Аналог spotlight для windows

But Windows computers don’t come with such a thing pre-installed, but that doesn’t mean, developers, don’t have a similar tool for you. Yes, there are a handful of programs, which can act the same way on your Windows computer, just the way, Spotlight works on a Mac. But when there are many tools that offer the same functionality, choosing the most appropriate one can be challenging, and I am here to save you from the trial and error loop. That said, I will talk about the top best Spotlight alternatives for a Windows 10-8-7 computer.

Ueli

Designed with Electron framework under the hood, Ueli is one of the simplest Spotlight alternatives you can find for Windows. With a dark theme and a few other colour schemes, Ueli can launch programs, search for items in some selected folders, do calculations, search the web, send emails, and every other simple thing right from the one box.

KeyPirinha

KeyPirinha Is a lightweight Spotlight alternative for Windows 10/8/7, which is a simple portable app, which is very simple and easy to use and also come with some advanced functionalities that might come in handy. Besides the ability to launch apps, search for files and do most other simple tasks, you can even execute commands within a certain app to make your job even simpler.

The only problem with KeyPirinha though is, it is a little difficult to set up and you need to edit the configuration file first to get started with the program.

However, if you are into coding, it will be a piece of pie for you. Even the process to change the hotkey is also a little difficult, and so it requires digging into the configuration file. KeyPirinha is still a powerful Spotlight alternative you can go for.

Launchy

Another useful Spotlight alternative you can count on for Windows is Launchy, which has support for plugins to enhance the functionality of the program. Besides the ability to search for files, it is optimized for the web and you can even execute commands within programs, which makes it a cool alternative to Spotlight. Launchy can even open a certain variety of files within a particular app and you can even delay the response as per your requirements.

Launchy seems to be a little slow but it is one of the best apps that you can go for, as it has support for plugins. To make the process of searching for local files efficient, you can add certain folders for searches.

Besides the availability of the program for Windows, it is also available for Linux and Mac which means you will always feel at home if you switch platforms. The look and feel of Launchy can also be changed depending upon your likeness.

Wox

One of the best alternatives Spotlight for Windows is Wox,  and it has all the reasons you should start using it right away. The app is not limited to searching for local files and the web using a default search engine, but it also has the functionality to download additional plugins and search for videos on YouTube, songs on Spotify, Translate using Google Translate and a lot of other things.

There are a number of great plugins, you can download enhance the capability of Wox.

Search Everything

If you are not looking for an alternative to Spotlight for Windows to perform a plethora of tasks, but you are going to search files locally most of the time, Search Everything is for you. Search Everything is one of the best search tools available for Windows, and it can also work more efficiently than the default search tool available with Windows. The search results can also be exported to a text file to work with them later on.

Search Everything is quite lightweight and comes with a simple user interface with no unwanted elements at all. Search Everything can be the perfect alternative for your default search tool as I already said and it can definitely sort things out for you. Whenever you search for something using Search Everything, you will find a handful of results, which might frustrate you, but it can still be useful if your file is located in an invisible corner of a hard drive.

Cerebro app

Cerebro App is an open-source productivity booster tool. If you’re looking for some additional set of functionalities, Cerebro App can come in handy for you, as it can also bring search results from the web just below the search box on Cerebro App.

This makes Cerebro app even more useful and you don’t need to you open your entire web browser for searching something in the blink of an eye. Just like most other Spotlight alternatives I mentioned here, the Cerebro app is also customizable in a number of ways.

One thing to be noted, it has not been updated since 2017, albeit it works on Windows 10, still, the user needs it to test on their own Windows system thoroughly before relying on it.

When we keep getting new functionalities with every new Windows update having Spotlight alternative on your Windows computer can definitely come in handy. You can use most of the programs I have mentioned here to search for free small pieces of information in the most effortless way yet. Most of the programs I have mentioned here are open-source and you can download the source code for optional modifications from the GitHub other places depending upon each of the programs. All the programs here are lightweight and the size is less than 10 MB, which means will hardly have any major effects on your system performance.

