Choose a file search approach for my large folders
Recommends one way to search a large set of files by name, content or type, based on how much you store and how often you search.
Task:
Recommend one way to search my files, and explain why it beats the other two options for me.
Context:
I store about [number] files, roughly [size] in total, on [internal drive, external drive or cloud folders]. I usually search by [file name, text inside the file or file type]. I search about [number] times a [day or week], and a search that takes more than [seconds] is too slow.
Rules:
- Weigh three approaches, such as the built-in search, a name-only indexing tool and a content search tool.
- Say what each approach would likely miss, for example file contents or locations that are not indexed.
- Do not claim what a specific Windows version or tool indexes by default. Tell me how to check that on my own PC.
Result:
A verdict first in one sentence, then a table with the columns approach, finds well, misses and setup effort, then three search tips for my case.