Windows 8.1: The Missing Manual

Search

It’s one of the most noteworthy aspects of Windows 8.1: the new Search. It’s always there, hiding in the Charms bar, in every app. It’s super fast—it starts showing results even while you’re still typing. And in 8.1, you don’t have to tell it what you’re searching for before you do it (files, settings, apps); every search finds everything.

Now, at the desktop, you’ll find other search boxes lurking everywhere. The search box at the top of every desktop window searches only that window (including folders within it). Search boxes also appear in the Control Panel window, Internet Explorer, Windows Mail, Windows Media Player, and other spots where it’s useful to perform small-time, limited searches.

But the main Search feature, the one that hunts down files, apps, and settings, is the one hiding in the Charms bar. It may look like it belongs to TileWorld, but this is the feature you use in both TileWorld and the desktop for general finding purposes. Here’s how it works.

Starting the Search

To search for something, open the search box like this (it doesn’t matter which app you’re using at the moment):

• Touchscreen: Swipe inward from the right edge of your screen to open the Charms bar. Tap Search.

• Mouse: Point to the upper- or lower-right corner of the screen to open the Charms bar. Click Search.

• Keyboard: Press +S to open the Charms bar and the search box. (If you’re at the Start screen, ...