General questions
How can I use SeekFast?
What are the main advantages of SeekFast over similar tools?
What is the difference between SeekFast search engine and Windows index mode?
Licenses and activation
What is the difference between the Free version and the paid licenses?
Is there a free trial of the paid features?
I did not receive a License Key after my purchase. What should I do?
How can I activate my License Key?
Why is my License Key not working?
I have lost my License Key. What should I do?
I reinstalled the operating system or replaced a computer and cannot activate my License Key. What should I do?
Can I use one Personal License on both Windows and Mac?
What are the conditions for getting an educational license?
Is there any difference between the Personal and Educational License?
Can I use the Free version for business purposes?
Purchasing and billing
How can I purchase a license and activate the paid version?
I don’t have a PayPal account. How can I purchase SeekFast?
How can I get an invoice for my purchase?
How can I get a refund?
Do you offer reseller, volume, corporate, or site licenses?
Supported files and content
What file types does SeekFast support?
Can SeekFast search email files?
Can I search scanned PDF documents?
Why is SeekFast not finding a word in PDF files?
Can SeekFast search files with uncommon or custom extensions?
Can SeekFast search documents written in different languages?
Searching and search options
Can I search in shared folders, network folders and cloud storage services such as OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox?
Can I search my entire disk, not just a folder?
Can I search multiple folders at once?
How can I open SeekFast from File Explorer on Windows?
How can I search only selected file types?
I changed the document types for search but got the same result. What should I do?
Can SeekFast search files within subfolders recursively?
How can I search for an exact phrase?
How can I search for any of the words I entered?
Can I search in file names as well as file contents?
Can I use logical operators or wildcards with SeekFast?
Can SeekFast search numbers or words that contain punctuation, such as 174.00?
Can I hide the matching sentences and show only the file names?
How can I export the search results?
Can I import search terms from a CSV file?
Can I copy text from the preview without opening the file?
Performance and troubleshooting
Why is the first scan slower than later searches in the same folder?
What can I do if SeekFast reads files very slowly?
Can I search very large files, for example larger than 1 GB?
What should I do if SeekFast crashes, closes unexpectedly, or does not open?
What should I do if SeekFast returns "No results found" even though the text exists in my files?
Updates and compatibility
How do I update SeekFast to the most recent version?
How can I check whether I have the latest version?
Which operating systems does SeekFast support?
Can I use SeekFast on 32-bit Windows?
Can I use SeekFast from a USB drive or as a portable app?
General questions
How can I use SeekFast?
The principle of using SeekFast is very simple - first select a search folder and wait for the program to read the text of the files in the folder and its subfolders. When you see the word "Ready," type your search words in the search field and press "Enter."
What are the main advantages of SeekFast over similar tools?
SeekFast is designed for intelligent text search in files and folders on your computer. It shows results in order of relevance, similar to web search engines, so the most useful matches appear first.
Other major advantages of SeekFast are:
- It can search for word combinations - the words do not need to be next to each other.
- It shows the matching sentence and lets you preview more text before opening the file.
- In its own search mode, SeekFast does not use background indexing, so it does not consume CPU or memory when it is not running.
- It supports more than 120 file formats.
- Paid licenses are perpetual and include free lifetime updates.
What is the difference between SeekFast search engine and Windows index mode?
SeekFast offers two search modes.
SeekFast search engine processes the selected folder itself. It provides the best relevance ranking and the best context preview, but the first processing of a new folder takes some time.
Windows index mode uses the built-in Windows Search index. It is very fast across large indexed locations and does not require an initial scan inside SeekFast, but its ranking and context are less precise than SeekFast's own engine.
Licenses and activation
What is the difference between the Free version and the paid licenses?
The main difference is that with the Free version you can search up to 50 files at once, while with a paid license you can search unlimited files. Paid licenses are perpetual and include free lifetime updates.
For more information, see Compare licenses.
Is there a free trial of the paid features?
Yes. The paid features of SeekFast can be tried free for 7 days. After the trial ends, SeekFast automatically continues as the Free version.
I did not receive a License Key after my purchase. What should I do?
Your License Key is shown on the website a few seconds after the PayPal payment and is also sent automatically to your PayPal email. If you do not see it, please check your spam folder.
If you still cannot find it, write to us at info@seekfast.org and we will help you.
How can I activate my License Key?
Open the Free version of SeekFast and click the "License" button. Copy and paste your License Key into the License window and click OK to activate it.
An Internet connection is required for activation.
Why is my License Key not working?
First, make sure you copied the License Key exactly, without extra spaces or line breaks. If it still does not work, please write to us at info@seekfast.org.
I have lost my License Key. What should I do?
Write to us at info@seekfast.org, and we will resend your License Key.
I reinstalled the operating system or replaced a computer and cannot activate my License Key. What should I do?
If you have already used all activations available for your license, email us at info@seekfast.org and we will assist you.
Can I use one Personal License on both Windows and Mac?
