The search box
The search box is one of the most convenient ways to find things on your computer. The exact location of the items doesn't matter—the search box will scour your programs and all of the folders in your personal folder (which includes Documents, Pictures, Music, Desktop, and other common locations). It will also search your e mail messages, saved instant messages, appointments, and contacts.
The Start menu search box
To use the search box, open the Start menu and start typing. You don't need to click inside the box first. As you type, the search results appear above the search box in the left pane of the Start menu.
A program, file, or folder will appear as a search result if:
• Any word in its title matches or begins with your search term.
• Any text in the actual contents of the file—such as the text in a word-processing document—matches or begins with your search term.
• Any word in a property of the file, such as the author, matches or begins with your search term. (For more information about file properties, see Add tags and other properties to a file.)
Click any search result to open it. Or, click the Clear button to clear the search results and return to the main programs list. You can also click See more results to search your entire computer.
Besides programs, files and folders, and communications, the search box also looks through your Internet favorites and the history of websites you've visited. If any of these webpages include the search term, they appear under a heading called "Favorites and History."