In Windows Search, kind and type are two different properties used to categorize and filter files. Here’s how they differ:
1. Kind (Broad Category)
- Refers
to a general classification of files based on their purpose or
content.
- Helps
in searching for files by category, regardless of their specific
file format.
Examples:
|
Search Query |
Result (Files
Found) |
|
kind:document |
.docx, .pdf, .txt,
.pptx, .xlsx |
|
kind:music |
.mp3, .wav, .flac, .aac |
|
kind:video |
.mp4, .avi, .mkv, .mov |
|
kind:image |
.jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp |
|
kind:email |
Outlook emails (.msg,
.eml) |
✅ Use Case: If you want to
find any kind of document, you can just search kind:document instead of
remembering all possible file extensions.
2. Type (Specific File Format)
- Refers
to the exact file format or extension of a file.
- Helps
in searching for specific file types rather than broad categories.
Examples:
|
Search Query |
Result (Files
Found) |
|
type:pdf |
Only .pdf files |
|
type:docx |
Only Word documents |
|
type:mp3 |
Only .mp3 audio files |
|
type:xlsx |
Only Excel spreadsheets |
|
type:jpg |
Only .jpg image files |
✅ Use Case: If you
specifically need only PDF files, you can use type:pdf instead of kind:document,
which would show all types of documents.
Key Differences in Windows Search
|
Feature |
Kind |
Type |
|
Definition |
Broad category of
files |
Specific file format |
|
Example Query |
kind:music |
type:mp3 |
|
Search Scope |
Finds all related file
types |
Finds only one
specific format |
|
Use Case |
Searching for a general category
of files |
Searching for an exact file type |
Final Example: Combining Both
You can combine kind and type for better
search results.
🔹 Find all Word
documents:
👉
kind:document type:docx
🔹 Find all images, but
only PNG files:
👉
kind:image type:png
🔹 Find all videos, but
only MP4 files:
👉
kind:video type:mp4
Some advanced Windows Search tips and tricks to help you find files
more efficiently:
|
Operator |
Function |
Example |
|
" (Quotes) |
Exact phrase search |
"project
report" (Finds files with this exact phrase) |
|
Find either one or another |
report OR summary (Finds files
with either word) |
|
|
Exclude specific words |
invoice NOT 2023
(Finds invoices but excludes 2023 ones) |
|
|
* (Asterisk) |
Wildcard for unknown characters |
report*.docx (Finds all files
starting with "report") |
|
? |
Wildcard for a single
unknown character |
f?le.txt (Finds
file.txt, f1le.txt, etc.) |
2. Search by File Properties
Windows lets you search using specific properties like size,
date modified, and author.
|
Property |
Example Query |
Result |
|
datemodified:>01/01/2024 |
Finds files modified
after Jan 1, 2024 |
|
|
size:>10MB |
Finds files larger than 10MB |
|
|
author:John |
Finds files created by
John |
|
|
title:budget |
Finds files with
"budget" in their title |
|
|
folder:C:\Projects |
Searches only in
C:\Projects |
✅ Example: datemodified:lastweek
kind:document
(Finds all documents modified last week)
3. Searching by File Extension
Use ext: to find specific file types.
|
Query |
Finds |
|
All PDF files |
|
|
ext:jpg OR ext:png |
All JPG and PNG images |
|
ext:mp4
kind:video |
Only MP4 videos |
|
ext:zip
size:>50MB |
ZIP files larger than 50MB |
✅ Example: kind:document
ext:docx OR ext:pdf
(Finds all Word and PDF documents)
4. Advanced Date and Time Search
Use specific date filters:
|
Query |
Finds |
|
Files modified today |
|
|
datemodified:thisweek |
Files modified this week |
|
datemodified:lastmonth |
Files modified last
month |
|
datecreated:>01/01/2023 |
Files created after Jan 1, 2023 |
✅ Example: datemodified:>01/01/2024
kind:spreadsheet
(Finds all spreadsheets modified after Jan 1, 2024)
5. Searching for Emails & Contacts (Outlook)
If you're using Outlook and have indexed emails, you
can search:
|
Query |
Finds |
|
kind:email |
All emails |
|
kind:email
from:john |
Emails from John |
|
kind:email
subject:meeting |
Emails with
"meeting" in the subject |
|
kind:contact |
All saved contacts |
✅ Example: kind:email
from:manager subject:report
(Finds all emails from Manager with "report" in the subject)
6. Combining Multiple Filters
You can mix multiple search filters for precision.
🔹 Find Word and PDF
files modified in the last month:
👉
kind:document (ext:docx OR ext:pdf) datemodified:lastmonth
🔹 Find images larger
than 5MB taken this year:
👉
kind:picture size:>5MB datecreated:2024
🔹 Find emails from a
specific sender with an attachment:
👉
kind:email from:John has:attachment
7. Using File Explorer's Search Tools
When searching in File Explorer, you can refine your
search using the Search Tools tab:
- Date
modified → Filter by date
- Size
→ Small, Medium, Large, Huge
- Kind
→ Document, Picture, Music, Video
- Other
properties → Tags, Authors, etc.
8. Using Search Indexing for Faster Results
Windows Search Indexing improves speed by
pre-scanning files. To manage it:
- Open
Control Panel → Search for Indexing Options.
- Click
Modify and choose which folders to index.
- Ensure
important folders (e.g., Documents, Desktop) are indexed.
- Click
Advanced → Rebuild index (if search is slow).
✅ Tip: If you frequently
search emails, add your Outlook PST file to the index.
Final Thoughts
- Use kind:
for broad categories.
- Use ext:
for specific file extensions.
- Combine
size:, datecreated:, and author: for better filtering.
- Enable
Search Indexing for faster results.
