Where is the archiver located? Search through additional windows. What is an archive

The search mechanism in Windows 7 is organized a little differently than in Windows XP, but it is no less convenient and is performed at a much faster speed.

How to start a search

To start searching for files in Windows 7, you need to open Explorer and select the folder in which you want to search, or, if you don’t know what directory the file is located in, select “My Computer.” Then the search will be performed on all hard drives.

You need to search for files of any format using the search bar, which is located in the upper right corner of Explorer in any of its windows. Keyword or phrase must be entered in this line.

The search is performed very quickly, similar to the request processing mechanism in any search engine. As you enter a query word, the system immediately begins scanning files and producing results with titles containing the characters, words, or phrases you entered.

How to use search filters

At first glance, it may seem that the usual filters available in XP, such as date created or modified, file type, size and author, are not available when searching in Windows 7, but this is not at all the case.

When inserted search query In the drop-down line below, a list of filters corresponding to the desired file type appears, the conditions of which can be set right there in the search line. To do this you need to click on required filter and set its value, for example the modification date “Last week”.

How to find files of a specific type

To find a file whose format is known, for example audio, video, photo or document, but its name, creation date or other parameters are unknown, you can use a search by file type, specifying its extension in the search conditions.

Documents. To search for documents in Word format, you need to enter the characters “*.doc” (for Word 2003 format) or “*.docx” (for Word 2007-2010 format) in the search bar. An asterisk denotes any sequence of any characters.

For Excel files you need to use the symbols “*.xls” (for Excel format 2003) or “*.xlsx” (for Excel 2007-2010 format).

For text format files created using the Notepad application, you need to enter “*.txt” in the search bar.

Video. To search for video files, enter the video file extension in the search bar. The most popular extensions: “*.avi”, “*.mp4”, “*.mpeg”, “*.wmv”, “*.3gp”, “*.mov”, “*.flv”, “*.swf” " You can find out the file extension by right-clicking on it and selecting context menu“Properties”, where the “File type” line will indicate its extension.

Audio. The most popular audio file format used on computers is MP3, and to search for them you need to enter the characters “*.mp3” in the line.

Images and photographs. To search for pictures, you should enter the most used extensions of such files “*.jpg”, “*.jpeg”, “*.png”, “*.bmp”, “*.tiff”, “*.gif” in the search bar.

How to find a file in a large list of already found files

It often happens that the file attributes are unknown, or only one is known, and it is very uninformative. For example, we know that the document was created last year. However, for last year a huge number of documents were created and stored in different places. It is often not possible to view and check a huge number of files found based on one criterion.

To find the desired file in the list of already found files, you can use several filters simultaneously, setting and changing each of them during the search process as necessary. Each time you add a new filter, the selection will be made again in the list of found files, reducing processing time and the number of results, which greatly simplifies the search for the very desired file.

How to find a file by content

As a rule, files are searched in Windows 7 based on the content of the query in the file name, and not on the text that the file contains. To find a file with the desired word in its text, and not in its name, you need to make simple settings.

Let’s say the task is to find a document among 500 files with the word “Shovel” in its content. To do this, click “Arrange” on the control panel and select “Search folder options” from the drop-down menu.

It is worth noting that a search specifying this parameter will take more for a long time, and when the need to search by content is no longer necessary, this option should be disabled.

How to save search terms

It often happens that files need to be searched frequently, for this the same search conditions are used, and there are several of these conditions. In order not to waste time entering the same search parameters every time, the list of these conditions can be saved.

To do this, you need to set the search conditions, wait for the results to be displayed, and upon completion, click “Save search conditions” on the control panel, and in the window that opens, enter the file name for the recurring query, for example, “JULY 2013.”

In the future, when the saved set of search conditions is needed again, the desired shortcut can always be selected in Explorer in the “Favorites” folder under the saved name.

How to clear your search terms

By clicking on the cross at the end of the search line, you can clear the previously entered information and filter conditions that were used for the search, and the line will become empty.

Having tried search in Windows 7 several times, you can verify in practice that it is practical, easy and fast. Now you know how to search for files in Windows 7.

