Finding a File with Windows XP

Like all things in Windows, there are several ways to start a feature. These instructions will list the most direct way.

1. Right click on the Start Button.
2. Left click on "Search..."
3. On the screen that appears. drop down the menu next to "Look in." Select the appropriate drive or folder by clicking on it. In most cases the file you want will be in "My Documents."
4. Enter the criteria to use for searching. Note you can search by either words or characters in the title of words in the file itself. Searching in the file may take a long time if you have many files. Be sure to spell the criteria correctly.
5. If you know the information such as "When it was last modified, or its size the search will be faster if you enter this information. To do this:
   1. Click on the radio button after your choice and enter the information.
   2. When you have entered all the criteria, click on "Search."
6. You will probably want to maximize the screen to see the results. Note that you can change the size of any of the columns by dragging the line between them either way. You can also sort by date by clicking on the date column.

Last Updated: March 18, 2003

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Copyright 2003/2008 Linda Q. Thede
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