Rapid File and Folder Search Utility

[msuheb27]

Description of the new feature / enhancement

Introduce a high-performance file and folder search utility for Windows within Microsoft PowerToys. This tool should enable users to quickly locate files and folders by name across NTFS and ReFS volumes, similar to Everything by Voidtools.

The utility would:

• Index the names of all files and folders on NTFS and ReFS volumes.
• Maintain an up-to-date index using NTFS change journals for minimal resource usage.
• Support real-time searching with incremental results as users type.
• Provide optional indexing of non-NTFS/ReFS folders, with a warning about slower indexing speeds.
• Include advanced search capabilities such as regex support and wildcard matching.

Scenario when this would be used?

• Developers & IT Professionals: Quickly find project files, logs, or system configuration files without navigating through directories.
• Power Users & Content Creators: Search for media files, documents, or large datasets efficiently.
• General Users: Locate misplaced files without relying on slower built-in Windows Search.

Supporting information

This enhancement aligns with the efficient search methodology used by Everything by Voidtools, which:

• Uses metadata and NTFS Master File Table (MFT) indexing to achieve near-instantaneous results.
• Continuously updates the index using NTFS change journals, ensuring minimal CPU/memory overhead.
• Allows searching via fragments of filenames, wildcards, and regex patterns.

By integrating a similar approach within PowerToys, Microsoft can provide a native, lightweight, and high-speed search tool that enhances Windows usability without requiring third-party installations.

[similar-issues-ai]

We've found some similar issues:

• Everything like tool for quick seaches #27039 , similarity score: 83%
• Disk File and Folder Indexing for Search #15385 , similarity score: 83%

If any of the above are duplicates, please consider closing this issue out and adding additional context in the original issue.

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[msuheb27]

Duplicate: Refer:
• #27039
• #15385