Modern hard drives capable of storing thousands or even tens of thousands of files. Sometimes, due to absent-mindedness or inattention, it happens that you either saved a file in the wrong folder and did not remember its location, or you do not know exactly the name of the file and the folder in which it is located.

In this case, it may be very difficult to find the file on your hard drive and you should use the information search tool included in the operating system.

The search program is launched very simply: Start - Search or My Computer - Search:

After that, on the left side of the window you will see a search menu:

As you can see, you can only search for pictures or text files, but the most commonly used item is Files and folders, which allows you to search for everything among everything.

If you select this item, then in the next window you will be asked to enter the information to be used for the search, i.e. you must indicate everything you know about the file you are looking for.

The easiest option is to search for a file by name and type, that is, by its extension.

If you know the file name along with the extension, enter them in the top field, separating the name from the extension with a dot

(For example: readme.txt- Where readme this is the file name and txt– file extension indicating its format).

If you are looking for a text file, then in the second field you can enter the text that is present in the file you are looking for (and you are absolutely sure of this).

Select your search location from the drop-down list below. If you know for sure that the file is located on drive C, then there is no point in searching for it throughout the entire hard drive. If you don’t know where the file is located, then look for it everywhere, specifying the search location My computer.

The search begins after pressing the button Find. As you find necessary files and folders, their icons will appear on the right side of the window. The search may take some time, but if the required file has already appeared on the right side of the window, then you can interrupt the search procedure by clicking the button Stop.

The file search program allows you to create various queries. You can search by file creation date, size, search in hidden folders, subfolders, archives, etc. You can specify all this data by opening the data entry fields using the corresponding buttons (see figure).

But this is not used often, and therefore we will not dwell on it in detail.

It is much more important for effective search to be able to use some tricks, or rather search patterns.

It often happens that the file name is not fully known or you are not sure of its correct spelling. In this case, when searching, the missing part of the file name or extension is replaced special characters substitutions.

Symbol * replaces any number of any characters. For example, if you put an asterisk instead of a file name, a search will begin for all files with the specified extension. IN in this example a search will be made for all pictures with the jpg extension on the entire hard drive:

If you remember the file name, but do not remember (or do not know) its format, then substitute an asterisk instead of the extension (for example: book.*).

Symbol ? replaces only one character in the pattern. For example, the pattern r?d.* will find all files (with any extension) whose names consist of three letters, begin with the character r and end with the character d.

If the file name consists of several words, then when searching, these words must be enclosed in quotation marks:

Thus, by setting various parameters search, you can significantly improve its efficiency.

When the search is completed (or stopped), on the right side of the window you will receive a list of files that match the specified search conditions.

You can work with these files (open them), but sometimes it is useful to navigate to the folder where the desired file is located.

To do this, right-click on this file and select the appropriate item in the context menu:

After this, the folder in which this file is located will open, and the file itself will be highlighted.

It so happened that after the release of Windows 7, many users became disillusioned with the file and folder search system. The fact is that in the standard settings there is not even a search by file content. Windows 7 turned out to be somewhat unusual in this regard.

Search Basics in Windows 7

It goes without saying that some basic search elements have been retained. But the file search itself in Windows 7 has become slower. In addition, if you enter a regular scan of your computer for the presence of files with a certain extension, the system itself assumes the use of a comparison of the entered type only in the name of the file or folder.

Unfortunately, the same content search Windows file 7 in initial setup does not require any parameters at all. It, as well as other parameters, must be configured in manual mode. What this approach was connected with still remains a mystery.

Standard means

Naturally, when called standard conductor you can use either the search bar in the upper right part of the main application window, or the Ctrl + F key combination. Actually, it works in almost all programs, with rare exceptions.

But now about the system. When it comes to searching for programs and applications, everything is simple here. The system is optimized in this regard very well. Even in the Start menu, in the line below, you can enter at least part of the name. The result will be immediate. If for some reason the user is not satisfied, a link is displayed just below, indicating that he can view other search results. In principle, it is very convenient. In addition, in this case, all possible matches will be shown, even sorted by file type.

