How do I find a file I have lost on my computer?

Searching by what you actually remember — date, type and size — rather than by a filename you have forgotten.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 15 min
Read: 4 min

Short answer

Search by modification date rather than name. Sort a broad search by date modified and the file is usually near the top, because you remember roughly when you worked on it far better than what you called it. Check the recent-files list in the application first.

Filename search fails because people misremember names and because computers save things where you were not looking. Every other attribute — when, what type, how big — is remembered more reliably and is searchable.

Step by step

Check the application's recent files first.Word, Excel, Photoshop and almost everything else keeps a recent-documents list, and it usually shows the full path. Thirty seconds, and it works surprisingly often.
Search by date modified.Search a broad location and sort by date modified rather than name. You remember 'I was working on this last Tuesday' reliably; you do not reliably remember whether it was 'draft2' or 'draft-2'.
Search by file type.Restrict to the extension — .docx, .xlsx, .pdf, .jpg. Combined with a date range, that usually reduces the result to a handful.
Search the whole drive, not one folder.Both Windows and macOS default to searching the current folder in some views. Widen it to This PC or This Mac, and make sure system and hidden locations are included.
Search inside file contents.If you remember a distinctive phrase in the document, both systems index contents. Searching for the phrase finds the file whatever it is called.
Check the downloads folder.Anything opened from an email or a website and then edited is frequently saved back into Downloads without anyone intending it. It is the most common wrong location.
Check the cloud storage folder and its website.Files can be in a synced folder, or online only and not downloaded. The web interface for OneDrive, Google Drive or iCloud shows things the local folder does not.
Look in the bin.Deleted files sit there for weeks and are restored to their original location with one click. Search does not usually include it, so look explicitly.
Check for autosave and temporary versions.Office applications keep autosaved copies, often recoverable through the application's own recover-unsaved-documents option. That is a different place from where the file itself would be.
Look at version history if it is in cloud storage.OneDrive, Google Drive and iCloud all keep previous versions. If the file exists but the content is wrong, version history is what you want rather than search.
Search by size for large files.Videos and design files are distinctive by size. Sorting a broad search by size finds a large file quickly when nothing else narrows it.
Set up somewhere to save things from now on.A small number of clearly named folders, and the habit of choosing where to save rather than accepting the default. Most lost files are files saved somewhere nobody chose.

Tips

Save a search that works. Both systems support saved searches or smart folders for things you look for repeatedly.
Date modified is more reliable than date created, because created dates change when a file is copied.
If the file was on a USB stick or external drive, plug it in before searching — search does not cover devices that are not connected.

Common mistakes

Searching only by filename — It is the attribute people misremember most. Date, type and size are all recalled more accurately and are all searchable.
Searching only the current folder — Both systems default to a narrow scope in some views, so the file is excluded before the search begins. Widen it to the whole drive.

If it doesn't work

File not in the folder you saved it to

Cause: Saved to Downloads or a default location instead — Fix: Search by date modified across the whole drive, and check Downloads specifically.

File appears in search but will not open

Cause: Cloud file not downloaded locally, or a corrupted copy — Fix: Open it from the cloud service's website, or use version history to retrieve an earlier copy.

You never saved it at all

Cause: Closed the application without saving — Fix: Use the application's recover-unsaved-documents option, which retrieves autosaved copies.

Search returns nothing anywhere

Cause: Search index corrupted or incomplete — Fix: Rebuild the search index in system settings, and search the bin and any disconnected drives manually.

Questions people ask

How do I find a file when I cannot remember its name?

Search a broad location and sort by date modified. You remember roughly when you worked on something far better than what you called it, and adding a file type usually narrows it to a handful.

Where do files go if I do not choose a folder?

Usually Downloads or the application's default folder — anything opened from an email or the web and then edited commonly saves back into Downloads. Check there first.