Locate What You're Looking for Faster

If you spend too much time looking for files on your PC, searching through messages in your e-mail inbox or trying to locate people or groups on the internet, use these tips and tricks to make your searching faster and more productive.

1. Find files or folders on my PC

Sometimes it's difficult to remember where you saved a particular file or folder on your PC. To search for misplaced files or folders using Windows XP:

Click Start, and then click Search.

In the Search Companion dialog box, click All files and folders.

Type part or the entire name of the file or folder, or type a word or phrase that is in the file.

In the Look in box, click the drive or drives, folder, or network location that you want to search.

Choose one of the following options:

•	Click When was it modified to look for files that were created or modified on or between specific dates.
•	Click What size is it to look for files that are specific size.
•	Click More advanced options to specify additional search criteria.

Click Search.

If you receive too many results, use additional search criteria to make your search more specific.

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2. Organize and prioritise your e-mail

E-mail has become a very important communications tool in today's work world. But if you spend too much time searching through your inbox looking for an important e-mail, a little organization will help ensure e-mail saves rather than wastes your time.

Searching for e-mail

Most e-mail programs allow you to send messages with a priority level - normal by default, high for urgent messages, or low for less important messages. In Outlook 2003, the e-mail program included with Microsoft Office editions, when you receive an e-mail message with a special priority, it is marked with an icon for high or low priority.

By using Search Folders in Outlook 2003, you can quickly find all messages with a high or low priority, even if you have messages automatically moved into folders other than your inbox.

To use Search Folders to find important messages:

1.	In Mail, on the File menu, point to New, and then click Search Folder.
2.	Under Select a Search Folder, in the Reading Mail section, select Important mail.
3.	In the Search mail in: drop-down box, select the Outlook data file this Search Folder will include, and then click OK.

Note: Search Folders are specific to one Microsoft Exchange Server mailbox or Personal Folders file (.pst). To search multiple Outlook data files, you must create a Search Folder for each data file.

Archiving e-mail folders
It may make sense to divide your e-mail folders into two categories: general administrative folders and project folders.

For example, create a folder called "My Team: General" that then contains multiple subfolders for various administrative and group issues. Then create another folder called 'My Team: Projects' that contains a subfolder for each project.

Organizing your mail in this way makes it easy to archive mail related to a particular project when it's finished and makes it easier to find project e-mails after you've archived them.

Know where you keep the messages you need to act on
You can save time and avoid oversight by choosing a system to keep track of e-mail messages that you need to act on. Here are some ideas:

•	Leave your messages in your inbox until you've acted on them. Then file them.
•	Issues that may take some time to act on should be filed in a different area.
•	Drag the items you need to act on straight to your Tasks folder.

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3. Search for people or groups on the internet

There are two ways to search for people on the internet using Search Companion in Windows XP Professional. You can type a phrase or sentence using natural language, such as "give me information about John Smith in Anytown, USA" and the search results might include anything from John Smith's address to his genealogy Web page. You can also choose from several internet search services that specialize in finding e-mail addresses, phone numbers and names.

To search the internet using natural language:

1.	Click Start, and then click Search.
2.	Click Search the internet.
3.	Type a phrase or sentence describing the informatino you want, and then click Search.

If you do not see Search the internet, you have probably changed your default search behaviour. To reset it:

1.	Click Change preferences.
2.	Click Change files and folders search behaviour.
3.	Click Standard, and then click OK.
4.	Click Search the internet.

To use a directory service or internet search service:

1.	Click Start, and then click Search.
2.	Click Printers, computers, or people (or Computers or people).
3.	Click People in your address book.
4.	In Look in, click the directory service or internet search service you would like to use and then click Web Site.... Follow the instructions that appear on your selected internet search service.

If you do not see Computers or people, you have probably changed your default search behaviour. To reset it:

1.	Click Change preferences.
2.	Click Change files and folders search behaviour.
3.	Click Standard, and then click OK.
4.	Click Computers or people.

Related Articles

•	Turn Your PC Into a Filing Cabinet
•	Get Better Control of Your Time and Your Customers - Quick Tips for Organizing Your Inbox

Product Information

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•	Windows XP Professional
•	Purchasing Overview

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Quick Tips

Windows Explorer provides a quick way to see all the files and folders on your computer, and it is also a good way to copy or move files from one folder to another. Use Windows Explorer if you know where the file or folder is located. To get to Windows Explorer, right-click on Start and select Explore.

Use Research services available in many Microsoft Office 2003 programs (Word, Excel, Outlook and others) to quickly find and insert definitions, stock quotes and other research information into a document. From the Tools menu, select Research....

To find names in your Outlook Address Book using the Find a contact box on the Standard Outlook toolbar, you can enter a partial name (such as Judy L), first or last name, "display as" name, e-mail alias or company name. To quickly open a contact you have previously searched for, click the Find a contact arrow, and then click a name.

Locate What You're Looking for Faster

On This Page

1. Find files or folders on my PC

2. Organize and prioritise your e-mail

3. Search for people or groups on the internet