Complex file operations are not really supported by the default file browser in Windows. Windows Explorer does not come with the means for instance to copy or move a specific file type or files with a specific name pattern effectively. One example would be to copy all photos from a folder and all of its subfolders into another directory. Most Windows users will probably access each folder individually to copy the photos from there into the target folder.
There is however a way to make those file operations more effectively. And that is done by using the Windows Explorer search. The search is powerful enough to speed up some file operations.
This can be largely attributed to the fact that the search will only find files and folders that match the search term if they reside in the folder the search was started or a subfolder of it.
To find all photos with the jpg extension one would simply search for jpg in the search form. Windows will then list all files that match the keyword jpg. This can mean that some files are added to the search results that are not jpg images, for example a file called photojpg.exe would also be included in the list. But that is not a problem as that list can be sorted by file type or name easily.
All or only selected files that have been found this way can be copied or moved easily to another location.
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Any savvy computer user would use the search term “*.jpg” not”jpg”.
Try it…
I’ve used this idea, and it is a good one. I used it sparingly, however, because Windows Find always seemed to me slow. One good third-party portable and freeware app is “Everything” at http://www.voidtools.com/ (not the name of a utility that is easy to google.)
it is fast, and deals with trees and subdirectories, etc. very well. I just type in the name of the root directory with a \, any filename portions, such as jpg, .jp?, etc. and it blazingly fast shortens thte list of hits. I admit one of teh truly great uses is to find a song, for which I think I know one word of the title, but not sure of the rest.
Keep up the good blogging.
As mizkitty64 says: *.jpg.
I purchased Search GT. Makes short work of a search. My only complaint is that it doesn’t handle searches based on dates nearly as well as Windows.
you play games with people’s time and misdirect them for profit.
very helpful. this is the one ive been asking for a long time ago