Have you ever done a lot of work on a document file, then saved it and 'lost' it?

How frustrating! Hours of work; it's somewhere there on the computer,
but how to find it? Well, don't forget File Finder.
Here's a few tips:-

1) If you know the file name.
That's easy. Just start file finder (Start/Find/Files or Folders) - or for Win ME users:-
(Start/Search/For files or folders).
In the top slot with the label 'Named' (or for Win ME 'Search for Files or Folders Named') type the file name.
If you aren't sure of the full name you can just use part of it, plus the asterisk * wild card. For example, typing the string holida* would find files with names like holidayphoto.doc or holidaysnaps.wps etc.

2) If you don't know the file name.
Maybe you can remember something that is contained in the file. Try to choose a less common word or phrase you know is there so that File Finder doesn't find too many files that qualify... For example if the file was a document about your recent Australian holiday, and you remembered you had mentioned the Moolowog Motel in the document, the word Moolowog would be a good choice to type into File Finder's 'Containing text' slot.

3) If you don't know either 1) or 2).
Perhaps you have a good idea when the file was created or last saved. You can click the 'Date' tab in File Finder and search for files that were created or modified during that time (in Windows ME you have to click on 'Search Options' first to get to the Date box).

I was prompted to write these notes by something that happened about an hour ago.
I had been using Abiword (a freeware Word Processor) to re-format a document someone had sent me as an email attachment. When the job was done I went to print the result. Unfortunately I made a mistake and attempted to change the default printer setting in the Printers folder while Abiword's Print dialogue box was also open.
Abiword crashed, and my work was gone!

Time to start all over again? Probably! But then I remembered that Abiword is designed to save any open document (if possible) if something causes it to crash.

Trouble was, I didn't know what the saved file would have been called, or where it might have been saved. However, I did know the crash had only just happened, so I checked the time displayed on the system clock (bottom right hand corner of the monitor screen) and wrote it down.

Then, opened File Finder, checked that the 'look In' slot was showing C: drive as the place to search, and clicked the 'Date' tab at the top of File Finder's window.

I chose to search for files 'Modified during the previous (1) days' by clicking the appropriate circular 'radio button' then clicked 'Find Now'.

In a moment or two, File Finder had listed 137 files which had been modified today.

One click on the header at the top of the date and time column (ie click on the word 'Modified') sorted all the entries in date and time order.

There was a promising looking file modified just two minutes earlier, with its name and path displayed.

Problem solved. I was able to start Abiword again and open the file for printing.

File Finder saved the day. As those who have attended the File Management course well know, File Finder can be a very handy tool when you know how to use it.

Cheers,
John Selby (Technical Bloke)

PS - For Windows XP users:-

Your File Finder is organised differently. Access by clicking Start, then Search.
From the resulting new window click
'All files and folders'.

The next window gives you the choice of entering the file name, or some word or phrase contained in the file.
To search by date you need to click the label
'When was it modified?'

And if you just wanted to see files modified today you would need to click the 'Specify dates' option, using today's date for both the start and end of the search period.

Why not experiment? - look for some files which you already know exist, using different methods.

PPS - To make the list of found files easier to read, get rid of the displayed large icons by clicking 'View' in File Finder's menu bar, then select 'Details.'

First Printed SNN Newsletter July 2002