Search settings

In order to properly configure the search for files in Windows 7, you simply need to enter the phrase “Search Options” in the main “Start” menu in the bottom line and select changing them in the results.

In the new window, you should not use the search option by file name or content. This is due to the fact that the system will produce a huge number of extraneous results, especially if the service responsible for partial matches is involved.

IN in this case When searching for files in Windows 7, it is better to change the indexing parameters. However, there is no need to choose system folders, in which the required file simply cannot be located.

Another important point in indexing parameters is setting up a search by extension. On the Advanced tab, you simply select the types of registered extensions you want in the system, and then set the property and content indexing option as a priority. In this way, you can get rid of the appearance of results that may coincide at least partially with the original.

In the same “Explorer”, when you click on the search bar, you can select the appropriate filters. It’s worth noting right away: the more filters, the slower the search for files in Windows 7 will be. You yourself understand that they need to be used with a certain degree of caution, and even then only as a last resort, when you need to find something specific with full confidence that that such a file or folder is present on the hard drive or logical partition.

Finding duplicate files

Unfortunately, duplicate files are standard using Windows 7 is quite difficult to find. That is why it is recommended to search for duplicate files using third-party utilities.

One of the most simple programs you can call the famous application Duplicate File Finder. It is designed even for an inexperienced user and allows you to perform almost all operations without his participation. But here’s the problem - then you’ll have to rack your brains about which duplicates to delete. The fact is that some programs, when installed, different versions can introduce files with the same names and extensions into the system, which the application itself can identify as identical (even when comparing checksums). So you need to be very careful here.

File search program in Windows 7

As for search tools, we have already figured out a little what they are. Now it’s worth noting that the question of how to enable file search in Windows 7 has one more aspect. Everyone knows that there is no provision for restoring deleted files and folders in the system.

Here it is better to use system utilities such as the Recuva program, which is capable of recovering deleted data even after formatting the hard drive or partition. Unfortunately, it, like some other software packages, does not always work correctly in terms of determining the state remote file. In addition, some utilities have a generally narrow focus. For example, they can search and recover only media files (graphics, video or audio) or office documents. So here, too, you need to choose exactly what the user needs at the moment.

As for how to search for hidden files in Windows 7, everything is simple. When using standard means systems must first enable their display in service menu on the “View” tab, where the corresponding parameter is enabled. Naturally, after this you can use a regular search engine using the same indexing or search by extension or content. As you can see, there are no problems.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it remains to add that although the search for files in Windows 7 is organized somewhat differently, compared to, say, the same XP or Vista system (not to mention more earlier versions), however, with the right approach, you can configure it yourself search engine You can, as they say, make it your own by using some additional features.

This should not cause any particular difficulties. A little patience, and the custom setup will be done within a couple of minutes. Moreover, the use of some specialized settings compared to those installed by default will even reduce the search time in terms of information processing. And we're not talking about this anymore specialized programs and applications designed to use multiple additional functions, which are simply absent in Windows 7 itself.

operating room Windows system supports the so-called hiding of folders and files. This was done for several reasons. Firstly, in this way the manufacturer operating system hides important system files, which the user may inadvertently delete. And secondly, with the help of this function the user himself can hide the files he needs from prying eyes. In general, the function is very convenient and very popular.

Suppose you are using the PC of your relative, who, for example, hid photographs from you, and you would really like to look at them. And you know for sure that they are on the computer, but after looking through all the folders, you couldn’t find the photos. It is quite possible that they are in one of the hidden folders. Let's try to find her.

Option number 1

Using the first method, we can open files and folders that are hidden for viewing. This is not difficult to do; it will take you literally a minute of time. I'll show an example on Windows 7.

We look for the “Computer” shortcut on the desktop or in the “Start” menu and click on it. A window will open in front of you. In its upper left part there is a menu item called “Arrange”. Click on it, and then select “Folder and Search Options.” Click on the last one.

Now you will see a new window in front of you called “Folder Options”.

Switch to the “View” tab, and then scroll to the very bottom of the menu. Here you will see the “Hidden files and folders” subsection. Check the box next to “Show hidden files, folders and disks." Be sure to click “Apply” or OK to save the changes.

