If the default Windows Search feels like looking for a needle in a haystack, Everything is the radar that clears the sea. It is a lightweight system utility that locates files and folders by name instantly. Unlike Windows Search, which can take minutes and heavy CPU usage, Everything provides results the millisecond you start typing.
🌟 The Killer Feature: Instant Indexing
Everything’s secret lies in how it handles data. Upon first launch, it reads the NTFS USN Journal—a low-level log of all file changes on your drive.
- Zero Wait Time: It indexes a fresh Windows installation (approx. 120,000 files) in about 1 second.
- Minimal Footprint: A million files will only take up about 120MB of RAM and virtually 0% CPU when idle.
- Real-time Updates: If you move, rename, or delete a file, the search results update instantly in the background.
🔥 Key Features
- Boolean & Wildcard Support: Use operators like
*or|to fine-tune results. For example,*.jpg | *.pngshows all images. - Quick Filters: Easily toggle between Audio, Compressed, Document, Executable, or Video filters.
- Advanced Sorting: Sort by size, path, or date modified in a flash, regardless of how many millions of files you have.
- HTTP/FTP Server: Built-in server functionality allows you to search and access your PC’s files from another device remotely.
- Regex Search: Supports complex Regular Expressions for power users and developers.
⌨️ Essential Shortcuts
To get the most out of Everything, set it to run on startup and assign a global hotkey (e.g., Alt + Space).
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt + Space | Toggle Search Window (Customizable) |
| Ctrl + Enter | Open the folder containing the selected file. |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Copy the full path to the clipboard. |
| Alt + P | Toggle the Preview Pane to see file contents. |
Pro Tip: Type
size:>1gbto instantly list every file on your computer larger than 1GB—perfect for emergency disk cleanup.
🆚 Everything vs. Windows Search
| Feature | Windows Default Search | Everything |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Slow, often hangs | Instantaneous |
| Resource Usage | High (Indexing service) | Extremely Low |
| Accuracy | Hit or miss | 100% Precise |
| Complexity | Simple but limited | Powerful syntax & Regex |
SoftStash Verdict
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everything is the “Gold Standard” of file management. It removes the friction of organizing files because you no longer need to remember where you saved something—you just need to remember what it was called. It is the single most important utility for any Windows power user.
Download
Download Everything (Free) from Voidtools
Note: For the best experience on modern systems, we recommend the 64-bit Lite or Installer version.