How to Search for Files Created Between Two Dates in Windows

Searching for files created within a specific date range can save time and frustration, especially if you deal with lots of documents, downloads, or photos on your Windows PC. Windows offers a few different methods for narrowing your search by file creation date, some built right into File Explorer and others requiring a bit more know-how.

This guide explains concrete ways to find files created between two dates using File Explorer, advanced search syntax, command line tools, and PowerShell. These methods work on Windows 10 and Windows 11, and most are surprisingly straightforward once you've seen them in action.

Understanding File Creation Dates in Windows

In Windows, every file has several timestamps: creation date, last modified date, and last accessed date. The creation date records when the file first appeared on your disk, which is what you usually want to search by if you're trying to find files made on a certain day or week. This is different from the modified date, which updates when you change and save a file.

It's important to note that copying a file to a new location typically sets a new creation date on the copy, even if the content is older. This can trip you up if you're searching for files based on when they were actually created, not just when they landed in a particular folder. For most everyday searches, though, targeting the creation date is accurate enough.

Using File Explorer’s Search Bar for Date Ranges

File Explorer offers a powerful but underused search feature that lets you filter results by creation date. To use it, first open the folder or drive you want to search. Click into the search box in the top-right corner of the File Explorer window.

Type the following syntax:
datecreated:‎MM/DD/YYYY..MM/DD/YYYY
For example, searching for datecreated:‎01/01/2024..01/31/2024 will show all files created in January 2024. You can use the calendar picker by typing datecreated: and then clicking the calendar icon that appears, making it even easier to pick your range. Windows will search only within the current folder and its subfolders.

Narrowing Searches by File Type or Name

Sometimes you only want to see certain types of files, like photos or Word documents, that were created between two dates. You can combine the date filter with other search terms in File Explorer. For example:

• *.jpg datecreated:‎04/01/2023..04/30/2023 finds only JPEG images created in April 2023.
• report*.docx datecreated:‎03/01/2023..03/10/2023 finds Word documents starting with 'report' made in the first 10 days of March 2023.

This approach helps you zero in on exactly what you need, instead of wading through hundreds of unrelated files.

Advanced Search Tricks and Syntax

Windows search supports several advanced operators that let you fine-tune your results. Some useful tricks for searching by date include:

• You can use > and < to search for files created after or before a given date. For example, datecreated:>05/15/2023 shows files made after May 15, 2023.
• The two-dot syntax (..) works for ranges: datecreated:‎02/01/2023..02/28/2023.
• If you want to search by modified date instead, replace datecreated with datemodified in your search.

These filters can be combined with file size, kind, or other properties for highly targeted searches. Just type them all in the search box, separated by spaces.

Searching Entire Drives or Multiple Folders

If you want to search your whole C: drive or another large area, start File Explorer and click on 'This PC' or the relevant drive letter before entering your search. Be aware: searching a whole drive for creation dates can be slow, especially if you have thousands of files. Patience may be required.

For quicker results, try to narrow the location as much as possible. If you know your file is somewhere in Documents or Downloads, start your search in that folder rather than the whole drive. This cuts down on scan time and unnecessary results.

Using Command Prompt with 'where' or 'dir' (for Power Users)

For those comfortable with the command line, Windows' dir command can list files by date, but it can't search by a date range directly. However, you can combine it with findstr to filter by specific dates. For example:

dir /T:C /S | findstr "01/20/2024"

This will show files created on January 20, 2024 in the current directory and its subfolders. For ranges, you need to repeat with different dates or use scripting to automate the process. The where command is more limited, as it doesn't filter by date. For routine date range searching, File Explorer or PowerShell are usually easier.

PowerShell: The Most Flexible Option

PowerShell offers unmatched control for searching files based on creation dates. Open PowerShell (search for 'PowerShell' in the Start menu). To find files created between two dates, use this command:

Get-ChildItem -Path 'C:\Users\YourName\Documents' -Recurse | Where-Object { $_.CreationTime -ge '2024-01-01' -and $_.CreationTime -le '2024-01-31' }

Replace the path and dates as needed. This command lists all files in Documents created between January 1 and January 31, 2024. You can pipe the output to Out-GridView for a clickable list, or add | Select-Object FullName to show just file paths. PowerShell is ideal if you frequently need to automate or save this kind of search.

Saving and Reusing Your Search Queries

If you often do similar searches, you can save time by making your queries reusable. In File Explorer, after entering your search terms and getting results, click the 'Search' tab and select 'Save search.' Windows will save your current query as a .search-ms file you can double-click later to run again.

For PowerShell users, save your command in a .ps1 script file. You can then run it anytime or even schedule it with Task Scheduler for regular reporting. These tricks make repeated searches much easier and reduce mistakes from retyping date ranges by hand.

Frequently asked questions