Locating files and text from within Windows 11/10 is not hard at all. Microsoft has greatly improved its search capability, and today, searching is much better than in earlier versions. For the first time in years, many of us here at TheWindowsClub have come to enjoy searching from within the operating system. Despite the great built-in search functionality, it is still not ideal for advanced users because it lacks many needed features. And that’s fine because Microsoft must always design such tools to ensure anyone can use them.
Now, if you are looking for something to improve your search a great deal, we would like to recommend Agent Ransack. It’s which is a free alternative Search tool for Windows. It is free for both personal and commercial use, which is very nice.
Agent Ransack [Lite] Search Tool for Windows PC
What we have here in Agent Ransack is one of the best tools for locating files on your computer, so keep reading to learn how to make full use of it. Let us discuss this impressive program in more detail.
1] Select the free version
When loading Agent Ransack for the first time, the tool will choose from three options. One is the Professional edition, which you must sign up for and purchase. The second is the Professional edition, but this time, you must sign in with your paid account.
The third, then, is the free version, and it doesn’t come with all the features, as expected. But that’s fine for regular users, so don’t sweat it.
Agent Ransack [LITE], the official name of the free version, comes with many decent features, which is good because it means you don’t have to spend a dime.
2] Perform a search
When you’re ready to search, just type the file name into the search box and hit Enter. To make things even more interesting, the user can add text to the Containing Text section to make it easier to find files or documents.
Below that, there’s the option to select where on the hard drive to search, which we view as standard these days. Furthermore, the user can improve search results by dates, file size, and subfolders.
If you go to the tab that says Dates, you can do even more when searching for items based on their dates.
3] Get a report on files
![Agent Ransack [Lite] Search Tool for Windows PC](https://www.thewindowsclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Agent-Ransack-Reports.jpg "Agent Ransack [Lite] Search Tool for Windows PC")
After you’ve searched, you should see the results with all the options available to you. The user can then check any of their chosen files, and make a report if they so wish. Simply click on the Reports tab on the right, then choose to copy, save, or print.
Folks can also change the style of the report, but bear in mind some selections are greyed out and only available in the premium version of Agent Ransack. If you are willing to throw down some cash, then, by all means, do so and get your hands on all the premium features.
4] Configuration
Maybe you don’t like Agent Ransack’s default state and would prefer to make some changes. OK, we understand, which is why we are going to discuss the options area, or Configuration, as it’s called.
This area is found under the Tools section and allows the user to perform a few actions. From here, users can decide whether they want the program to save a history of certain actions taken or clear the history after closing.
Additionally, if shell integration is not on your radar, then remove it. Yes, it’s on by default, but only to an extent. The user has options to go deeper here and limit the integration if needed.
Want to configure the extensions? No problem; this is possible. By default, Agent Ransack can auto-detect UTF-8 files, but thankfully, the option is there to turn it off.
Overall, this is a quality tool, though the user interface is not immediately clear. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s bad, so we have to recommend it. You can download Agent Ransack from the official website.
