Our general recommendation for searching for files in Windows remains the same: ignore the official resources and adopt an external tool with superior performance. In the past we have shared solutions like SearchMyFiles from Nirsoft and CSearcher from HNSoft, but today we want to add the latest edition of WizFile. Version 3.0 received a long list of optimizations, and you should definitely take a look.
I won't deny it: some users feel comfortable with Windows Search. Its integration with Explorer and the availability of thumbnail views are appreciated on several levels, and many swear that search speed increased significantly in the latest Windows 10 builds… but we still have the feeling that it can improve, and all we need to do to verify it is to use a third-party tool.
How to Search Files on Windows Faster with WizFile
That's when WizFile steps in, built by Antibody Software, which just released version 3.02. Its interface is simple but intuitive, and it automatically detects the system language (with Spanish support included). WizFile results can be filtered with three general parameters or presets: Category (Audio, Video, Image, Compressed, Document, Executable), Size (from 0 bytes to 4 GB or more), and Date, with values covering the last 30 days, between 30 and 90 days, and beyond 90 days. Another possibility is to limit the match to the name or the full path.
Another interesting aspect is that these presets are not fixed, and the advanced user can modify them to taste. For example, do you want a 10-day preset instead of a week? You can add it to the list or edit an existing filter. The same happens when you want to ignore a specific extension or add a more exotic one.
WizFile is compatible with the Windows Explorer context menu. We can also tell it to start with the operating system, and that applications launched from within it receive elevated privileges. The Ctrl+Win+W shortcut will bring the interface to the foreground, and as an extra detail, it supports Dark Mode.
WizFile is free for personal use, although it technically qualifies as donationware, and the banner in the upper right corner will disappear if you make a donation. While I must admit that at NeoTeo we have a slight advantage using SSDs in our test systems, WizFile's response has been excellent, and we recommend downloading a copy.
(Editor's note: It has a portable version, and no VirusTotal alerts are registered for its executables.)
Official site and download: Click here
