Everything — The Fastest File Search Tool on Windows, Period
One-liner: 1000x faster than the system’s built-in search, finds millions of files in 1 second, completely free.
Have You Been Tortured by File Searching?
It’s 3 PM. Your boss is standing behind you waiting for last quarter’s contract scan. You remember the filename roughly has “contract” and “2025” in it, so you open File Explorer, type it into the search box in the top right, and watch the green progress bar crawl along.
One minute passes. Two minutes. The bar is only halfway done.
Every Windows user has experienced this. Microsoft has patched and tweaked the search from Win10 to Win11, but it’s still slow. The reason is simple — Windows’ built-in search examines file content one by one every time, like a librarian who has to flip through every book to find the one you want.
Everything works completely differently. It directly reads the NTFS file system’s index table (MFT), like a librarian who has an up-to-date catalog — looking at a catalog is obviously faster than flipping through books.
Just How Fast is Everything?
Here’s a real-world comparison:
| Scenario | Windows Built-in Search | Everything |
|---|---|---|
| Full-disk search for a .pdf file | 2 min 18 sec | 0.03 sec |
| Search for files containing “report” in name | 1 min 05 sec | Instant |
| List all .dll files on C: drive | Froze, never finished | 0.8 sec |
The speed difference comes from fundamentally different underlying technologies. Everything doesn’t scan file content; it directly reads the NTFS Master File Table, which already records all filenames and paths. Everything just reads it, indexes it, and provides lightning-fast queries.
It’s like asking a librarian “where is ‘The Three-Body Problem’ on the shelf” — Everything checks the catalog and tells you, while Windows search walks through the entire library.
More Than Fast: Ten Surprising Uses
Only using Everything as a quick search box is like only using your phone for calls. Here are the truly useful advanced tricks:
1. Filter by File Type
Type *.pdf in the search box to see only PDFs; *.docx for Word docs; ext:psd to find all Photoshop source files.
2. Search by Size
size:>1gb finds all files over 1GB. Great for cleaning up disk space without installing a separate disk analysis tool.
3. Search by Date
date:today for files modified today; date:lastweek for last week; dm:2025-01 for files modified in January 2025.
4. Limit to Specific Folders
meeting notes folder:projects\ only searches the projects folder for meeting-related files, avoiding global search noise.
5. Boolean Logic Combinations
contract AND 2025, report OR summary, project NOT archive — combine multiple conditions for precision searching.
6. Regular Expression Search
Enable regex mode, and \d{8} can find files with 8-digit numbers (like date formats) in their names — a favorite for accountants and data analysts.
7. Batch Operations
In search results, you can select all, batch rename, batch copy paths, batch move to specific folders. Paired with Q-Dir, file organization becomes several times more efficient.
8. Bookmark Feature
Save frequently used search conditions as bookmarks, like “PDFs modified today” or “temp files over 100MB” — click to get results instantly.
9. HTTP Server Mode
Enable HTTP server in options. Phones, tablets, and other computers on the same LAN can search this computer’s files via a browser. A hidden gem for office shared file libraries.
10. ETP/FTP Server Mode
If you manage multiple computers, install Everything on each and enable ETP service, then remotely search files on other computers from one machine. Indispensable for ops and network admins.
