Question How can I find a file on desktop of Windows 10 on old hard drive?

[Ronstang]

I have a file I need that has software serial keys on the computer I was using yesterday morning. I built a new system and since it was a much newer system I could not boot to that drive like I used to do with new equipment since it was not a UEFI install....so I had to install Windows 10 and then upgrade to Windows 11, which I had planned to do anyway. The problem is I need that file off the other SSD before I erase it and use it for something else but I cannot boot to it anymore and I don't know where to find that file on it's desktop.

Any suggestions?

 

[mxnerd]

Everything from voidtools

 

[Ronstang]

Everything from voidtools

That happens to be one of my favorite tools considering I run two emby servers and it allows me to quickly find dupes and where they are but I don't see how this is going to help me find a txt file I don't remember the name of on the desktop of an offline windows 10 install.

 

[Ronstang]

I actually found it on my OneDrive but I am just getting this computer set up so I am going to put Everything on it anyway so I will try that just to see.

 

[mxnerd]

Of course you need to attach the old SSD as second non-boot drive to the new system and then just search *.txt files with Everything.

Your file most likely will be on drive_letter:\users\username\desktop

 

[mindless1]

I don't know which version of Everything started allowing it, but the current 1.5 alpha and maybe older versions, also allow searching for text within files if you know for certain there's some text like "serial" (or installation or key or whatever...) in the file, then you can narrow down your search hits a lot by using Everything to search for something like "*.txt content:serial"

Fans of Everything, note that they came out with a newer ver. 1.5 alpha a couple years ago that adds some features.

Just mentioning 'cuz I didn't realize it till recently, don't think the ver 1.4 Check For Updates feature informs of that. Also if you're running one of the 1.5 alphas, checking for updates doesn't inform of a newer 1.5 alpha version either.

Everything 1.5 Alpha - voidtools forum

 

[Ronstang]

Thanks for the link to 1.5a....this is one of the utilities I use every singe day managing my two emby servers with recorded content as it's the quickest way for me to find if I have something or not and where it is.