After this procedure, all hidden files and folders will become visible. How to distinguish them? They will be slightly less bright than the rest of the files.

Option number 2

You can use a little more in a simple way. For this you will need file manager, for example, everyone knows Total Commander. Launch the application. At the top of it you will see a menu. Select “Configuration” - “Settings”. A window with program settings will appear. Here, select the “Panel Contents” tab and check the box next to “Show hidden/system files”, then click OK.

You can now navigate discs using Total Commander and find hidden content.

By the way, there is an option to open hidden folders and files using, but I believe that this method is not necessary for the average user. In addition, when working with the registry, it is easy to make such a mess that after changing it the system may not start at all.

Carrying out a search

So, now all folders and files are open, which means you can start searching. This is quite problematic for the sole reason that no one can tell where to search. It’s good if there are only a few folders on the disk and one of them turns out to be the one you need. But if there are a great many files, then you will have to reconsider everything that was once hidden by your hands (remember that such folders and files stand out with their less bright shade).

If you are looking for, say, photographs, you can try using disk search. To do this, type .jpg in the search bar (in this case, this is the file format) and press Enter.

The system will show all files with the same extension that are on the disk. There may be a lot of them, but among them, quite possibly, there will be exactly the photos that you are looking for. Good luck in your search.

If you come across a file for which you know for sure that it is an archive, then if the archive is intact and not password protected, it can be opened.
Many users have at least once encountered the fact that, when downloading the necessary files from the Internet, they experienced confusion when they saw that, instead of the expected text documents, photos or applications, discovered the archive.
Next, please read the answer to a reasonable question that has arisen: what to do with the packed file?

Why do you need a separate program to open an archive?

An archive is a special file in which any amount of different information can be stored. The advantages of storing files in an archive file are obvious - they take up significantly less space on your computer compared to the amount required to store non-archived files. Therefore, downloading them from the Internet will take much less time.
Also, information in the archive can be reliably protected from prying eyes if it is under a password. The information contained in the archives is recorded in the form special code and therefore, to open them, programs are needed that can decipher this code.
The most popular utilities for working with archives are programs and 7Zip.
Extensions -zip, rar, 7-zip.

Step-by-step opening plan using 7 zip as an example

1.If on a computer, then in order to open the archive you need to:
1.1. Right-click on the archive, select 7Zip in the context menu that appears, and then select the first line “Open archive”.

Select in the context menu - open archive

When the archive opens, a list of files contained in it will appear.

1.2. To extract files, you need to mark the files and click the “Extract” button.

1.3. The window that appears indicates the path, the final folder of which will be the location where the files are extracted. To change the extraction location, click the “…” button.

In the window that appears with a folder tree, you need to select the folder into which you want to extract.
There is also a “Create Folder” button here, which allows you to create new folder in the right place.

1.4. After selecting the extraction folder, you need to click “Ok” (Figure 5).
1.5. Next, to unzip you need to click “OK”. The file is extracted to the specified location.

Click - ok

If you need to extract the file to the same folder in which the archive is located

2.1. Mark the archive and right-click, select 7Zip in the menu that appears, and then Extract Here.

2.2. The files have been extracted.

Step-by-step opening plan using WinRar as an example

In general, the process of opening an archive using WinRar programs no different from how 7Zip works.
3.1. You need to select the archive and right-click, select WinRar in the list that appears, and then click on the “Extract files...” line.

3.3. In the folder tree, select the folder into which the extraction will be made and click “Ok”.

Files extracted

Extract to the same folder where the archive is located

4.1. By right-clicking on the archive, select the line in the menu that appears: WinRar, and then “Extract to current folder.”

The files have been extracted.

What if the archive is password protected?

5.1. It happens that there are password-protected archives.
Then, when you try to open or extract files, a warning appears stating that the archive is protected by a password, which must be entered in a special line.

If you have a password, you must enter it and click the “Ok” button.
The files have been extracted.

5.2. Opening a password-protected archive using the 7Zip program is similar.

If the password is unknown, it will be impossible to access the data stored in the archive.
We ask questions. Specialists can add.