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Useful tools

Everything (voidtools): instant file search for Windows, with official download

Find any file by name in a blink, why it needs the service or admin rights, the search tricks worth learning, and the one setting to leave off.

Windows search is slow to find a file you know exists, and on a server it is often not set up at all. Everything is a small free utility that lists every file and folder on your drives by name and narrows the list as you type.

Tool What it’s for Business use Official download
Everything (voidtools) Instant filename search on local drives Freeware; license text permits commercial use voidtools.com/downloads

What it does

Everything is built for filename searching; content search exists but is slow (see below). On NTFS drives it builds its index and then keeps it current using the NTFS USN Journal (the change log Windows already keeps), so results update as files come and go. It runs offline and the developer states it has no telemetry.

When to reach for it

  • Finding where a config file, log, or installer landed on a server
  • Locating every file of one type, such as *.pst or *.bak, before a migration
  • Checking what changed recently with a date filter
  • Finding oversized files before a disk fills up

Search tricks worth learning

These come from the vendor’s search documentation as of October 2026:

  • *.pdf matches by wildcard, and *.jpg|*.png matches either type.
  • ext:cpp;h;cs filters by extension, separated by semicolons.
  • size:>1gb or size:10mb..50mb filters by size.
  • dm:today, dm:7days, or dm:2026-09-04 filters by date modified.
  • \downloads matches a folder named Downloads anywhere in the path. A trailing backslash, as in C:\windows\media\, limits the match to that exact folder.
  • regex: before a pattern switches that part of the search to regular expressions.
  • content: searches inside files, but contents are not indexed, so it can be very slow. Always combine it with a narrowing filter.

Setup notes and gotchas

  • Admin rights or the service. The vendor says NTFS indexing needs either the Everything service or running Everything as administrator. Installing the service lets regular users run it without elevation. On shared or sensitive machines, check that running the service fits your access policies before rolling it out.
  • Network shares. You can add a mapped drive, NAS, or share under Tools > Options > Folders.
  • Other file systems. FAT, FAT32, and exFAT volumes can be added through the Folders tab.
  • Download choices. The 1.4.1.1032 release is listed with installer, MSI, Lite, and portable ZIP builds, including ARM64. A 1.5 beta is also offered; on production machines stick with the stable release. The Lite build removes the HTTP and ETP servers.

Leave the built-in HTTP server off unless you have a real need. It is disabled by default, uses only Basic authentication with no TLS, and anyone who can log in can search the whole index and, unless you disable it, download files. The vendor says never to expose it directly to the internet.

Licensing

The vendor describes Everything as freeware and asks users to consider donating. The bundled License.txt contains permissive terms that do not restrict commercial use and carry no warranty. If you deploy it in a regulated environment, have your own policy or counsel confirm that is acceptable. As of October 2026 no affiliate relationship applies to this article.

Official download: voidtools.com/downloads

Sources

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