The best file search tools for Windows, OS X and Linux

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Nowadays, the amount of files and data that we usually store on computers, both at home and at work, is impressive. In addition, the types and formats of files are increasing and with it the number of them on our computer.

In the case of having large amounts of files, a fundamental aspect is their organization, since it can make working with them as well as their location much easier. On the contrary, if we are a bit disorganized, perhaps the best solution to clutter is a good desktop search tool that allows us to locate the files that we need by simply providing their name or part of it.

All major operating systems have some kind of built-in search tool, but there is usually a better third-party option that is usually faster, offers more accurate results, or has more features.

Whether you are a disaster organizing files on your computer or not, pay attention to this list of desktop file browsers that Downloadsource.es offers you:

Everything (Windows)
Everything is a small and simple software that allows the user to carry out an immediate search for files in Windows. One of its main characteristics is that of being a program with a very low consumption of system resources. The built-in search engine works in real time - the results are displayed when the user types the desired word.

Everything will create an index of all the files on the partition that the user specifies. This index will be continually updated as the user makes changes to his files such as adding new ones, deleting existing ones or modifying some parts of the files. Furthermore, in the program's configuration options, the user will also be able to customize the direct access to the applications. As if that were not enough, the user also allows you to search without using the mouse.

As we have mentioned before, the program works in real time, it means that when we search for a specific file, it can be found in a few seconds (as long as you know the name of the file). As a result, by typing a few letters of the file name, concrete results will be received almost immediately.

The user will also be saved from having to open the folders to locate the files inside them since the file can be executed immediately from the program.

Other configurations that can be made in the software is the choice of partitions that we want to be included in the program's index. Thanks to this we can choose, for example, drive D: so that only that partition is searched and discard, for example, the search on drive C:

In addition the software is also compatible with keyboard shortcuts. Thanks to these, the user will not be forced to depend on the mouse at all times, so we will be able to search and execute the files through the keyboard.

Windows Search (Windows)
The Windows Search tool can be terrible, and it's not really as useful as some of the other tools featured on this list. It leaves many locations and file types out of its index from search, plus indexing is slow and often incomplete. Fortunately, Windows Search can be improved and modified to work much better, becoming almost as good as having a third-party utility on your system.

FileSeek (Windows)
FileSeek is a very complete software that goes beyond a file search engine, fast, small and very easy to use. This great program is capable of searching for text strings and words within files on the hard drive and external drives. When it happens that we don't know where what we want to find is and we have no choice but to check it manually by opening the files one by one. Well, this software avoids having to perform all that task.

To make correct use of the program, the user will only have to indicate the path where he wishes to search, the type of file among which he wishes to search and those among which he does not wish to search. To perform a search among all the files we must use two asterisks like this: _ . Obviously, to carry out the search, we must provide the name of the file or part of it so that the program reports the different matches.

Index Your Files (Windows, Linux)
It is a practical tool capable of quickly locating any file or folder located on your computer's hard drive, just by following a few simple steps, it allows you to create an index with the contents of your drive, in order to later be able to carry out local searches for quickly and accurately, totally free. The index can be created not only on the local drive, but also on all the drives that you have mapped or the computers that are connected to the same local network. searches are performed in a matter of seconds, very efficiently.

Launchy (Windows / OS X / Linux)
Launchy is a tool that is compatible with multiple platforms and is also free. This software is designed so that the user can forget about the Windows start menu as well as its icons on the desktop, and even the file manager.

The program adds programs to the start menu and they can launch your documents, project files, folders and favorites with just a few keystrokes. This software can be run in the background and be used through keyboard shortcuts and customizable pop-ups.

All you will have to do for the software to perform the search is to enter a few characters in the search field. Obviously the characters entered should be those corresponding to the name of the program or the files. The autocomplete the name automatically to facilitate the search of the file. Once the name is displayed, we can open the program or file simply by pressing Enter.

If the name that appears is not the name of the program or the file you are looking for, in a few seconds the utility displays a drop-down list with other proposals of the program that could be what you are looking for. In addition, this program is totally configurable so you can customize the directories among which the program will search. This software is not only capable of displaying files, programs and/or folders, but it is also capable of carrying out Web site searches from your browser.

This software may at first be a bit complicated for the user to use. However, after several days of use, anyone will be able to deal with the search without any problem. Once the user knows how the tool works, then it will be time to personalize it to adjust the operation of the software to their needs.

Alfred (OS X)
Alfred is a combination application launcher and desktop/web search utility available for OS X. Once installed, pressing Alt + Space brings up a search bar that can be used to launch any application on your system, search the web , and of course, search for files, folders, images and much more on the system. You can add and remove folders from the Alfred search scope as well as documents from the search engine base.

