我们大多数人都有过这样的时候，我们有点知道我们想在我们的计算机上找到什么，但不记得确切的文件名(file name)。在本文中，我们将讨论一些在Windows中查找所需内容的高级方法，其中一些方法比其他方法效果更好。
注意：(NOTE:)该过程在Windows 7和Windows 8.1中的工作方式相同，但正如您所见，Windows 8.1中搜索结果的显示可以更加完整和可用。
如何使用最常见的通配符(Most Common Wildcards)：* 和？
从一开始，Microsoft就允许使用两个通配符进行搜索，星号 (*) 和问号(question mark)(?)。一般而言，问号(question mark)用于代替您不知道的一个字母或符号。(letter or symbol)星号用于替代许多字母和符号。让我们使用Windows 7(Windows 7) 开始菜单(Start Menu)搜索框和Windows 8.1 中的开始(Start)屏幕对此进行调查。
在上一篇文章中，我们展示了当在Windows 7(Windows 7)开始菜单(Start Menu)搜索框中使用(search box)cat这个词作为搜索词时会发生什么，该搜索框会搜索您的所有索引文件。这是图片的重复。
结果是名称中包含精确字母组合(letter combination)“cat”的文件列表。在Windows 8.1中，如果您在“(Windows 8.1)开始(Start)”屏幕上搜索“cat” ，您将在屏幕右侧看到一个类似的列表。
但是按Enter并 presto，你会得到一整个屏幕的结果，按文件类型排序。此页面格式的限制不会对全屏进行公正处理，但请看一下。如您所见，显示了一个文件选择，并带有一个链接以单击以获取其余文件。
假设您要查找名称非常接近“cat”的所有文件。在这里，我们用问号(question mark)代替了最后一个字母 T。如您所见，结果非常不同！这是 Windows 7：
这是Windows 8.1。如您所见，应用程序和帮助文件以及图形和文件都包含在全屏列表中。(screen list)更有用，而且都在一个地方。
为什么两个结果都包含所有比“cat”长得多的文件名？因为这就是搜索(Search)的工作方式。搜索词(search term)末尾的通配符仅告诉Search用户希望查看名称包含字母 CA 后跟另一个字母的文件，而不管名称的长度如何。您可能认为只输入字母 CA 就足够了，但这样做会产生一个完全不同的文件列表。这里是Windows 7。
这是Windows 8.1，侧边栏版本(sidebar version)：
如果您在单词中间使用问号进行搜索怎么办？(question mark)如果系统在逻辑上工作，它会告诉搜索(Search)找到字母 T 是字母 C 之后的两个字母的单词，但它们之间的字母是未知的。但这不是它的实际工作方式。正如您在两个操作系统中看到的那样，列表中没有多少项目实际上与搜索条件(search criteria)匹配。这是 Windows 7：
这是 Windows 8.1：
很混乱。幸运的是，有一些方法可以过滤搜索，以便您更接近所需内容，我们将在稍后讨论。
另一个通配符星号用于表示许多字母。正如您从上面的示例中看到的那样，在这两种操作系统中，搜索(Search)都已经可以正常工作，就好像您在词尾加了一个星号一样，因此没有必要自己加星号。让我们搜索包含字母 C 后跟字母 T 的所有文件，中间有任意数量的字母。这就是发生的事情。有时C和T之间有相当大的距离！首先(First)，Windows 7：
和 Windows 8.1：
如您所见，使用通配符并不总是有助于找到您要查找的信息。
如何使用过滤器获得(Filters)更好的搜索结果(Better Search Results)
如果您知道要查找的文件类型，则可以在搜索中指定它，这样就不会因为各种包含正确搜索词(search term)但不是您要查找的内容而使您的结果变得混乱。
让我们试着找到猫的照片。在这种情况下，我们告诉搜索(Search)查找文件名中带有“cat”和图形文件扩展名(file name)之一的文件，在这种情况下为.jpg。键入cat ext:.jpg作为搜索词。
为什么所有那些文件名不明确的文件都出现了？这些是带有关键字“猫”标签的照片。也可以使用搜索词(search term) cat tag:cat找到这些文件。
在Windows 8.1中，相关文件的缩略图会出现，并带有一个链接以单击其余文件。此搜索还将出现带有关键字“猫”标签的照片。
注意：(NOTE:)我们在之前的教程中介绍了标记和更改元数据。这样做需要时间，但是您添加到文件中的信息越多，就越容易找到它们。
Microsoft提供了 100 多个搜索词，您可以使用它来查找所需内容。最常用的是名称、分机(name, ext)（也写成filext或filextension）、日期、标签(date, tag,)和创建(created)（这是指定日期的另一种方式）。要查看可用列表，请打开Windows 资源管理器(Windows Explorer)或文件资源管理器(File Explorer)并选择一个文件夹（任何文件夹都可以）。
如果您还没有使用它，请切换到详细信息视图。(Details)请在此处查看我们的教程：解释Windows 资源管理器和文件资源管理器中(Windows Explorer and File Explorer)可用(Views Available)的视图。
在这两种操作系统中，右键单击标有Name的(Name)列标题(column header)，然后从出现的菜单中单击More。
现在，您可以在Windows 资源管理器(Windows Explorer)和文件资源管理器(File Explorer)中找到列标题的所有当前可用选项的可滚动列表，最棒的是这些术语中的任何一个都可以用于修改搜索。但是，您的文件必须在其元数据中包含一些此类信息（由您提供，因为其中很多不是自动包含的），否则搜索将一无所获。
搜索，搜索，搜索……
熟悉Search的使用方式的最佳方法是尝试一下。以不同的方式查找内容不会对您的计算机造成任何损害，而且您可能会对出现的结果感到惊讶。搜索的一个好处是您很可能会找到您忘记拥有的文件，并且您不再需要保留这些文件。没有什么比同时学习新技能和腾出空间更有趣了！
您是否发现了使用Search的新方法？你有问题吗？让我们(Let)在下面的评论中讨论它。
How To Make Advanced Searches In Windows Using Wildcards And Filters
Most of us havе had times whеn we sort-of knew what it was we wаnted to find on our computer, but didn't remеmber the exact file name. In this article, we will talk about some advanced ways to find what you want in Windows, some of which work better than others.
