Listary is a Fast, Powerful Search Tool for Windows

Searching for files on Windows isn’t exactly speedy. Listary is a free app with great indexing that allows you to find any file on your computer in just a couple of keystrokes. Tap the control key twice, start typing, and hit enter when you see what you want. You can also use the tool to launch applications or search the web.

Getting started couldn’t be easier: Just download the application. For me it only took a couple of minutes to invoice hundreds of thousands of files, after which I could quickly find any file on my computer. By default you trigger the application by tapping the Control key twice, though you can change this into any keyboard shortcut you like.

The keyboard shortcut brings up a search window similar to Spotlight on the Mac. There is also a more advanced version of the application which you can bring up by clicking the tray icon for the application. This lets you do things like filter your search by file type or how recently it was created.

This view also notably allows you to preview files before opening them, which I appreciate. You’ll need to open the right panel using the button in the bottom-right corner for that.

You’re not limited to searching on your computer—you can also start web searches from here. To start a Google search, for example, just type the letter “g,” then leave a space, then type what you’re looking for. You’ll even see search recommendations.

Credit: Justin Pot

By default only a few search engines are supported—Wikipedia, IMDB, and YouTube, to name a few—but you can add more in the settings (right-click the tray icon to find them).

Listary is free for personal use. The Pro version, required if you want to use the application at work, has a one-time fee of $20 and provides access to custom themes, indexing for network drives, and advanced customization features. In a world full of subscriptions, it’s nice to see a one-time cost.