# Please suggest an App for Windows 10/11 that's similar to Dir in a cmd window **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 2, 2026, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311 "2026-02-02T17:30:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/21 "2026-02-02T18:43:06Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > The “dir” command with the “/s” switch (to include subdirectories) can quickly find files matching a wildcard specification on any given drive. This is probably the best solution for the OP. You don’t need to install anything or learn how to use any new tools. Just type /s on your dir command. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/22 "2026-02-02T18:43:24Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It’s a Dell Latitude that I bought used on Ebay. Sorry, didn’t mean to make you go down a rabbit hole. It was just a side thought, but if you really care enough to find out: Push Windows+R on your keyboard. That should bring up the Run prompt. Type `devmgmt.msc`: [![](https://fightingignorance.org/f8e9e2f6-0118-4d0f-a5c0-3f9dce5fb54d-image.png) ](https://fightingignorance.org/f8e9e2f6-0118-4d0f-a5c0-3f9dce5fb54d-image.png) Then navigate to the Disk Drive and it’ll tell you what you have: [![](https://fightingignorance.org/61f1a7bd-f64f-4a45-a4b6-875337a5c32f-image.png) ](https://fightingignorance.org/61f1a7bd-f64f-4a45-a4b6-875337a5c32f-image.png) Having that information would let us know: 1. Whether you still have an older, mechanical hard drive (which might be slowing down the search and everything else) 2. Whether there’s a reasonably-priced upgrade that might be available. A smaller SSD would typically cost, I dunno, maybe $100-$300 depending on brand, size, and whether you’re comfortable installing it yourself or want someone else to do it. If you don’t care and don’t want to spend the money, just try that utility 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/23 "2026-02-02T18:46:05Z")
If you already know the folder the file is in (or at least its parent/ancestor folders), yes. Otherwise, if you just start from the `C:\` root, it could take a long time on a slower computer. And if you start from your home folder and the file was actually elsewhere on the drive, like `C:\customfolder\`, it’ll _never_ find it. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/24 "2026-02-02T18:52:10Z")
I have a much bigger problem, the need to search thru .5 Petabyte files on my network frequently. I found a program I really love, “Everything”, from [Downloads - voidtools](https://www.voidtools.com/downloads/) If you don’t have 9 network-connected, multi-terabyte drives, this might not be that useful. But for me, it’s a godsend. You can do fractional name searches, including “?” and “\*” wildcards. _Everything_ not only indexes all files on multiple drives, at no discernable overhead, but provides instant search capability with incredible speed (=instantly). It even has periodic re-scans that the user can program, although I rarely find a need for that. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/25 "2026-02-02T18:56:08Z")
did it. still the same Sandisk SDSSDA120G It is a real laptop drive. Not a SD card > **[SanDisk SSD PLUS SDSSDA-120G-G27 120GB SATA Solid State Drive](https://www.disctech.com/SanDisk-SSD-PLUS-SDSSDA-120G-G27-120GB-SATA-Solid-State-Drive)** > > SanDisk SSD PLUS SDSSDA-120G-G27 120GB 2.5-Inch 6Gbps SLC SATA Solid State Drive - Brand New i only **have 32GB free** on this 120GB drive I am seriously considering purchasing a 512GB laptop SSD drive they’re very cheap now. a OEM Dell is only $120 > **[Amazon.com: Dell SSD 512GB Class 35 M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe 3.0 Gen 3x4 Solid State...](https://www.amazon.com/Dell-512GB-SNP112233P-512G-AB292881/dp/B0BZHRNKY3)** > > Dell SSD 512GB Class 35 M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe 3.0 Gen 3x4 Solid State Drive SNP112233P/512G AB292881 ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/26 "2026-02-02T18:56:48Z")
Just a simple test. I have a 2TB SSD, and a file in my Downloads folder called `SteamAchievementManager-7.0.37.zip`. - A naive Windows Explorer search looked for **more than 30 seconds** before I gave up and stopped it. A modified `name:~~"achievementmanager"` search eventually found it after about 20 seconds, but I have no idea what that syntax means… - `where /R c:\ *achievementmanager*` took about **6 seconds** to find it. - `dir /s *achievementmanager*` took **3 seconds** to find it (starting from `C:\`) - The Everything app took about 1.5 seconds to index my whole drive, then the **search was instantaneous** … it found the file before I could even finish typing. Literally anything I type in the search field shows up _instantly_. Even indexed, Windows search isn’t anywhere near this fast. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/27 "2026-02-02T19:03:43Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > did it. still the same Sandisk SDSSDA120G > > It is a real laptop drive. Not a SD card Oops, my apologies here! You were totally right the first time… I misread the model number, sorry about that. Yeah, it’s already a SSD. My bad on that. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/28 "2026-02-02T19:08:20Z")
**went to voidtools, downloaded Everything 64 bit installer, Installed** Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/29 "2026-02-02T19:11:05Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > a OEM Dell is only $120 Unfortunately, that’s about twice of what it went for a year or two ago. Example: 2024 August, B&H, Crucial BX500 4TB 2.5 inch SSD, $250. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/30 "2026-02-02T19:12:59Z")
I just wanted to show how MUCH faster Everything is… it blew me away In a command line, it takes several seconds to find it: [https://fightingignorance.org/5000a45a-f9ad-4f05-acae-663994252c70-20260202-1910-55-5618817.mp4](https://fightingignorance.org/5000a45a-f9ad-4f05-acae-663994252c70-20260202-1910-55-5618817.mp4) In Everything, it’s literally instant: [https://fightingignorance.org/0a264b05-891e-4861-a0cf-b483ca86120e-20260202-1912-33-0124031.mp4](https://fightingignorance.org/0a264b05-891e-4861-a0cf-b483ca86120e-20260202-1912-33-0124031.mp4) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/31 "2026-02-02T19:20:55Z")