NOTE: The process works the same way in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, but as you'll see, the display of search results in Windows 8.1 can be much more complete and usable.
How To Use The Most Common Wildcards: * And ?
Since the very beginning, Microsoft has allowed searches using two wildcards, the asterisk (*) and the question mark (?). In general terms, the question mark is used to substitute for one letter or symbol that you don't know. The asterisk is used to substitute for many letters and symbols. Let's investigate this, using the Windows 7 Start Menu search box and then the Start screen in Windows 8.1.
In a previous article, we showed what happened when the word cat was used as a search term in the Windows 7 Start Menu search box, which searches all your indexed files. Here's a repeat of the picture.
The result is a list of files that have the exact letter combination "cat" in their names. In Windows 8.1, if you search for "cat" on the Start screen, you will get a similar list, on the right side of your screen.
But press Enter and presto, you get a whole screen full of results, sorted by type of file. The constraints of this page's format won't do justice to the full screen, but here's a look at it. As you can see, a selection of files is displayed, with a link to click to get the rest of them.
Let's say you wanted to look for all the files with names very close to "cat." Here we have substituted a question mark for the final letter T. As you can see, the results are very different! Here is Windows 7:
And here is Windows 8.1. As you can see, apps and help files are included in the full screen list, along with graphics and files. Much more useful, and all in one place.
Why did both results include all those file names that are way longer than "cat"? Because that is the way Search works. A wildcard character at the end of a search term only tells Search that the user wants to see the files whose names have the letters C-A followed by another letter, regardless of the length of the name. You'd think that just typing the letters C-A would be sufficient, but doing that turns up a completely different list of files. Here is Windows 7.
And here is Windows 8.1, the sidebar version:
What if you search with the question mark in the middle of the word? If the system works logically, it would tell Search to find words where the letter T is two letters after the letter C, but the letter between them is unknown. But that's not how it actually works. As you can see in both operating systems, not many items on the list actually match the search criteria. Here is Windows 7:
And here is Windows 8.1:
Very confusing. Fortunately, there are ways to filter the search so you get closer to what you want, and we'll discuss that in just a minute.
The other wild card, the asterisk, is used to represent many letters. As you can see by the examples above, in both operating systems Search already works as though you'd put an asterisk at the end of the word, so putting it there yourself is not necessary. Let's search for all files that contain the letter C followed by the letter T, with any number of letters in between. This is what happens. Sometimes there is considerable distance between the C and the T! First, Windows 7:
And Windows 8.1:
As you can see, using wildcards isn't always useful in turning up the information you're looking for.
How To Get Better Search Results With Filters
If you know the type of file you're looking for, you can specify it in the search, and thus not clutter up your results with all kinds of things that contain the right search term but are not what you're looking for.
Let's try to find photos of cats. In this case, we tell Search to look for files with "cat" in the file name and one of the graphics file extensions, in this case, .jpg. Type cat ext:.jpg as the search term.
Why did all those files with cryptic file names turn up? Those are photographs that have been tagged with the keyword "cat". Those files would also be found by using the search term cat tag:cat.
In Windows 8.1, thumbnails of relevant files turn up, with a link to click for the rest of them. This search will also turn up photos tagged with the keyword "cat."
NOTE:We have covered tagging and changing metadata in previous tutorials. It takes time to do this, but the more information you add to your files, the easier they will be to find.
Microsoft has provided over 100 search terms you can use to find what you want. The most commonly used are things like name, ext (also written filext or filextension), date, tag, and created (which is another way of specifying date). To see a list of what's possible, open Windows Explorer or File Explorer and choose a folder (any folder will do).
Change to the Details view if you're not already using that. See our tutorial here: Explaining the Views Available in Windows Explorer and File Explorer.
In both operating systems, right-click on the column header labeled Name, and from the menu that appears, click More.
Now you can find a scrollable list of all the currently available options for column headers in Windows Explorer and File Explorer, and the great thing is that any of these terms can be used to modify a search. However, your files will have to include some of this information in their metadata (supplied by you, since a lot of it isn't included automatically) or the search will turn up nothing.
Searching, searching, searching…
The best way to become familiar with the ways Search can be used is to try it. You can't cause any harm to your computer by looking things up in different ways, and you may be surprised at what turns up. One benefit of searching is that you will very likely turn up files you'd forgotten you had, and that you no longer need to keep. Nothing like learning a new skill and freeing up space at the same time!
Have you discovered new ways to use Search? Have you had problems with it? Let's discuss it in the comments below.
