Find & organize

When it comes to your folders and files, are you a filer who organizes everything neatly into a personalized folder structure, or are you a piler who saves things wherever they’re handy? Or maybe you’re a combination of both. Windows works for however you want to store your files.

The best and fastest way to find that document, no matter where you stashed it, is to use the Search charm. The Search charm is available anywhere in Windows 8 and Windows RT. It helps you find apps and settings, as well as files, on your PC.

Here's how to get to the Search charm:

It replaces the search box on the Start menu, which you might be used to using in Windows 7 or Windows Vista. With the Search charm, there's room for more results and more info about each result.

You can also use the Search charm to search within an app that's installed on your PC. For example, if you're writing a paper in a word-processing app, you can use the Search charm to find another document on your PC or quickly look up something in an encyclopedia app.