Picture the scene: you’ve been looking for those saved files for a long time, you need them for work, and this is seriously hampering your productivity. That’s not a situation anyone needs.
Maybe you’re looking for those perfect pictures or that .doc you converted to a .pdf. It doesn’t matter what kind of files you’re looking for: we can help you find them.
If you’re tired of looking for those files that you’re sure that you know you saved, keep reading. We’ve got the solutions you need.
1. Check the Default Save Destinations
All applications have a location where they save their files. This is where you should begin your search. For example, Microsoft Word will automatically save documents to the “My Documents” folder.
If you don’t normally go to these folders, you can change the default save location in moments. This way, you can set the program to save to your folder of choice, instead of the default.
If you’d like to save somewhere specific, remember to use the “save as” command, located in the drop-down File menu. This will let you save your document wherever you like and in a variety of formats.
2. Take Advantage of the Search Feature
If you’re having trouble finding a specific file, we recommend using the search bar. Located in the bottom-left of the screen on Windows 10, you can use the search function to find any file on your computer.
Note that you will need to know the name of your file or at least one or two words from it if you hope to find it.
On macOS, you can use the Spotlight feature to find individual files.
3. Look at Recent Documents
If you’re looking for spreadsheets, documents, or slideshows, your office software can help you. Under the File command, you will see an option for loading recent documents.
On Microsoft Office, this comes under the dedicated “recent” button on the file menu. On other office software, like LibreOffice, you should see a “recent documents/spreadsheets/etc” function under the file menu.
If you were recently working on the file in question, this will be able to help you find it.
4. Pin Useful Folders
On Windows 10, you can bookmark folders that you often go back to, making them quicker to access. This feature, called Quick Access, can save you a lot of time when you’re searching for a particular folder.
To find Quick Access, load up File Explorer. On the left-hand side, you’ll see a little blue star icon: this is Quick Access. Windows automatically puts folders that you go to a lot into this section, so check here for any lost saved files.
If you want to pin a certain folder to Quick Access, it couldn’t be easier. Navigate to the folder in question and right-click on it. Then click “pin to Quick Access.”
To remove it, right-click on it again, and click remove.
This tool also keeps a selection of recent files and folders handy. Click on Quick Access and you’ll be greeted with a selection of recent files and folders. Not bad, huh?
5. Use Cortana
Don’t forget that with Windows 10, you have a virtual assistant who can help you find those lost saved documents and other saved files. Whether you’ve set Cortana up for voice commands or whether you’ll need to type, she can help you.
Click on the Cortana icon next to the Windows icon on your taskbar. Then start typing or speaking and ask her to find you the files. Some voice commands you can use include:
- Show me photos from last week
- Show me the last document I worked on
- Show me my spreadsheets
Cortana, while sometimes finicky, can be a better tool than the search bar. You just need to know what to ask her.
6. A Note On Finding Saved Files in the Cloud
Have you backed up files to a cloud storage system like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox? If you’ve saved your files here, it can sometimes be a little tricky to find them.
Each of these cloud systems will show you recent files but they can be a little obtuse. Luckily, they all also contain a search function. You should know where you saved the files to, which will make finding that folder a little easier.
We would recommend storing backups of your files in the cloud for security, recordkeeping, and continuity purposes. Let’s take a look at what you need to do if you’ve lost your files.
7. How to Get Saved Files Back
We’ve shown you how to find saved files on your computer, but what if something goes wrong? Let’s talk about the importance of backups.
You shouldn’t just be saving files on your hard drive. You should also be storing them on external storage devices like USB drives and/or in cloud services like the ones we mentioned above. Hard drives fail often and if you lose your hard drive, you lose your files.
This can be devastating for personal and business reasons.
The best way to back your files up is to create a comprehensive file system on your back up medium of choice. Name your folders logically and keep similar files together. Make sure that you back up photos, documents, spreadsheets, and anything else that you wouldn’t want to lose.
If your hard drive fails, once you’ve got Windows set up on your new machine, it’s just a matter of restoring the files. From USB storage, you can just drag and drop folders across from your drive into your hard drive. From the cloud, right-click a folder and download it.
Make sure you back your files up. Otherwise, you’ll lose your saved files for good.
How Converting Files Can Help
Knowing where you kept your saved files is just one part of good recordkeeping. We would also recommend converting your files to the best format for storage.
Converting files can have a lot of advantages when it comes to file size, security, and compatibility. Take a look at our blog post on converting Pages to .docx for more info!