Finding an image you saved weeks or even years ago can be frustrating if you can’t remember which folder it’s in. Fortunately, Windows includes a simple search feature that can locate every picture within a folder and all its subfolders in seconds.
How It Works
Instead of searching by filename, File Explorer can search by file type. By using the search term kind:=picture, Windows looks for recognised image formats, including JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP and others, regardless of what the files are called.
This makes it an easy way to find screenshots, downloaded images, scanned documents or photographs without manually browsing through folders.
How To Find All Your Photos
- Open ‘File Explorer’.
- Browse to the drive or folder you want to search.
- Click in the ‘Search’ box in the top-right corner.
- Type ‘kind:=picture’ and press ‘Enter’.
- Windows will display every recognised image in that location and its subfolders.
One Thing To Be Aware Of
The search only looks within the folder you currently have open. If you’re unsure where an image is stored, start your search from ‘This PC’ or your main ‘Pictures’ folder to search a much wider area.