Searching For A Word Or Phrase In A Document In Windows 10

[Coppit]

Even after refining a search to day / type of item / a known word or phrase, it's taking ages (15 min +), before results are listed so I think I'm not using the right technique. The search takes place within the whole of Windows C drive whereas I think I need to restrict it to Word only - but how?

[Buenchico]

Files created by Word aren't 'in' that program (so you can't search it). They're simply stored in a relevant folder (such as 'Documents'). So It's that folder, rather than the whole of your C drive, which you ought to be searching.

See if this helps:
https://www.computerbeginnersguides.com/blog/2015/08/23/use-advanced-search-in-windows-10s-file-explorer/

[Coppit]

Thanks. I have been using the search facility as described; if it is doc in the Documents folder, that's easy as I have only c. 50 files. But if it is not it seems that the whole of the computer has to be searched even after document and date have been chosen to limit the operation. That is why I was looking for some kind of halfway house to avoid interrogating the whole of drive C.

[fiction-factory]

I may be misunderstanding but if you open just the relevant doucument In Word and then search within that it should be very quick

[fiction-factory]

When I opena document I get a Search Document option

[fiction-factory]

When I click 'home' there is also a magnifying glass next to a Find option

[fiction-factory]

If you are not sure which documents it's in though you should be able to doa very quick search just by specifying the relevant folder. I deally if you have more than 21-30 documents it's best to split them into folders

[fiction-factory]

I am not sure where the doc would be if it's not in the Docs folder. Yes, if you just save things to C drive without putting them in folders you will have to keep searching through all C drive. When you find it put it in an easily identifiable folder

[Coppit]

I've a couple of dozen folders and, after 50 years of family history research, dozens of sub folders containing hundreds of docs. It seems there is no rapid way to search them as they are so numerous.

[Buenchico]

If the 'couple of dozen folders' are all inside a bigger one, searching on the 'outer' folder will look at all of the 'inner' ones as well.

[Coppit]

The 'couple of dozen' are all listed under the C drive, alongside photos, personal stuff etc. Maybe I need to revise the folder structure.

[fiction-factory]

Yes- I have categories for things like each school I work at, personal stuff, photos, general work stuff, family,..

Wouldn't pictures be under pictures rather than documents?
I'm still puzzled as to why it's taking so long to find a phrase within a dozen folders- I'm wondering whether you are still searching the whole of C drive rather than narrowing it down a bit. Even so, I wouldn't expect it to take more than maybe 10 minutes unless your C drive is massive.
Sorry i can't help more as i'm struggling to visualise the problem.

You may want to back everything up as well and then have a good clear out and reorganisation of files

[Coppit]

fiction-factory, let me re-phrase my answer
The 'couple of dozen' are all listed under the C drive, followed by photos, personal stuff etc. Maybe I need to revise the folder structure.