Hope the list of top 6 Spotlight alternative for Windows will be useful for you. Do you know any other program that deserves its name in the list? Feel free to comment on the same below.

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If you’ve ever used macOS, you’re likely familiar with Spotlight, a powerful and intuitive search tool that allows you to easily find files, applications, documents, and even perform web searches right from your desktop. Windows 10, on the other hand, has a built-in search function, but many users find it lacks the functionality and efficiency of Spotlight. For those of you seeking similar capabilities in the Windows environment, we’ve compiled a list of six compelling alternatives that can enhance your search experience and make finding files a breeze.

1. Everything

Overview:
Everything is a lightweight search utility that provides a real-time index of all files and folders on your system. Unlike the built-in Windows search function, which can be sluggish, Everything helps you find your files instantly.

Key Features:

• Instant Search: As you type, Everything displays results in real-time, making file retrieval quick and efficient.
• File Types: It supports a wide range of file types, allowing you to search for documents, images, videos, and system files easily.
• Boolean Search Support: You can refine your searches by using boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT.
• Folder Navigation: Navigate through folders directly within the application, allowing easy access to files.
• Customization: Everything offers options to exclude certain folders or file types, enhancing search relevancy.

How to Use It:
Install Everything from its official website, and it will start indexing your files automatically. Once the indexing is done, you can start typing in the search bar, and results will populate instantly.

2. Listary

Overview:
Listary is another powerful search tool designed for Windows users, focusing on quick file access and enhanced productivity. It integrates seamlessly with Windows Explorer, allowing you to search for files and applications quickly.

Key Features:

• Quick Access: Access files directly through the Listary search bar without leaving your current window or application.
• Contextual Search: Listary provides contextual suggestions based on your current active folder, making it faster to find related files.
• Favorites and Recent Files: Listary allows you to bookmark frequently accessed files and folders for even quicker retrieval.
• Hotkeys and Shortcuts: You can set custom hotkeys to trigger Listary’s search capabilities, enhancing your workflow.
• Integration with Task Managers: It can be used to quickly navigate your running applications as well as managing tasks.

How to Use It:
After installing Listary, you can activate it using a keyboard shortcut (default is Ctrl + Space) or by clicking on its system tray icon. Start typing, and it will show relevant results from your folders and applications.

3. Wox

Overview:
Wox is an open-source launcher that not only serves as a search tool but also as an application launcher. Inspired by Alfred for macOS, Wox provides a minimalist interface and an array of plugins to enhance functionality.

Key Features:

• Instant Application Launching: Quickly launch applications by typing their names in Wox’s search bar.
• Plugin Support: Wox supports a plethora of plugins that allow you to perform additional tasks such as web searches, translations, or even launching scripts.
• File Search: Similar to Everything, Wox can search for files on your system with speed and accuracy.
• Customizable Themes: Users can change the appearance of Wox to suit their preferences, making it visually appealing.
• Multi-language Support: Wox provides support for multiple languages, making it accessible for a broader user base.

How to Use It:
Install Wox from its official repository, and configure any plugins you wish to use. Press the designated hotkey (default is Alt + Space) to bring up the search bar, and start typing.

4. Keypirinha

Overview:
Keypirinha is a fast and flexible application launcher for Windows that goes beyond simple file search capabilities. It combines powerful search functions with a customizable interface to enhance user productivity.

Key Features:

• Speed: Keypirinha is known for its speed, launching applications and finding files almost instantaneously.
• Customizable Interface: Users can modify themes and layouts to suit their preferences and workflow.
• Wide Range of Plugins: Keypirinha supports a variety of plugins for web searches, clipboard management, and system functions.
• File Management Options: It allows you to open files, folders, and even URLs directly from the launcher.
• Portable Version: A portable version of Keypirinha is available, allowing usage without the need for installation.

How to Use It:
Download Keypirinha and extract it to a folder. Run the executable, and it will start indexing files on your PC. Use the default hotkey (Ctrl + Alt + P) to access the launcher, and simply start typing to find what you need.

5. Launchy

Overview:
Launchy is a popular open-source application launcher designed to help you open your files and applications more efficiently. It’s lightweight and customizable, making it an excellent alternative for those looking for a simple search tool.

