Newb with Questions

[bobh]

I've used Everything (Version 1.4.1.809b (x64) on Win7) for some time but I've never learned to be a power user. I would like to learn more but reading the help files is generating more questions than answers due to my limited knowledge of the product as yet. I find myself finding an answer but the command syntax contains terms I don't know about - which are not explained in context - and searching for meanings distracts me from the original quest. I forget that I came to drain the swamp, not play with the alligators.

With that information in mind, I found the forum and decided to join in order to get directions to answers. I will appreciate direct answers, but I realize that I have to invest time and effort to absorb information instead of asking you to do the work for me.

At the moment, I need to have Everything compile a list of files and their path names that exist on multiple hard drives; AND I want to search for multiple file extensions in a single pass. As I understand it, this is possible with Everything; but I don't know where to begin. My guess is that filters are involved but reading about them, they don't seem amenable to using multiple extensions (but that might be my ignorance showing). I want to be able to save the lists generated and maybe to print them. Can I save the list(s) created by Everything?

For example, I want to create a list, or lists, of all the audio files with MP3/4, WAV, etc. that exist on my system. I would also like to include any other files that might have been created when I ripped CDs or downloaded music. The reason I need to do this is that I have lost indexes to files created or loaded using iTunes (which is software I abhor, almost as much as I despise mindset of the warped genius behind Apple - but that's another matter best not discussed here). I want to find the files that contain the audio plus album names, song titles, artists, genre and any other metadata that might exist. I definitely DO NOT WANT to use iTunes ever again, but I do want to aggregate, organize and identify my audio files. I have music from more than 100 CDs plus countless individual songs downloaded from various sources. After finding the files (I don't expect I'll ever get all of them corralled in one place) I will copy them to a fresh hard drive then work on the organization using an appropriate software tool, eg. MusicBrainz Picard, Jaikov, etc. I would hate to have to rip them all the CDs again, but I'm not averse to doing the necessary work to fix a problem that both iTunes and I created.

Thanks for listening! If you can point me to a wiki or how-to for searching for multiple file types, that will be much appreciated.
bh

[void]

A good place to start with learning the Everything search syntax is the advanced search in Everything 1.4.

At the moment, I need to have Everything compile a list of files and their path names that exist on multiple hard drives; AND I want to search for multiple file extensions in a single pass. As I understand it, this is possible with Everything; but I don't know where to begin. My guess is that filters are involved but reading about them, they don't seem amenable to using multiple extensions (but that might be my ignorance showing). I want to be able to save the lists generated and maybe to print them. Can I save the list(s) created by Everything?

To find files in c:\folder\subfolder, simply search for:
c:\folder\subfolder\

Use the OR operator | to search for multiple paths.
For example, to find files in c:\folder\subfolder OR d:\another folder OR e:\folder with spaces\subfolder, search for:
c:\folder\subfolder\|"d:\another folder\"|"e:\folder with spaces\subfolder\"

Use double quotes to escape spaces in paths.

Use the AND operator (a space) to search for your extension list after the list of paths.
Use ext: to search for a list of extensions.
For example, to find files in c:\folder\subfolder OR d:\another folder OR e:\folder with spaces\subfolder AND with the extension mp3, mp4 or wav search for:
c:\folder\subfolder\|"d:\another folder\"|"e:\folder with spaces\subfolder\" ext:mp3;mp4;wav

To save your search for future use:

• From the Search menu, click Add to filters....
• Give your filter a name, it can be anything, like: My Music
• Click OK.

This saved search (called a filter in Everything) can be recalled from the Search menu or filter bar (View -> Filters)

For example, I want to create a list, or lists, of all the audio files with MP3/4, WAV, etc. that exist on my system. I would also like to include any other files that might have been created when I ripped CDs or downloaded music. The reason I need to do this is that I have lost indexes to files created or loaded using iTunes (which is software I abhor, almost as much as I despise mindset of the warped genius behind Apple - but that's another matter best not discussed here). I want to find the files that contain the audio plus album names, song titles, artists, genre and any other metadata that might exist. I definitely DO NOT WANT to use iTunes ever again, but I do want to aggregate, organize and identify my audio files. I have music from more than 100 CDs plus countless individual songs downloaded from various sources. After finding the files (I don't expect I'll ever get all of them corralled in one place) I will copy them to a fresh hard drive then work on the organization using an appropriate software tool, eg. MusicBrainz Picard, Jaikov, etc. I would hate to have to rip them all the CDs again, but I'm not averse to doing the necessary work to fix a problem that both iTunes and I created.

Everything is not a meta data organizer.

For music meta data, Everything can only search mp3 ID3 tags at the moment.
http://www.voidtools.com/support/everyt ... /#id3_tags

[NotNull]

For example, I want to create a list, or lists, of all the audio files with MP3/4, WAV, etc. that exist on my system.

For a first impression you could type "audio:" (without the quotes) in the Everything search bar. That will give you all the mp3's, flac's, wav's etcetera that Everything has found on your system/network / ...

With Menu:File >Export you can export this list in several formats of your liking.


My suggestion: install a program like MediaMonkey (free edition) and let it scan your system. There is a lot wrong with iTunes, but it does have decent tagging (which MediaMonkey uses to identify your music). That way you have a deeper insight in who, what, where ...
After reorganising your files, you can deinstall MediaMonkey (or keep using it ..)

Offtopic:

... iTunes (which is software I abhor ....

Agreed! (At least on Windows). I once got an iPod as a thank you for a project well done (their opinion, but who am I to disagree ). After a week of using iTunes, i "had to" reverse engineer the iTunes protocol so I could bypass iTunes. When that didn't succeed, I gave the iPod away ...