of a search, you can just call up the search window and start typing. Windows will try to determine what you are most likely to be looking for, and display a link to this in the Best Match section at the top. Beneath this you will see results for online searches that match your query, as well as documents found on your computer. Click a result to open it.
9 DEALING WITH SEARCH RESULTS
You can also filter results after your search is complete. When the search results appear, you can move to any of the tabs at the top, not forgetting the More tab which provides access to further filtering through a submenu. Using categories for filtering is very handy if you do not immediately find what you’re looking for on the first screen.
10 SEARCH RESULT ACTIONS
You can interact with your search results by clicking the little arrow icon that appears next to them. In the case of web results, clicking the arrow will display a preview of the web page in the right hand section of the search window. If you click the arrow next to a file, you’ll get options such as opening the files, copying its folder location, or opening its containing folder.