How to make Windows 7 find all files. Like Mac program Easyfind.
November 30, 2013 7:00 PM   Subscribe

Hi everyone. Sometimes I'm trying to find an obscure system or game file, and it is actually very difficult to get Windows 7 to understand that, yes, I want it to search through ALL files on a disk.

Right now, as a test, for example, I am searching for "steamapps." I know the folder exists -- I can see it right in front of me. And yet, if I type it in the Start Menu search field, it just plain doesn't show up. About 10 minutes ago I tried typing it in the search field in the "My Computer" window. The computer is still, evidently, thinking that one over -- it says "searching", but nothing has come up yet (other than that my laptop is now heating up and hyperventilating, with explorer.exe running about 25 percent of CPU.)

So, is there a simple, free or cheap utility like "easyfind" on the Mac? I don't even need it to search inside files -- just filenames and partial filenames would be fine. I've found some evidence that well regarded program called "Everything" used to exist to this effect, but that seems to be defunct.
posted by Alaska Jack to Computers & Internet (5 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: There's Everything Search Engine. Need to give it a few minutes to start indexing on your first run:
Locate files and folders by name instantly.

Small installation file
Clean and simple user interface
Quick file indexing
Quick searching
Minimal resource usage
Share files with others easily
Real-time updating
posted by xqwzts at 7:23 PM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


Best answer: I use Agent Ransack. http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/
posted by AllieTessKipp at 7:35 PM on November 30, 2013


Response by poster: oh, I swear, when I was trying to pull the Everything website up yesterday, I was getting 404 errors. I guess their site must just have been down!
posted by Alaska Jack at 7:45 PM on November 30, 2013


Best answer: Launch command prompt as administrator.
cd \
dir /s steamapps

Or, for hidden files/folders:

dir /ah /s steamapps
posted by dave*p at 8:12 PM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Thanks everyone!
posted by Alaska Jack at 7:38 PM on December 1, 2013


« Older To catch a mouse...   |   can I eat this, butter edition Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.