Key Features:

• Plugin System: Launchy has a robust plugin system that supports a wide range of functionalities, from web searches to media playback.
• File Indexing: It automatically indexes files on your system for quick access.
• Custom Launchers: You can create custom launchers for frequently used tasks or applications.
• Skins and Themes: Customize the appearance of Launchy with different skins according to your taste.
• Hotkey Activation: Use a designated hotkey to activate Launchy quickly.

How to Use It:
Download and install Launchy. Once set up, it will begin indexing. You can activate Launchy with the default hotkey (Alt + Space) and start typing to find your desired files.

6. Search Everything

Overview:
Search Everything is yet another robust alternative to Spotlight, specifically designed for Windows. It’s a powerful file searching tool that focuses on speed and efficiency.

Key Features:

• Real-Time File Indexing: It indexes files on your system in real-time, ensuring that you always have the most current results.
• Folder Exclusions: Users can exclude specific folders from being indexed, which can speed up search times for large systems.
• File Previews: Search Everything can provide previews of files, allowing you to quickly determine if you’ve found the correct one.
• Integration with Windows Explorer: You can right-click files in Search Everything for direct access options, enabling smooth transitions between applications.
• Advanced Search Filters: Use various filters to refine your search based on file type, size, and location.

How to Use It:
Install Search Everything from its website, and it will automatically start indexing your files. You can execute searches using keywords, and the results will give you instant feedback.

Conclusion

When seeking a replacement for Spotlight on your Windows 10 system, several options can cater to your needs, whether you prefer a simple file search tool or a multi-functional application launcher. Each of the six alternatives mentioned above—Everything, Listary, Wox, Keypirinha, Launchy, and Search Everything—brings unique features and capabilities that can streamline your workflow and enhance your productivity.

By incorporating one or more of these tools into your daily routine, you can enjoy a more efficient and effective search experience on Windows 10 that rivals the Spotlight function you may have enjoyed on MacOS. Take the time to explore these options, find which one fits your needs best, and transform how you navigate your system!

If you have ever used a Mac, you know the feeling of using Spotlight search. It makes searching apps and files so much easier. Spotlight not only launch apps and search files in a jiffy, but it also works as a calculator, currency converters, weather calculation, and much more.

But, Spotlight comes inbuilt with MacOS and I really miss the fast file search on my Windows 10 laptop. The problem is Windows works with NTFS, and indexing on Apple File System (APFS) is far better. So it’s not possible to get a perfect replacement for Spotlight. But that doesn’t stop me and in the scout to get Spotlight for Windows 10. Here are some solid Spotlight alternative apps.

Read: Clever Ways to Use Spotlight

Spotlight for Windows 10

1. Wox

Wox is the closest you can come to Spotlight Search on Windows 10. The UI is minimal and ideal for app launches and file search. By default, the app is triggered when you press Atl+Space. A Spotlight-like launcher pops up for you to enter the search string and the results appear as a dropdown.

Картинка с сайта: techwiser.com

The app is heavily customizable and it lets you change themes, remap hotkeys, install plugins, etc.  By default, Wox only provides 5 search results and even this can be customized from Wox settings. The big highlight of Wox is the huge amount of plugin support. For instance, YouTube Query, Clipboard History, Google Translate, etc.

Wox is an open-source application and the forum is quite active in terms of updates and query resolution. The only problem I found out is the launcher loses focus when the mouse is moved outside the search bar. Hence, every time I have to click on the search bar to start typing even though it was present on the screen. Additionally, Wox doesn’t remember your search preferences.

Features:

• Search files
• Calculator
• Open URL
• Display color using hex number
• Run shell commands

Download Wox (free)

Картинка с сайта: techwiser.com

2. PowerToys Run

PowerToys Run is a part of Microsoft’s experimental project called PowerToys. It consists of some additional tools like Image Resizer, ColorPicker, Keyboard Manager, etc for Windows 10 power users and PowerToys Run is a part of it. Now, functioning and design-wise, PowerToys Run is almost similar to Wox because Wox is a major contributor to this project.

