University of Kwazulu-Natal

Turbocharge Windows Search With Fluent Search And Everything

Bonisiwe Shabane
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turbocharge windows search with fluent search and everything

Optimized for most desktop and laptop PCs running Windows 10 or 11. Recommended: Installer is the best all-around choice with seamless automatic updates and Windows shell integration. Natively compiled for Snapdragon-powered and other ARM-based Windows devices. Heads-up: Installer brings automatic updates to ARM64 devices, but this build is newer and not yet battle-tested. Deploy Fluent Search instantly via the Windows Package Manager on any compatible device. Want to find your files in seconds?

Get instant access to your Windows files, documents, and apps by enabling Enhanced Search Indexing. Here’s how: – Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows. – Select the “Enhanced” option under “Find my files”. – Go to Settings > Search > Searching Windows. – Click on “Classic” and select “Enhanced” to enable Enhanced indexing.

To refine your search results and focus on the files and folders that matter most to you: – Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows (Windows 11) or Settings > Search > Searching Windows (Windows 10). – Click on “Customise search locations” or “Advanced indexer settings”. – Click “Modify” to add or remove indexed folders. Are you tired of slow Windows 11 search? Check out these alternatives to the default Windows Search experience.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Windows 11 includes a search feature that should be enough for most users, but it often struggles with speed, particularly in non-indexed locations or when handling a large number of files. The search home also feels cluttered with advertisements and lacks polish, which is surprising given it comes from the world's largest software company. If you want something faster, lighter, or more customizable, several third-party tools can deliver a significantly better search experience. Popular options include Command Palette from PowerToys, Fluent Search, Everything, Listary, Flow Launcher, and RayCast.

In this guide, I'll highlight six tools you can use to replace the Search functionality on Windows 11. Windows search is terrible, period. It takes way too long to find files, and the indexing service constantly runs in the background, consuming system resources. It also kills your battery, and you should disable it. But if you do, how will you search your PC for files, apps, web content, and more? Thankfully, this tiny app has all the answers.

Unlike the sluggish Windows Search, Fluent Search is designed with speed and efficiency at its core. This means that while the app is just about 80 MB in size, it offers features that put Windows' default search to shame. You can easily consider it a Spotlight equivalent for Windows. While you'll find most of Fluent Search's features in PowerToys Run—another Microsoft tool that can replace the Start menu—what's unique about Fluent Search is its indexer. The app asks you during installation whether you'd like to install the indexer or not, and in most cases, the indexer will be through with your files before you can get to the end... On my system, the Fluent Search indexer was able to index over 440,000 files on the C drive and over 121,000 files on the D drive within minutes.

This service will run periodically in the background to refresh its index and add more files as you use your PC. It's nowhere near as resource or battery-intensive as Microsoft's Windows Search Indexer, so you'll likely not see a massive hit to performance or battery life. The search feature on Windows 11 has been improved; however, it can still be slow, not find what you are looking for, or not work correctly. Luckily, there is a free third-party utility you can use instead that does a much better job. As its name implies, Everything (by Voidtools) finds everything on your PC. Everything is a third-party tool designed to make searching on Windows more efficient.

It indexes file and folder names and constantly tracks modifications and re-indexes them. It’s extremely light on system resources with an intuitive user interface. It also has a portable version you can carry with you when troubleshooting or managing files and folders on other PCs. There are some good reasons to ditch Windows search and use Everything instead, so let’s examine them. Speed up your Windows search with the Everything app. Learn how to install, configure, and use this powerful tool for instant, precise file searches.

Everything is a small installation file and uses minimal system resources like CPU and RAM. On the other hand, Windows search is more resource-intensive and bogs down your system, especially when indexing and querying large drives containing a lot of data. It is also a better solution to Windows search on old and low-end systems (like old Windows 10 PCs) since the standard search can bog down your Windows experience while trying to find specific... Revive your old laptop with 10 lightweight tools for browsing, editing, security, and more Windows Search has been a staple for users navigating their files and applications for years. However, with the rise of Fluent Search, a third-party alternative, many are finding that the built-in feature might not be cutting it anymore.

While Windows Search is a serviceable tool for most users, Fluent Search offers a significant upgrade in terms of speed, intelligence, and customization. If you find yourself frequently searching for files and applications, or if you’re simply looking for a more efficient way to navigate your Windows environment, then Fluent Search is definitely worth considering. It might just be the Windows Search upgrade you didn’t know you needed. We have other social media profiles as well! Follow us on all outside channels. LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Medium | YouTube | Spotify | SoundCloud | Reddit | Website

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Optimized for most desktop and laptop PCs running Windows 10 or 11. Recommended: Installer is the best all-around choice with seamless automatic updates and Windows shell integration. Natively compiled for Snapdragon-powered and other ARM-based Windows devices. Heads-up: Installer brings automatic updates to ARM64 devices, but this build is newer and not yet battle-tested. Deploy Fluent Search ins...

Get Instant Access To Your Windows Files, Documents, And Apps

Get instant access to your Windows files, documents, and apps by enabling Enhanced Search Indexing. Here’s how: – Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows. – Select the “Enhanced” option under “Find my files”. – Go to Settings > Search > Searching Windows. – Click on “Classic” and select “Enhanced” to enable Enhanced indexing.

To Refine Your Search Results And Focus On The Files

To refine your search results and focus on the files and folders that matter most to you: – Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows (Windows 11) or Settings > Search > Searching Windows (Windows 10). – Click on “Customise search locations” or “Advanced indexer settings”. – Click “Modify” to add or remove indexed folders. Are you tired of slow Windows 11 search? Check out these alte...

When You Purchase Through Links On Our Site, We May

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Windows 11 includes a search feature that should be enough for most users, but it often struggles with speed, particularly in non-indexed locations or when handling a large number of files. The search home also feels cluttered with advertisements and lacks polish, which is surprising given it com...

In This Guide, I'll Highlight Six Tools You Can Use

In this guide, I'll highlight six tools you can use to replace the Search functionality on Windows 11. Windows search is terrible, period. It takes way too long to find files, and the indexing service constantly runs in the background, consuming system resources. It also kills your battery, and you should disable it. But if you do, how will you search your PC for files, apps, web content, and more...