How To Find All Photos On My Computer Windows 7

Lesson vi: Finding Your Files with Search and Libraries

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Introduction

At this bespeak, yous are likely ready to start organizing and accessing your files and content. Windows 7 has developed search and libraries to arrive easier to detect, maneuver, and customize your files.

In this lesson, we volition show you lot how to access your content through Search and Libraries. In add-on, we will highlight the features that offer customization and convenience, including tagging, search filters, and creating libraries.

What are Libraries?

Well-nigh users access their files through My Documents, the C drive, or from other locations like a server or backup bulldoze. You are probable accustomed to sorting through tiered stacks of folders to get to your content. This process can be time consuming, especially if y'all cannot recollect where an item is filed. Microsoft wanted to make finding your files easier, so it developed Libraries.

Libraries are collections of your stored content that can be easily accessed through the Desktop Search function. Libraries practice non replace your folders; they just house them in a unmarried collection. When files are placed in a Library, their backdrop are indexed past the Search function. This indexing makes accessing files in Search quick and like shooting fish in a barrel.

Larn more almost Search and Libraries in this video.

There are four default Libraries in Windows 7: Documents, Pictures, Music, and Videos. Later in this lesson, we volition likewise show you how to create Libraries of your own.

Default Libraries

Windows Explorer

Understanding Windows Explorer will help yous navigate through your content and piece of work with your files and folders in an piece of cake mode.

Click the folder icon on the taskbar to open Windows Explorer.
Windows Explorer icon

Click the buttons in the interactive beneath to learn more than about the Windows Explorer interface.

labeled graphic

Details Pane

The Details pane allows yous to view boosted information and add tags and ratings to the currently selected item.

Navigation Buttons

Employ the Back and Forrard buttons to navigate between folders.

Toolbar

Shortcuts will appear in the toolbar depending on the item types in the Library pane.

Address Bar

Use the Accost bar to see the path of the electric current folder.

Library Pane

Items tin now be organized by Libraries.

Arrange By

Depending on the Library, yous can suit content by month, day, rating, and more than.

Search Bar

Use the search bar to search for specific files or folders.

Show Preview Pane Button

Click to see a preview of items in your folders.

View Push button

Click to change the way items are displayed.

Navigation Pane

You tin access folders in the traditional manner using tiered stacks of content in the Navigation pane.

To apply Windows Explorer:

Move through your content by double-clicking folders, clicking on the Back and Frontward buttons, or by clicking on headings in the Accost bar.
Preview files past selecting the Show the Preview pane button.
When you double-click a file, information technology will open in the default program.

To change the view of the content in your folders:

Y'all accept several options for how you can view content in your folders. For example, you may prefer seeing Details when viewing file documents and Extra Large Icons when viewing pictures.

To change the view, select the View push and choose your preference.
Modify view of items in folders

To change how your content is arranged:

Depending on the Library, you tin can Suit content by month, mean solar day, rating, and other factors.

Select the Arrange by push, and choose your preference.
Alter how items are arranged

Using Search

To search your Libraries:

Locate the Search bar at the meridian right corner of the Windows Explorer pane.
Start typing a file proper noun or keyword.
Search volition start displaying matching items even before you finish typing.
How to use the Desktop Search

Search options and features

Search and Libraries accept a few features that assist with identifying and arranging items. Tags can be added to sure items in society to ameliorate search results. You can besides rate and arrange content, like Pictures and Music, in the aforementioned manner. The Tag or Rating options are included in the Details pane, as shown beneath.

Windows tag Add tags to certain files

Various search filters can be applied to assist with finding content or narrowing a search. Depending on the Library, search filters might include Type, Date Modified, Tag, or Authors. Beneath is an example of the search filter in the Video Library.

Search with filter Selecting a search filter selection

Search with filter "Date created" search filter

For even more search options, click the Organize button near the upper-left corner of the window and select Search and folder options.

Searching from the Start Carte

The Windows Explorer pane is non the only place you tin access Search and Libraries. You will detect a Search bar in the First Carte, forth with one click access to popular Libraries.

Search Conducting a search from the Start Bill of fare

Opening Libraries from the Offset Carte

A new approach to accessing content

Libraries are collections of content defined by the user. They are the new entry point for accessing your files. Therefore, when Saving items Windows 7 will directly yous to Libraries. Libraries take automatic default salvage folders. Unless specified, your content will be saved in the default folder of the Library it matches.

Y'all tin can change the default salvage binder by selecting Locations in the Tool Bar.
Automatic default save

Yous are not required to save or admission your content through Libraries. The Navigation pane gives yous access to Calculator, where your folders and drives are stored. You tin can all the same sort through the tiered stacks of folders in the classic style to save and access content.

Save as dialog with folders Save to another location

Setting up your Libraries

You decide which folders and content to include in your Libraries.

To create your own Library:

Select New Library in the toolbar, or right-click Libraries in the Navigation pane.
Select New and so Libraries.
Create a new Library

To customize your Libraries:

Right-click and select Properties.
Select Optimize and choose one of the following:
- General Items
- Documents
- Music
- Pictures
- Video
Select detail blazon for new Library
The new Library will prompt you lot to add Folders.

To add folders to existing Libraries:

Select the Folder from the Navigation pane.
Click the Include in Library menu in the toolbar.
Select the desired Library.

Add files to Library Add together files to new Library

You can also copy Folders from the Navigation pane direct into the Libraries pane based on preference.

Determination

Equally we mentioned earlier, you lot determine what content goes into your Libraries. You tin decide to use the default Libraries or create your ain. Either way, you will need to take the fourth dimension to move folders into the Libraries you desire.

You lot can still keep to access your files in the classic way of sorting through tiered stacks, just you will not exist able to take advantage of the convenience of the Search office. Information technology's a new way of accessing your files and may take some customization to work as finer as you wish. Accept some time to reconsider your filing system and how you would similar to admission your files.

Default Libraries

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