Microsoft Windows comes packaged with a file search tool which, if used properly, can be very effective in finding lost files. However, it requires a little refinement to work properly. Firstly, you must ask yourself a few questions about what you're looking for, and what you know about it. What type of file are you looking for? Do you know the extension (i.e. .jpeg, .doc, .pdf, etc.)?

Do you remember any portion of the file name? Do you know which hard drive(s) it might be on? Can you come up with a date before which the file couldn't have existed? Or do you know the approximate file size (useful if you're looking for large image, audio, and/or video files.)? Any answers to the above questions can help to narrow the computer's search through the Windows file search tool, and can improve the accuracy of your results.

For example; if I'm searching for an Excel spreadsheet for my business, and I have no idea where to find it in my computer's file system, I can bring up the search tool from the start menu. I know that Excel files are relatively small, and I probably wouldn't find them on the extra hard drive that I use to store movie and music files.

So I restrict the search to my main hard drive. I also know that the particular file I'm looking for couldn't have existed before this year, because it specifically deals with inventory and expenses for the current year. So I adjust the 'date modified' option. I also know that the Excel file extension is .xls, so I hone my search request even further.

When I finally complete the search, I am left with a list of 15 files instead of a possible 600 or more. Had I known even a portion of the file name, I might have narrowed it even further.

The Microsoft file search tool also allows for several options once a search is complete and a file is found. You can open, edit, and move the file directly from the search tool window. You can save your search for future reference. The search results provide the actual location of the file, so you may be able to avoid a search the next time you want to access that file, or any other files in the same folder.

Like many other options on Windows, a little bit of know-how goes a long way. When searching for a file, try to remember as much about it as possible. Analyze your needs so you can refine your request, and you will find that your results improve, your work output increases, and your understanding of your computer grows exponentially.