How to Find a File That Has Been Moved

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Typically, when you save files, you can save them in locations such as the desktop or in designated folders so that you can find them later on. If you have other people that use those files or others that share your computer, it may happen that your file is moved by accident or on purpose. Either way, you now need to find your lost file. Finding the moved file is as easy as utilizing the "Search" function built into the computer.

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Step 1

Click on the "Start" button located in the lower left hand of the screen. This displays a window of options to choose from. Depending on your version of operating system, you will either see a "Search" box or you will see "Find a File" as options to choose from.

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Step 2

Click on "Find a File" if necessary to populate the search box.

Step 3

Type in the name of the file. You do not need to type in the file extension. To narrow the search, you can choose from the drop-down menu of the file types you only want to search. For example, if you know the file is in "PDF" format, then the computer can narrow the search from searching all files on your computer to searching just the documents in "PDF" format with the file name you specified.

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Step 4

Click on the file you were seeking when the search results populates in the window to your right.

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Step 5

Click on the Office button in the upper left-hand corner of the screen or find the "File" option and click on it. From there, choose "Save As" to populate a window with a menu choice of tabs and options. Navigate through the folders to find the new location you want the file saved in.

Step 6

Click on "Save" button to save your document in the new location.

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