How to use.


Run Strong Search; type the name of the file you want to find. If the exact name is unknown, it’s possible to use a file mask.

File mask is a template according to which files are selected. Masks can include regular possible symbols in file names as well as special symbols: '*' and '?'.

The * symbol means any number of symbols, a ‘?’ means any symbol.

For example, frigat.exe, form.exe and f.ext files can be found by the f*.ex? mask. The *co* mask will find color.ini and edit.com files; the *.txt mask – config.txt, demo.txt, faq.txt and tips.txt.

You may simultaneously specify some file masks by comas. For example, to find all the documents it is necessary to enumerate the *.doc, *.txt, *.wri masks.

After specifying the necessary file name (or file mask) press the «Start Search» button – the files from the whole network satisfying the search conditions will be found.

The search area use.

If the network is small, it is enough to specify the file mask and to click on the «Start Search» button. In this case the searching procedure will take a few seconds. However, if there are dozens or hundreds computers in your net and the network is overloaded, the search can last for a long time. This process can be speeded up in case the search area is specified. For this purpose it is necessary to open the "Options" window before the beginning of the search and specify that part of the network which has the necessary file on the "Network" tab. StrongSearch allows to choose any part of the network – a separate folder on a remote computer, a network resource, the whole computer, the domain or a working group, or the whole network.

Example. If you don’t remember the exact file name, but know that the document you need (let’s say it’s MS Excel) is on the SomeComputer computer, do the following. Enter the *.xls file mask, open the settings window, select the SomeComputer computer, and then start the search.

Additional search criteria use.

Very often different folders of one computer may contain files with the same names. For example, the «Sales report.xls» file can be created every month. Thus, on a certain SomeComputer computer lots of «Sales report.xls» files can be stored. You may only need the last month’s report. In this case use the "Filters" tab in the "Options" window and set file dates. Only the files that fit in the period of time determined by you will get into search results.

You can also filter files according to their size and attributes.

The «Search in hidden shares (C$)» option which allows search in system network resources will be useful to system administrators.

Quick search in the found results.

If you don’t remember the exact name and place of the file, most likely you will find many files and you will have to search additionally for the file you need. The following options will help you with this: sorting according to any of the columns and quick search by the file name. In order to sort the list, mouse-click on the column. Another click will change the sorting direction. You can open the quick search window, having typed the first letter of the file name, or having activated the «Fast Find»menu item.

Working with the search results.

After all the necessary files are found, you will surely need to open or copy them. To open a file it is necessary to select it and to click the right button of the mouse on it. Then choose the «Open file» item in the opened menu. This action is equal to a double click on a file on the "Desktop" or in the "Explorer". There are two ways of copying a file – to copy it in a clipboard (and then paste where necessary), or to mouse-drag it.

The found files list can be saved, and also exported to XML or HTML formats.
See also the «User Interface» section.

The CHM file was converted to HTML by chm2web software.