Opening the search companion
When you have trouble finding a file or folder on your computer, search for it using Microsoft XP’s Search Companion.
To
open the search companion:
▶ Open and Start menu and choose Search.
OR
▶ Open My Documents and click the
Search button.
OR
1.
Open
My Computer and click the Search button.
2.
To
Search Companion opens in the left pane and presents the following
list of options:
Using
the search Companion
Depending on which option you choose,
you’re presented with various ways to conduct your search.
Let’s say you search
For a particular file. The Search
Companion prompts you with questions to help you refine your search. It’s
helpful if you can remember something about the missing file, such as all or
part of the file name, file type, when you last worked with the file, a word or
phrase in the file, or what drive it’s on. The more criteria contained in your
search, the more refined the search becomes.
To
search using the search companion:
1.
Enter
as much information as you can remember into the Search Companion.
2.
Click
the drop-down arrows to add more criteria.
3.
Use
the Back button if necessary.
4.
Click
Search.
Using
the search companion
1.
Once
you click Search, the Search Companion tells you what it’s searching.
2.
Your
search results displays in the white space.
3.
The
Search Companion tells you when the search is complete and prompts you with
more Search options.
4.
If
your search is complete, click Yes, finished searching.
5.
Simply
double-click the file to open it.
Finding a file can take seconds,
minutes, or much longer depending on the type o search and where you look. If
you don’t find the file or folder you’re looking for on the first try, type in
different name and or location.
v To quickly review files listed in your
search results, hover our mouse pointer over the file name. A yellow pop-up
window displays, telling you its location, the file type, and
size. Double-click the file to open it.
Previewing
image file
You can preview image documents
(including fax documents) using the Windows Picture and Fax
viewer without opening an image-editing program. This is especially useful
when browsing through a list of non-descriptive file names. For example, let’s
say you have a file name 0154.png. You may wonder what the file looks
like.
To
preview an image file:
1.
Right-click
the file, then choose Preview form the pop-up menu.
2.
The
Windows Picture and Fax Viewer opens, displaying the image file.
3.
Use
the controls buttons at the bottom of the window to perform basic tasks
without opening an image-editing program.
4.
Use
the arrow buttons to view images as a slideshow.