For those _Everything_ fans, like me…this program has many options, most of which I have not yet learned. If you go to Tools-\>Options, you can specify which drives you want it to rescan (or not) periodically, and when. I have each of my network drives rescanned about one a week, at different hours, just as a precaution. My one objection to this program is it seems to retain data for inactive drives permanently, even duplicating the data. I hope this can be configured differently. If you think this program is fast, you should see how it works for 7 Network drives (Drobos, Synology). ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/32 "2026-02-02T19:29:11Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > If you think this program is fast, you should see how it works for 7 Network drives (Drobos, Synology). Just a few more network drives and you can be the next Google! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/33 "2026-02-02T19:34:58Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Just a few more network drives and you can be the next Google! I have a long ways to go: Google is in the upper-Exabyte range and growing daily. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/34 "2026-02-02T19:37:31Z")
**I don’t know how to Link Threads** Yoi may find the thread about Backup Software. I just asked about using a Disk Image backup to setup a New Replacement laptop boot drive. > [@Please recommend Software for Windows backup](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-software-for-windows-backup/1026981/33): > > Absolutely! I’ve done exactly this several times. Of course you need to have bootable rescue media prepared in advance in order to move the system to the new drive. With Macrium Reflect (or likely many other backup programs) you’ll likely need to Google how to tell it to expand the user partition to the maximum available size of the new drive, or else you’ll end up with a new drive with the same partition size as the old drive, and a whole bunch of unused space. But even if that happens, a … ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/35 "2026-02-02T19:46:30Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Google is in the upper-Exabyte range and growing daily. What’s a few orders of magnitude between friends? > [@aceplace57](#): > > I just asked about using a Disk Image backup to setup a New Replacement laptop boot drive. That’s probably worth starting a new topic about? It’s different enough from either searching or cloud backups. With the right software and a USB enclosure or adapter cable for the drive, you should just be able to clone your existing drive over to it, bit for bit. But I don’t know what the latest and greatest for that type of software is… back in the day it used to be Easeus, but maybe there’s something better or freer now. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/36 "2026-02-02T19:50:30Z")
I’ll ask the mod to move my drive swap question to a new IMHO thread . ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/37 "2026-02-02T19:51:33Z")
Yeah, some storage is more expensive now (but particularly RAM and GPUs). However the one linked was $20 more then, although $30 more than it was 2 months ago. > **[Dell SSD 512GB Class 35 M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe 3.0 Gen 3x4 Solid State Drive...](https://camelcamelcamel.com/product/B0BZHRNKY3)** > > Amazon price tracking & price history for Dell SSD 512GB Class 35 M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe 3.0 Gen 3x4 Solid State Drive SNP112233P/512G AB292881 ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/38 "2026-02-02T22:52:06Z")
Another point to make - I have one folder with well over 100 movies in it. (221 to be precise). Sometimes when I open it in Explorer, it is unresponsive for a minute or more. Other times, you can see it updating - it appears to read the properties of each video file to determine its length, becaue this is Windows. The Windows programmmers think this is the important thing to show, rather than just the file size, but it has to check each file to detemine the run-time. This is on other drives (on my E: drive and USB F: drive) so I’ve turned on indexing now as recommended above. I’ll see if that makes a difference in future. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/39 "2026-02-02T22:57:07Z")
I don’t _believe_ the search index also indexes movie metadata for the purposes of just displaying a folder in Explorer. Does it help at all if you go to the details view, disable thumbnails, and hide the metadata columns (like runtime)? Otherwise, apparently Everything can also index movie metadata if you configure it to: [20\_\_character\_\_limit comments on Cache "length" property of files, so it does not have to be read from disk every time, like how "name" "size" "type" etc. is always known in file explorer.](https://old.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/110b64b/cache_length_property_of_files_so_it_does_not/j8ahlbz/) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311/40 "2026-02-03T00:36:56Z")
The SDMB totally rocks. I had never heard of Everyday. It’s an awesome App and fulfills my need for fast directory listings. Thanks everyone [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-suggest-an-app-for-windows-10-11-thats-similar-to-dir-in-a-cmd-window/1027311.md?page=3)