Once you have PowerToys installed, hit Alt+Enter to launch PowerToys Run. Similar to Wox, you can search for files, launch applications, and perform calculations. The only thing lacking is plugins like Everything, currency converter, etc.

Features:

• Search files
• Calculator

Download Microsoft PowerToys

Картинка с сайта: techwiser.com

3. Search Everything

Search Everything might not be the ideal replacement for Spotlight Search but what the app offers cannot be ignored. The app is build just to search files on your local storage and it does an awesome job. The UI is pretty traditional and will instantly remind you of Windows 7 but keeping the UI simple makes it snappy.

In my testing, the results turned out to be accurate every single time and works way better than the native file search. The app accepts search queries as well as regular expressions. It also lets you export the output of the search into a text file. That’s helpful if you are using it with a macro and certainly help if you are into development.

The only downside I could find is that the app does consume a lot of CPU if the search string points to a vast number of files.

Features:

• Search files
• Shell Commands
• Regular Expressions.

Download Search Everything (free)

Картинка с сайта: techwiser.com

4. KeyPirinha

KeyPirinha turned out to be my favorite app due to its simplicity and quick response. It is a portable app and you have the source code available on the website. The app is pretty simple and you don’t get any plugins or themes with it.

Картинка с сайта: techwiser.com

Compared to Wox, customizing KeyPirinha is a bit complicated as you have to make changes in the configuration files. It can be dicey if you are not good at coding. For instance, just to change the hotkey to Ctrl + Space, I had to append the following lines in the configuration file.

[app]
hotkey_run = Ctrl + Space

The most unique feature in the app is the action step which makes it more of an app emulator. Once the results for your search pops up you can hit tab and now you can run command for that particular application from the search bar itself. If you give another tab, it opens additional options for the app which is similar to a right-click on that app.

The problem with KeyPirinha which bugs me the most is that you cannot select the search results with your mouse. To enable this, you have to make tons of changes in the configuration file. Additionally, the app almost recognizes Windows shortcuts except for the ones in Control Panel.

Features: Search files, Calculator, Regular Expressions.

Download KeyPirinha (free)

Картинка с сайта: techwiser.com

5. Launchy

Launchy is another open-source Launcher and has separate variants for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The app has a minimal layout but stands out in terms of customizations and web searches. In terms of customizations, apart from the normal ones, you get additional options like auto open the app, delay in response, etc.

Launchy comes with a set of plugins installed but unlike Wox, there isn’t a huge plugin library. It also supports file search but you have to specify the search directories in the Catalog tab under Settings. Do note that while adding directories, be careful because entering a generic path like “C:// ” will lead to the indexing of thousands of files and bog down your PC.

Launchy seems to be accurate with the search but this comes with a slight delay. At times, the delay is so prolonged that I thought the search string itself is invalid. It also searches the web but the response is so slow that it’s not at all convenient.

Features:

• Search files
• Calculator
• Web search
• Regular Expressions and Shell commands

Download Launchy (free)

Картинка с сайта: techwiser.com

6. Cerebro Pro

The outlook of Cerebro Pro is similar to Spotlight search and it even replicates the functionality. The search results are displayed below the search bar and the layout is exactly like the Spotlight Search. The highlight of the app is it even shows up results from the web. This is an added bonus as you don’t need to open the browser window to type the search string.

Since you have so much web suggestions in the app, a small spelling mistake makes the entire search irrelevant. There is no option to switch off the web search

Features:

• Search files
• Calculator
• Web search and suggestions

Download Cerebro Pro (free)

Картинка с сайта: techwiser.com

The best app to get Spotlight for Windows 10?

Wox comes the closest and is the ideal choice. They have an extremely active update system and a huge set of plugins support. If you don’t have a spec-heavy system and you can be creative enough with coding then you should try KeyPirinha.

In case most of your searches are from the web, you can give a try to Cerebro Pro. For more issues or queries, let me know in the comments below.

Also Read: 15 Best Start Menu Customizations For Windows 10

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19 мая 2020 13