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srwi/everythingtoolbar

13,983C#Audience · generalComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

TLDR

EverythingToolbar puts a fast file search box directly in your Windows taskbar, powered by the free Everything app that indexes every file on your computer for instant results.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((EverythingToolbar))
    Features
      Instant file search
      Light and dark theme
      Custom filters
      Keyboard shortcuts
    Search Options
      Match case
      Regex support
      Whole word match
    Integration
      QuickLook preview
      Drag and drop
      Custom actions
    Setup
      winget install
      Windows 10 or 11
      Everything required
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Code map

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Search for any file on your Windows PC instantly from the taskbar without opening File Explorer.

USE CASE 2

Set up custom keyboard shortcuts and Open With commands that trigger automatically based on file type.

USE CASE 3

Preview search results using QuickLook or Seer without leaving the taskbar search box.

Tech stack

C#Windows

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Requires the full version of Everything by voidtools to be installed and running before EverythingToolbar will work.

No license information mentioned in the explanation.

In plain English

EverythingToolbar adds an instant file search box to the Windows taskbar. It does not do the searching itself. Instead it connects to a separate, well known free program called Everything, made by voidtools, which keeps a fast index of every file on your computer. EverythingToolbar gives you a quick way to type a search and see results without opening a full window first. The README walks through what it offers. It matches the Windows 10 and 11 look and switches between light and dark themes to follow your system setting. It comes with common search filters and can also pull in any custom filters you have set up in Everything. You can toggle search options such as match case, whole word, match path, and regular expressions to make searches more precise. There is also a custom actions feature that lets you define your own Open with commands, which can trigger automatically based on file type and a pattern you supply. Other listed features include a customizable global keyboard shortcut to open the search, drag and drop of files straight from the results, and optional file preview through outside tools like QuickLook or Seer. A table lists many keyboard shortcuts for navigating results, opening files, copying paths, and running files as administrator. The rest of the document covers practical setup. You need Windows 10 or 11 and the full version of Everything installed and running. It can be installed from a downloadable installer or through winget, and it explains two ways to show it: as a taskbar launcher icon or as a deskband.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
How do I install EverythingToolbar on Windows 11 using winget, and what do I need to have installed first for it to work?
Prompt 2
Set up a custom action in EverythingToolbar that opens all .psd files with a specific app when I select them from search results.
Prompt 3
Configure EverythingToolbar to open with a global keyboard shortcut and show only files modified in the last 7 days by default.
Prompt 4
How do I switch EverythingToolbar between deskband mode and taskbar launcher mode on Windows 10?
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