Windows File Explorer’s search feature lets one easily find specific folders and files on the computer. You will receive a list of available files regardless of the search parameters you enter in the box, including file extensions and document keywords.
Repeating the exact search every time is time-consuming, and you have to search and filter repeatedly, especially if you want to see results with identical content. So, you can consider creating a helpful list to save frequent search in Windows File Explorer that you could refer to later. This post will guide you on how to do so.
How to Save Frequent Windows Search in Windows
There are two methods given below that you can follow to save frequent searches on your Windows PC. You can use file explorer search by date or any other criteria in the filter.
1] Save a Search in Windows by Creating a Shortcut
By creating a shortcut, you can access your frequently searched file quickly. Here is how to save a search by creating a shortcut:
- Open File Explorer by pressing the Windows key + E. You can type the filename, keywords, or file extensions in the search box based on your requirements.
- After the search, right-click a blank space and choose the Save search option from the context menu.
- In the Save As pop-up window, type a name for the file and click the Save button.
- The saved search will be kept in the C:\Users\[user profile]\Searches directory by default. It will be automatically updated to reflect any new files that match the search parameters when you search for the file in the future.
Now, let us create a shortcut for the search file you saved for easier and quicker access.
- Navigate to C:\Users\[user profile]\Searches and right-click the frequently searched file you have saved.
- Choose the Show more options option from the context menu.
- Click Send to > Desktop (create shortcut). This immediately creates a shortcut on your Windows desktop to access your frequently searched folder quickly.
2] Save or Export Windows Explorer Search Results as a TXT or CSV File
In this method, you can save the path names of all the frequently searched files to access and use these path names to access your frequently searched file folders easily. Follow the steps given below to save Windows Explorer search results as a TXT file:
- Open File Explorer and search for the file you frequently search for. Once the search results are shown, please select all of them by pressing the Ctrl + A keys.
- Press and hold the Shift key, right-click, and choose the Copy as path option from the context menu.
- Open Notepad from the Start menu, and paste the copied paths into the blank Notepad.
- Click the File tab and select Save as an option from the context menu.
- In the Save As pop-up window, give the file a name, choose your preferred file location, and click the Save button. The search results will be saved as a txt file; you can access them easily and quickly.
Conclusion
Since the search results are automatically updated, and new files related to the search are added to the saved search folder, you can reuse the saved search file. The Windows Search Subsystem can access the saved search because it was created from an XML file.
Every file or folder in the saved searches can be accessed whenever you open it, saving you from repeatedly saving new searches. So remember that you can utilize the save search result feature for assistance the next time you use Windows search to access the same file repeatedly. I hope you found the article helpful.