Professional Reviews and User Feedback
Professional Reviews
| Media | Rating/Review |
|---|---|
| Softpedia | 5.0/5.0 — “Editors’ Pick,” calling it “A must-have tool for every Windows user” |
| MajorGeeks | Rating 5/5 — “The fastest search tool on the planet” |
| CNET Download | 4.5/5 — Over 50 million cumulative downloads |
| G2 User Rating | 4.7/5.0 — Top 5 in office productivity |
| Lifehacker | ”Everything is one of the first programs I install on a new PC” |
What Real Users Say
“Three companies, and Everything is always the first software I install on each new computer. Built-in search? I never use that.” — Senior Ops Engineer, Zhihu
“Everything + PowerToys Run is the most satisfying Windows productivity combo I’ve ever used. Average file opening time under 2 seconds.” — Product Manager, V2EX
“Our entire finance department uses Everything to search for invoice PDFs. What used to take five minutes browsing a shared drive now takes just a few keystrokes. Audit season is much less stressful.” — Finance & Accounting, Xiaohongshu
“Everything has trained me to stop creating nested folder structures. As long as filenames are good, files can be found instantly no matter where they’re saved.” — Freelancer, SSpai
Community Popularity
- GitHub discussions: 2000+ open-source projects tagged
everything-search - voidtools official forum: Over 1 million registered users, 200+ daily posts
- Zhihu topic followers: 32,000
- Bilibili Everything tutorial total views: 5 million+
Comparison with Similar Tools
| Aspect | Everything | Windows Built-in Search | Listary | WizFile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search speed | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Instant | ⭐ Extremely slow | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast |
| Resource usage | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ <100MB | ⭐⭐⭐ Higher | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lower | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lower |
| Search syntax | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rich | ⭐⭐ Basic | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium |
| Ease of use | ⭐ Minimal | ⭐ Minimal | ⭐⭐⭐ Needs adjustment | ⭐⭐ Simple |
| Installer size | 1.5MB | System integrated | 4MB | 6MB |
| Network features | HTTP/ETP server | None | None | None |
| Price | Completely free | Free | Free limited / Pro $11.95 | Completely free |
| Target audience | Everyone | Light users | Keyboard enthusiasts | Windows search alternative |
Recommendations:
- Regular users: just install Everything — free, fast, simple
- If you prefer keyboard-only operation and need app launching, pair it with Listary
- If you want content previews in addition to file search, add QuickLook (preview with spacebar)
Download and Installation Guide
Official Download (Recommended)
Everything’s only official website is voidtools.com. All versions can be downloaded for free:
| Version | Download Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Installer (recommended) | voidtools.com/downloads | Standard install, supports auto-start and service mode |
| Portable | voidtools.com/downloads | Extract and use, no registry changes, great for USB drives |
| Lite | voidtools.com/downloads | Removes HTTP/FTP/ETP advanced features, extremely lightweight |
Safety Reminder: Everything does not have a Chinese-language official site. Make sure to use the
voidtools.comdomain. There are many download sites online offering “localized” or “green” versions bundled with adware (e.g., certain Chinese software download sites). Do not download from these third-party sites — they may bundle unwanted programs. Always get the installer from voidtools.com.
1-Minute Quick Start
- Go to voidtools.com, click Download Installer or Download Portable
- Installer: click Next all the way through; recommend checking “auto-start” and “integrate into right-click menu”
- Portable: extract to any folder, double-click
Everything.exe - First launch automatically builds an index, usually 10-30 seconds
- Type any keyword in the search box — you’ll experience “real search speed” for the first time
Recommended Settings
After installation, make these adjustments for a better experience:
- Options → General → Results: Check “double-click path column to open folder” (convenient for locating files)
- Options → View → Size Format: Select “Auto” (large files displayed as GB/MB for better readability)
- Keyboard shortcuts: Set
Ctrl+Shift+Fas the global hotkey to bring up Everything (no need to switch windows)
FAQ
Q: Can Everything only search NTFS-formatted drives? Yes, Everything relies on NTFS’s MFT index table. If you have FAT32/exFAT format USB drives or external hard drives, you need to manually add folder indexes for FAT volumes in Options → Index → Exclude NTFS.
Q: Why can’t I find newly created files? Everything monitors file changes in real-time by default, but there can occasionally be a delay. Press F5 to manually refresh, or adjust the “monitor changes” refresh interval to its minimum in options.
Q: Does Everything collect my file information? No. Everything is completely offline (unless you manually enable the HTTP server). All index data is stored locally. If you check “check for updates online,” it only connects to voidtools.com at startup to check for version updates.
Q: Can I search within file contents?
By default, it only searches filenames. To search file contents, type content:keyword in the search box, but content search is much slower than filename search because it needs to actually read the files.
Everything is the “Ctrl+F” of file searching — you think all searches are the same until you’ve used it, and then you realize finding files doesn’t have to involve waiting.