If you work with a very large amount of folders and files on your computer, it can be easy to lose track of a file. You might misplace a file when you are moving them from folder to folder. You could save or copy a file to the wrong folder and not realize it, or you could just forget where a given file has been stored.

To search for files from within Excel 2003, choose File->File Search from the menu bar to display the Search task pane.

 

You can use the search task pane to perform a basic file search, or an advanced file search. For a basic file search, you can enter some text in the area beneath the Search text heading, and then refine your search further by choosing a location or locations from the selected locations drop list. You can then choose a file type or multiple file types from the selected file type drop list.

 

To specify a search location, or multiple locations, put a checkmark by every place in the locations list that you want to be searched. (Clearing the My Computer check box will clear all of the check boxes.)

 

Similarly, to specify a file type or multiple file types to search, put a checkmark by every file type in the file type drop list that you want to be searched. (Clearing the Office Files checkbox will clear all of the checkboxes except for the Web Pages check box.)

 

When you click the Go button, or press Enter, the files of the type you specified, in the locations that you specified, will be searched to see if they contain the text that you entered in the Search text: field.

 

The contents of the file, the properties of the file, and any keywords that you specified in the properties will be searched to see if they match the search text. Any files that contain the search text will be listed for you to choose from.

 

If you wish, you can use the wildcard characters (*) and (?) to substitute letters in your search text. (B*t could be Budget, Boat, Bat, etc. B?t could be Bat, Bit, Bet, etc.)

 

If you click on the Advanced File Search link, the Advanced File Search task pane will appear.

 

 

With an advanced search, you can be more precise with your search specifications. Furthermore, you can create multiple criteria for the same search.

 

 

In the Property field drop list, you can select a specific file property to base your search on. You can choose to search on text, size, date modified, number of words, number of pages, title, keywords, and creation date to name but a few of the options.

 

Depending on the option you choose for the property field, you will be able to select from one or more search criteria in the Condition: field drop list. For example, if you select Size for the Property field, you will be able to choose from the following conditions: equals, not equal to, more than, less than, at least, and at most.

 

After you select a property and a condition, you enter a value in the Value field that is appropriate for your property and condition. If you selected size as the search property, and at least as the search condition, you should enter a number (i.e. 37888) for the value. You will then be searching for files that have a size of at least 37888 bytes.

 

When you have built a search condition, click the Add button to add it to the criteria list. You can add several criteria to this list, and join them with logical or and and.

 

This allows you to create very specific searches like Size = 37888 and text or property includes Project.

 

 

 

 

In addition, you can specify locations to search in, and file types to search just as in the basic search task pane.

 

You can also search for files from Excel’s Open dialogue, by choosing File->Open from the menu, and then selecting Search, from the Tools drop list on the Open dialogue’s toolbar.