We have all been there: a sudden “Low Disk Space” warning pops up, and the frustrating hunt for files to delete begins. While built-in tools like Windows’ “Cleanup recommendations” are great for clearing out temporary junk and system files, they cannot help you with the biggest problem: your own personal files. These tools will not tell you about that huge 5 GB video file from last year or the folder of old photos you no longer need.
So, you start the manual process: opening folders one by one, checking file sizes, and trying to remember what is safe to remove. It is a slow and inefficient process.
But what if you could find every large personal file on your computer in a single search?
Windows File Explorer has a powerful, built-in search feature that most people never use. This guide will teach you a few simple commands that give you complete control over your files, helping you clear storage and find what you need in seconds.
Three Core Search Commands You Need to Know
1. Find Files by Size
This is the most powerful command for clearing space. By typing size:, followed by a condition, you can instantly find the biggest files on your drive. You simply need to use the greater than (>) or less than (<) symbols to set your criteria.
Here are a few examples:
- To find files larger than 1 gigabyte, type: size:>1GB
- To find files larger than 500 megabytes, type: size:>500MB
- To find small files, you can use: size:<10MB
2. Find Files by Type
If you know you want to clear out a specific category of file, this command is essential. The kind: command sorts your files based on what they are, rather than where they are stored. This is perfect for tracking down all of your videos, music, or documents in one go.
Here are a few common examples:
- To find only video files, type: kind:video
- To find only music files, type: kind:music or type: ext:mp4
- To find all your pictures, type: kind:picture
You can also be more specific. For example, using kind:document will show you all document types, but you could narrow that down even further by typing kind:pdf to find only PDF files.
3. Find Files by Date
This command is perfect for finding old files that you probably no longer need, or for locating a file you know you worked on recently. The datemodified: command filters every file based on the date it was last saved, giving you precise control over your search.
You can use plain language for common timeframes. For example:
- To find files changed this week, you can type: datemodified:this week
- To find all files from last year, you can type: datemodified:last year
You can also use a specific date to narrow your search even further. For example, typing datemodified:15/11/2025 will show you all files that were saved on that exact day.
How to Combine Search Commands
This is where the real power of File Explorer search comes in. You can combine all three of the commands we have just covered into a single, highly specific search query. You do not need any special syntax or complicated rules; you simply type the commands one after another, separated by a space.
Creating a Powerful Search Query
Imagine you want to find and clear out some large videos that you downloaded and saved recently. Instead of searching for all videos, you could type the following command into the search bar:
kind:video size:>500MB datemodified:this week
This single command tells Windows to show you only the files that meet all three of your criteria at once. The results will only include files that are videos, are larger than 500 MB, AND were saved this week.
Suddenly, instead of scrolling through thousands of files spread across dozens of folders, you have a short, targeted list of exactly what you were looking for. This is the fastest way to find and manage your personal files
Practical Uses for Your New Skills
While clearing storage space is the main benefit, these commands are also incredibly useful for day-to-day organisation and finding files quickly. Once you get used to using them, you will find yourself saving time in many different situations.
Finding a Lost Presentation
Imagine you know you worked on a presentation last month, but you cannot remember where you saved it. Instead of searching folder by folder, you can simply use the command: kind:presentation datemodified:last month. This will show you every presentation file that was saved on your computer during that time.
Backing Up Holiday Photos
If you want to back up all the photos you took on holiday in December 2024, you do not need to hunt for them. The command kind:picture datemodified:12/2024 will instantly gather every picture file that was saved during that month into a single list, ready for you to copy to an external drive.
Clearing Out Old Program Files
Program installers and .exe files often take up a lot of space and are usually not needed after the program has been installed. To find large installers from over a year ago, you could use a combined search like this: kind:program size:>100MB datemodified:.
Still Running Slow After a Clean-Up?
Using these search commands is the most efficient way to manage your personal files and free up disk space. However, if you have cleared out gigabytes of old files and your computer still feels sluggish, it may be a sign of a different issue. Performance problems are often caused by a failing hard drive, not enough RAM, or other underlying system issues that a simple clean-up cannot fix.
If your computer is still underperforming, it is best to get a professional diagnosis. The team at Computer Repair Adelaide can test your hardware, identify the root cause of the slowdown, and recommend the best solution to get your computer running like new again.
2 Comments
I had no idea you could use commands like size:>1GB right in the search bar. This is so much faster than clicking through every folder manually.
I never realized Windows had ‘Storage Sense’ built-in to handle the cleanup automatically. It’s a huge relief to know I can set it to clear out temporary files and the recycle bin without having to remember to do it myself.