If you’ve ever spent minutes (or even hours) searching for a file on your Windows computer, only to be frustrated by the slow, clunky Windows File Explorer search, you’re not alone. Most Windows users struggle with disorganized files and inefficient search tools—until they discover Everything, a free, ad-free file search tool that finds files and folders in milliseconds. In this comprehensive tutorial, we’ll show you how to download Everything safely (avoiding scams), set it up in 3 minutes, and use its powerful features to boost your productivity. By the end, you’ll never waste time searching for files again!
1. Why Everything Is Better Than Windows Default Search (A Side-by-Side Comparison)
Before we dive into the tutorial, let’s see why Everything is a game-changer compared to the built-in Windows File Explorer search. The difference is night and day, especially when you’re looking for specific files or folders:
- Example: Searching for “windhawk_setup.exe” (a file stored on the C: drive) using Windows File Explorer. The search bar shows “Processing…” for minutes, with no results in sight—it’s slow, unreliable, and frustrating.
- The same search in Everything? Results appear instantly. Not only does it find the file in a split second, but it also displays key details like the file path, size, and last modified date—all at a glance.
But that’s not all. Windows File Explorer can’t filter files/folders by specific names (e.g., hiding folders that start with “released”), but Everything does this with a simple command. Best of all, Everything is 100% free, no ads, no in-app purchases, and no hidden costs. It’s developed by an Australian programmer, and the official team explicitly states: “Everything is free forever.”
2. How To Download Everything Safely (Avoid Scam Websites!)
The biggest mistake most people make is downloading Everything from fake, scam websites that claim “you need to pay to download” or “VIP access required.” These are all fraudulent—follow these step-by-step instructions to download the official, free version safely:
- Open your web browser and go to the only official Everything website: www.voidtools.com (Important: Any other website with a similar name is a scam—do not click on it!).
- Once on the official site, look for the “Download” link (the site is available in Chinese and English, so it’s easy to navigate even if you’re not a native speaker).
- Click “Download,” and you’ll see an official scam warning: “Everything is free—never pay to download or use it.” Read this carefully to avoid future scams.
- Choose the right version for your Windows PC: The official site offers three options—“Installer” (requires installation), “Portable” (no installation needed), and “Legacy” (for older Windows versions). We recommend the 64-bit Portable version for beginners (it’s small, fast, and works on most Windows 7/10/11 PCs).
- Click the download link for your chosen version. The file is small (less than 1MB), so it will finish downloading in a few seconds.
- Once downloaded, find the ZIP file in your “Downloads” folder (this is the default download location for most browsers).
- Right-click the ZIP file and select “Extract All” from the dropdown menu.
- Choose a folder to extract the files to (e.g., your Desktop or a folder on your D: drive)—this makes it easy to find Everything later.
- Wait for the extraction to finish. Once done, open the extracted folder, and you’ll see the “Everything.exe” application file.
Scam Warning: If you search for “Everything” and see websites that say “Pay to download Everything” or “Everything Pro (Paid Version),” close them immediately. These are scams designed to steal your money—Everything is and always will be free.
3. How To Set Up Everything: 3 Steps to Instant File Search
The Portable version of Everything doesn’t require installation, but you need to set it up correctly the first time to enable “instant search.” Here’s how:
- Double-click “Everything.exe” to launch the tool. The first time you run it, a pop-up window will appear asking for administrator privileges. It will say: “Everything needs administrator rights to index NTFS volumes.” (Indexing is like creating a “directory” of all files on your PC—this is what makes Everything so fast.)
- In the pop-up window, select “Run as administrator” and click “Yes” (the other option, “Install Everything Service,” is more complex and unnecessary for beginners).
- After clicking “Yes,” you’ll see “Scanning Windows” in the bottom left corner of the Everything window. This is the indexing process—it will scan all files and folders on your PC and create an index. The process takes 30-60 seconds (depending on how many files you have), and once it’s done, the index will update automatically whenever you add or delete files.
- Now you’re ready to search! Type any file or folder name into the search bar at the top of the Everything window (e.g., “windhawk_setup.exe”). Results will appear instantly—no waiting, no “Processing…” messages.
- To open a file or folder, simply double-click the result in the list. Everything will take you directly to the file’s location, saving you time navigating through File Explorer.
4. How To Filter Files/Folders with Everything: Advanced Tips for Precision
One of Everything’s most powerful features is its ability to filter files and folders with simple commands—this is perfect for when you need to narrow down results (e.g., hide folders that start with “released” or find only Excel files). Here are the most useful filtering tips for beginners:
1. Filter Tip 1: Show only folders that start with “released”
- Type this command into the Everything search bar: `parent:folder-path released*`
- What it means: “folder:” tells Everything to only show folders (not files), and “released*” means “all items that start with ‘released’” (the * is a wildcard that matches any characters after “released”).
- Press Enter, and you’ll see only folders that start with “released”—no extra files or irrelevant results.
2. Filter Tip 2: Hide folders that start with “released” (show all other files/folders)
- Use the “not” operator (!) to reverse the filter. Type this command: `parent:folder-path !released*`
- What it means: “!released*” specifies the folders to exclude.
- Press Enter, and all folders starting with “released” will be hidden—only other files and folders will appear.
3. Filter Tip 3: Find only specific file types (e.g., Excel, Word, images)
- To find all Excel files (.xlsx), type: `*.xlsx`
- To find all Word files (.docx), type: `*.docx`
- To find all JPG images, type: `*.jpg`
- The * wildcard matches any file name, so this command will show every file with the specified extension—perfect for organizing or backing up files.
5. Final Thoughts: Why Everything Is a Must-Have Tool for Windows Users
Everything is more than just a “fast search tool”—it’s a productivity booster that solves one of the most frustrating Windows problems: finding files quickly and easily. Here’s a recap of why you should start using it today:
- 100% Free & Ad-Free: No hidden costs, no pop-ups, no annoying ads—just a clean, fast tool.
- Instant Search: Find any file or folder in milliseconds, even if you have thousands of files on your PC.
- Easy to Use: Portable version requires no installation, and the interface is simple for beginners.
- Powerful Filtering: Use simple commands to narrow down results, something Windows File Explorer can’t do.
- Safe & Reliable: Official version is virus-free, and the developer updates it regularly to support new Windows versions.
If you’re tired of wasting time searching for files, follow this tutorial to download, set up, and master Everything. It takes less than 5 minutes to get started, and once you do, you’ll wonder how you ever used Windows without it. Save this guide for future reference, and share it with friends who struggle with slow file searches!
6. Demo Video
You can watch the following demo video by select the subtitle to your preferred subtitle language.