Finding the Search Assistant

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To launch the Search Assistant, you can do any of the following:

• Choose Search from the Start menu.
• Display the Search bar in any Windows Explorer window.
• Press F3 in any Windows Explorer window.

When you choose Search from the Start menu, a submenu appears. To search for files or folders, choose For Files Or Folders. When the Search Assistant opens, it appears with its default settings, prepared to search all of your local drives and devices. When you press F3 or display the Search bar, the Search Assistant is set to search the current folder and its subfolders.

SEE ALSO

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For information about displaying the Search bar in Windows Explorer, see "Navigating with the Search Bar."

Figure 11-1 shows the Search Assistant. The window has two panes: a search pane on the left and a results pane on the right. The menu and toolbar are those of Windows Explorer—because, in fact, the Search Assistant (unlike its predecessor in Microsoft Windows NT and Microsoft Windows 98) is a component of Windows Explorer.

Figure 11-1. The Search Assistant is a Windows Explorer component.