Grep File Search

The basic File Explorer comes with a preview pane for most common file formats, including text. However, it can be a difficult task to find specific text strings inside documents you don’t even know hide on your computer. Luckily, specialized applications like Grep File Search come with just the right set of tools to help identify text in different types of files.

Lightweight and easy to use

The application is good to go from the moment download is done. This means it can also be stored on a thumb drive in case you decide to use it on other computers. At least in this case, portability also means that the computer you use it on remains clean, because no registry entries need to be modified to enable functionality.
Configuring search parameters is a walk in the park, both because of the intuitive overall layout of elements, and the lack of any advanced options. It all takes a little while from start to end, with the initial requirement being the source folder, which can only be selected through the built-in browse dialog, or by pasting the path inside the input field.

Finds text inside different types of files

Although the application feels a little rough around the edges and devoid of too many features, it is able to read quite the variety of file formats. You can add multiple masks to the operation, with a list of predefined extensions which includes DOC, XLS, TXT, EXE, DLL, JPG, BMP, DBF, MDX, ZIP, HLP, HTML, and PDF.
For better search results, you can choose to include subdirectories in the operation. Needless to say that you also need to write down the text string of interest which doesn’t necessarily have to be a single word. Search time is impressive, with the possibility to directly open files from the result panel.

In conclusion

Taking everything into consideration, we can say that Grep File Search is a lightweight, but powerful application you can use to almost instantly find custom text strings in quite the variety of file formats. Accommodation is a walk in the park thanks to the simple design, making it worth at least a try.