How to Search for Text in Files on Windows

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This wikiHow teaches you how to search for specific text inside any document on your Windows PC.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Searching for Documents Containing Certain Text

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    This opens the Windows Search box.
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    A list of matching results will appear.
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    It should be the first result in the list (and it may be the only result).
  4. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/19\/Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/19\/Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-4.jpg\/aid9496906-v4-728px-Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    It’s the button at the bottom of the window. Depending on your settings, you may also be asked to confirm the action or enter your administrator password.
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    It’s near the top of the window. A list of file types on your computer will appear.
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    It’s the second radio button beneath the list of file types.
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    Windows will now begin to index the text within your documents instead of just their titles. Now that you’ve made this change, you can search for a file by typing some of the words it contains.
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    This opens the search box. Now you’ll try searching for a file based on some of its text.
    • You can also search using the File Explorer (which you can launch by pressing ⊞ Win + E ). Just type your search criteria into the search bar at the top-right corner of the window.
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    Windows will return a list of files that contain the text you entered.
    • This tool will only return exact matches. Make sure all spaces and symbols are in the correct places, and that you’ve made no spelling mistakes.
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    The file should open in its default application, such as Microsoft Word or Notepad.
    • See this method to learn how to search the currently-open document for a string of text.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Searching for Text in an Open Document

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  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/54\/Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-11.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-11.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/54\/Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-11.jpg\/aid9496906-v4-728px-Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-11.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":347,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":549,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    This method should work for the majority of text/word processing applications, including Microsoft Word and Notepad.
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    This opens the Find or Find and Replace dialog.
  3. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/50\/Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-13.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-13.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/50\/Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-13.jpg\/aid9496906-v4-728px-Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-13.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":347,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":549,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Be specific—this tool will only return exact matches. Make sure all spaces and symbols are in the correct places, and that you’ve made no spelling mistakes.
  4. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/57\/Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-14.jpg\/v4-460px-Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-14.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/57\/Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-14.jpg\/aid9496906-v4-728px-Search-for-Text-in-Files-on-Windows-Step-14.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":342,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":541,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fair_use\">Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)<br>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    The application should now display the text you searched for highlighted in a different color. If no matching text is found, you'll see a message that says something like “The search item was not found.”
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