Finding files faster

(Quoted from Andy Rathbone's Windows XP for Dummies)

 

The more information you give the Search Companion, the faster it finds your files.  Although telling it to search the entire computer for a single file containing a single word is very efficient, it’s also excruciatingly slow.  The computer must read all of its files from beginning to end.  To speed things up, try following some of these tips when possible:

 

• Try to type in at least part of the missing file or folder’s name.  That keeps the Search Companion from searching through every file.

 

• Remember a folder you stored the file in?  Tell the computer to search inside that folder and inside any folders stored inside that folder.  Try searching in My Documents before searching My Computer.  Many programs automatically save your information in that folder.

 

• Remember when you last saved, created, or edited that file or folder?  If you remember that you created it within the past week, for instance, the search becomes faster still.

 

• CD-ROM discs take a long time to search, and when you tell Search Companion to search My computer, it also searches any CD you’ve inserted in your drive.  Remove CDs before clicking My Computer for searches.

 

• Search for words least likely to turn up in other files.  For example, the words dirty and hydrator are more unique than like, an, or the.  That means they’re much more likely to bring up the file you’re searching for.

 

• When a search turns up too many files, narrow down your search.  Be more precise about when the missing file was created or downloaded, for example, or add a larger portion of its name.

 

• If you have a large hard drive with lots of space, choose Change Preferences from the Search Companion’s main menu, and then select With Indexing Service.  Your computer then makes and index of your computer’s files, speeding up searches dramatically.  (Unfortunately, the index can consume quite a bit of room.)