You can also enable the Alfred "Extras" search to display an index and the files and folders present in the results as you type the name. It's a bit slower but gives you everything you need. The advantage of Alfred is that it is an application launcher and a desktop search tool all in one, but it is also much more. Alfred sports an iTunes mini-player, built-in calculator, support for customizable hotkeys, and has a host of plugins available to add even more features.

Main features of the Alfred program:
Find apps and files: Launch apps and files on your Mac without taking your hands off the keyboard. Alfred learns which apps you use the most and prioritizes them when you search for them. Increase your productivity with a handy keyword filter, and avoid RSI by turning your mouse into an almost obsolete peripheral.

Fast web search: Use the built-in web search and customize your search to make it faster than ever to search the web using keyword search like wiki, Twitter, or YouTube. Customize the default searches in Alfred's main window to fit your daily needs.

Import and create your workflows: With this software the user will be able to easily create tremendously powerful workflows through the connection of keywords, keyboard shortcuts and a set of actions that allow the software to be extended to be able to perform certain actions without the need that the user writes not a single line of code. The program is also capable of exporting and importing these workflows to share them with the community or to take some that the community proposes.

Clipboard and snippets: Access text you've saved to the clipboard with a keyboard shortcut, find previous clips, and paste them where you're working. Save snippets of your most frequently used clips as email addresses and signatures to save time and effort.

Theming: Customize Alfred to match your desktop, your clothes, or your mood. Create your own themes by choosing colors, fonts, sizes and more. Show off your design skills and share your themes with friends, and import your themes.

Calculator and Dictionary: Make quick mathematical calculations and copy the results.

Contacts: Find your local contacts and use or copy your data.

Quick Look: Preview files and documents by pressing Shift on Alfred.

System commands: Put your Mac to sleep, snooze the Trash, activate the screen saver and much more.

File Browsing: Browse your files in Alfred and take action on them.

iTunes: Search your iTunes music collection and play random discs.

Recent Documents: Locate files and documents viewed by your favorite apps.

Email: Search for files with Alfred and attach them to a new email in an instant.

1Password: Get secure and fast access to 1Password 1Click bookmarks.

Sync: Use Dropbox to keep Alfred's settings in sync between your Macs.

iFileX (OS X)

iFileX is an incredible and versatile utility that can be used by the user to search for files on their Mac OS X computer. Thanks to this utility, the user will be able to modify their searches immediately, that is, in real time. This allows, for example, that if the user starts a task with the utility, they can press the button with the “+” sign in order to be able to add new criteria or search filters without having to stop it. Just as we can add new criteria, we can also remove some criteria on the fly.

By double clicking on any of the results of a search we open the file (or we execute it in the case of a program), although this can be modified from the preferences to carry out another action (preview the file, open it in the finder, show the file information or its user permissions).

But in addition, iFileX offers several features that we won't find in Spotlight, such as the possibility of adding hidden files to our searches, or searching inside packages. Not only that, but it does not need to create an index to carry out its work, and if we wish we can specify the application to always keep itself updated and it will download new versions automatically when they are launched.

iFileX for Mac adds some extra features to your operating system. iFileX is not intended to be a replacement for Spotlight but it can find more files, including hidden files, content packs.

You can search the files and folders even after modification of size, name and/or dates.

This way it is easy to find the files most related to other applications you may want to remove from the system.

What's new in this version:
Fixed issue with deleting files and asking for admin password.

Fixed memory leak when using filters.

Added Croatian localization.

Quicksilver (OS X)
Quicksilver has a long and illustrious history. For a while, it was even the best app launcher and customization tool available for Mac. It is now open source and has been frequently updated ever since and is still a very good app launcher for Mac. From an application launcher, it is also a great file and document search tool, allowing you to quickly navigate and search for files on your computer system with just a few keystrokes.

Quicksilver allows you to search for files, folders, documents of all kinds, contacts, favorites and much more. It can be used via the command line, so it can browse for a file, then give you the options of how to open it, or browse for a file and then move it to a file location for you. It also has a host of independently created plugins that can extend its search and scripting capabilities. The latest versions of Quicksilver are really strong, and they're fully featured and totally free.

Index Your Files (Windows, Linux)
This useful tool quickly locates any file or folder on your computer's disk. With just a few steps, you will create an index of the contents of your disk drive, so that you can later carry out accurate and free searches. You can not only create the index on your drive, but on any drive you have mapped or the network of computers that are located on your local network. Searches only take a few seconds and efficiently.