A reader asked if there was a Windows feature similar to Smart Folders on Mac. Smart Folders allow you to sort documents, images, and more by setting up parameters like size, date created, and type. For example, I could create a folder that would contain only documents created in the past seven days. That folder would continually update so that I always had a folder containing documents created in the past seven days.
The interesting thing about Smart Folders is that they really aren’t creating new folders at all. It’s just a very convenient way to save a search of your existing folders. You can do the same thing with Windows File Explorer (Not to be confused with Internet Explorer, File Explorer is the file manager for Windows).
Let’s learn how. We’ll start by clicking on the File Explorer icon to open the app.
Here’s what File Explorer looks like when you open it.
Let’s look at how you can create and save an advanced search. Start by clicking in the Search field at the top right of Explorer and start typing.
The Search Options will now display at the top of the window.
You can choose to search the current folder or all folders or system files. You can also search by date modified or the type of file.
Sort by recent days, weeks, months, or years.
Next, you can sort by Kind, Size, and Other properties. Choose Kind to narrow it down by categories like documents, pictures, or email.
For example, I could choose Picture files modified within the last week. Those search parameters would appear in blue in the search box.
And the results would appear in the main pane of Explorer.
Unfortunately, Windows 11 doesn’t allow you to save those searches, even though Windows 10 did have that feature.