Everything Advanced Search & Taskbar Integration
How Windows File Search Should Be

Everything's Core Advantage

Why is Windows' built-in search slow? Because it scans file contents, indexes properties, and does UI rendering by default. Everything does one thing only—indexes filenames. The NTFS file system's MFT table already contains all filenames, and Everything reads it directly, so it's fast with almost no CPU usage.

For the average user:

• Startup is virtually instant: Matching begins as you type the first character;
• Barely uses resources: Background process uses only a few MB of RAM;
• Free: Core features are completely free, no ads.

Basic Search Syntax

Everything's top search bar supports rich filtering syntax. Common ones:

Most frequently used in daily work:

• Find a document: ext:docx design
• Find today's screenshots: dm:today ext:png
• Find large files: size:>500mb

Regex Search

Toggle regex mode via menu "Search → Regular Expression" or Ctrl + R.

Common scenarios:

• Match all IMG_2026xxxx.jpg: ^IMG_2026\d+\.jpg$
• Match screenshots from any 2026 date: \d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}.*\.png
• Exclude certain directories: type !folder:node_modules

Regex mode lets Everything do "batch filtering by filename pattern"—far more powerful than File Explorer.

Content Search (Filename Only by Default)

Important: Everything only searches filenames by default, not file contents. If you want to search text inside files, use additional tools:

• ripgrep (rg): Fastest command-line option, very efficient combined with Everything's path lists;
• grepWin: GUI text search tool for Windows;
• VS Code search: When a project is open in VS Code, Ctrl + Shift + F is sufficient.

Typical workflow: List all .log files in Everything → export list → use ripgrep to batch-search content.

HTTP Server: Search from a Browser

Everything has a built-in lightweight HTTP server. When enabled, you can search files via a browser on your LAN—useful for remote work and multi-device setups.

Enable: Tools → Options → HTTP Server → Enable, set port (default 80) and credentials. Other devices access via http://your-ip:port in the browser.

Everything Toolbar: Embed Search in the Taskbar

The open-source project Everything Toolbar integrates Everything into the Windows taskbar, looking like the native search box but actually powered by Everything.

Installation:

1. Download the latest ZIP from GitHub Releases;
2. Extract and run install.exe;
3. Restart Explorer (or sign out and back in);
4. A search box appears in the taskbar → experience similar to macOS Spotlight.

It also supports:

• Custom shortcuts (default Win + S);
• Plugin extensions: calculator, weather, clipboard history, etc.

Command-Line Usage: es.exe

Use Everything as a command-line tool—for example, searching in PowerShell and piping to other commands:

es.exe "ext:md dm:today" -n 20 | ForEach-Object { code $_ }

es.exe is Everything's built-in CLI tool, located in the install directory. It supports full Everything search syntax and outputs filename lists.

This means Everything can be the "frontend" for various scripts—use Everything to find files first, then hand off to subsequent processing.

Common Shortcuts

Integration with TC's Directory Hotlist

In Total Commander, treat Everything's search results as a "directory hotlist"—call es.exe in TC and feed the result paths to TC as the current directory:

1. TC → Configuration → Custom Toolbar → Add button;
2. Command: C:\Tools\es.exe "%P";
3. Pick a search icon.

Now in TC, select a directory and press your custom button → Everything's search box pops up (default path already restricted). Search results can be opened directly with F3/F4.

Recommended Settings

My Everything configuration:

• Start at boot + run in background: Keep index up to date;
• Result limit: 100: Too many results makes filtering harder;
• Double-click behavior = Open with associated program;
• Index only NTFS volumes: FAT/exFAT volumes generally don't need indexing;
• Exclude common noise directories: node_modules, .git, AppData\Local\Temp;
• Disable content indexing: Off by default, saves resources.

Summary

Everything is one of the most worth-installing open-source tools on Windows. The problem it solves seems simple—finding files—but when you're opening dozens of files daily, cleaning up duplicates, and filtering by rules, the time it saves is significant.

If you just want "out-of-the-box," install Everything's main program. For deeper integration, add Everything Toolbar and es.exe—your entire Windows file workflow will level up.