Yes. A Personal License is for one licensed user and can be activated on up to 3 computers, whether they run Windows or macOS.
What are the conditions for getting an educational license?
If you are a student or teacher at an accredited educational institution, you can apply for an Educational License for SeekFast. Students must be enrolled in an accredited educational program.
Is there any difference between the Personal and Educational License?
There is no difference in features. The Educational License is offered at a special discount to students and teachers and should be used for educational, scientific, or other non-commercial purposes.
Can I use the Free version for business purposes?
Yes. The Free version can be used without time limit. The main limitation is that it can search up to 50 files at once.
Purchasing and billing
How can I purchase a license and activate the paid version?
- Open the Buy now page and select your license type.
- Complete the payment.
- After the payment, you will be redirected back to our site, where you will see your License Key. You will also receive it by email.
- Open the Free version of SeekFast, click the "License" button, paste the License Key, and click OK.
I don’t have a PayPal account. How can I purchase SeekFast?
If you do not have a PayPal account and do not want to create one, you can pay via PayPal by credit or debit card without an account. There are also various other ways - bank transfer, Wise, or another convenient method. In such cases, your license is sent manually after the payment is received.
How can I get an invoice for my purchase?
To receive an invoice, please send your company details - company name, address, and optionally VAT number - to info@seekfast.org. Please also indicate the currency you want the invoice in.
How can I get a refund?
If you have any problems with SeekFast and want a refund, write to us at info@seekfast.org and describe the issue. We will first try to resolve the problem so you can continue using SeekFast effectively.
If a refund is issued, your paid license will be deactivated.
Do you offer reseller, volume, corporate, or site licenses?
Yes. For multi-user purchases, corporate use, enterprise use, educational deployments, reseller requests, or site-license inquiries, please contact us at info@seekfast.org and describe your requirements.
Supported files and content
What file types does SeekFast support?
SeekFast supports more than 120 file formats, including Microsoft Word, PDF, Excel, PowerPoint, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, WordPerfect, email files, ebook files, source code files, and many other text-based formats.
For the full list, see Supported file types.
Can SeekFast search email files?
Yes. SeekFast supports searching in common email file formats such as EML, MSG, and MBOX.
Can I search scanned PDF documents?
Not all scanned PDF documents can be searched directly with SeekFast. They can be searched only if the PDF contains a searchable text layer, usually added by the scanning software. Otherwise, you need to convert the scan to text first using any OCR software.
Why is SeekFast not finding a word in PDF files?
The most common reason is that the PDF is scanned or image-only and does not contain searchable text.
Another possible reason is that the PDF is unusually large, corrupted, encrypted, or otherwise difficult to process. You can also check the PDF size limit in the program options.
Can SeekFast search files with uncommon or custom extensions?
By default, SeekFast searches only within supported file extensions. If you need support for a specific uncommon or custom extension, please contact us at info@seekfast.org and describe your requirements.
Can SeekFast search documents written in different languages?
Yes, SeekFast supports searching in all languages, including Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
Searching and search options
Can I search in shared folders, network folders and cloud storage services such as OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox?
Yes, you can search in shared or network folders with SeekFast as long as you have access to them. You can also search in OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and similar synchronized folders, provided that the files are stored locally on your disk and not only in the cloud.
Can I search my entire disk, not just a folder?
Yes, you can search the entire disk with SeekFast, but if you have a very large number of files on it, it could take significant time to process them. In this case, we recommend selecting a specific folder instead of searching the entire drive.
Can I search multiple folders at once?
You can search multiple folders at once only if they are subfolders of one parent folder.
How can I open SeekFast from File Explorer on Windows?
- Open File Explorer and go to the folder you want to search.
- Right-click the folder and choose Search with SeekFast...
- Wait until SeekFast finishes reading the files.
- Type your search terms and press Enter.
How can I search only selected file types?
Open Options -> File Types and select the file types you want to include in the search.
I changed the document types for search but got the same result. What should I do?
After changing the file types, click the Reload button next to the Browse button. SeekFast will re-scan the folder and apply the new file type selection.
Can SeekFast search files within subfolders recursively?
Yes. SeekFast can search in the selected folder and all of its subfolders. You can also turn the Include subfolders option on or off.
How can I search for an exact phrase?
Select the "Exact phrase" checkbox.
How can I search for any of the words I entered?
Enable the Any of words option in the search options. SeekFast will then show sentences that contain at least one of the words you entered.
Can I search in file names as well as file contents?
Yes. Enable the Search in file names option to search in both file names and file contents.
Can I use logical operators or wildcards with SeekFast?
SeekFast is designed to keep searching simple and does not currently rely on logical operators or wildcards as its main search method.
Can SeekFast search numbers or words that contain punctuation, such as 174.00?
SeekFast uses the period as a sentence separator, so to search for numbers or words that contain punctuation, search for the part before or after the period and add another nearby term if needed to narrow the results.
Can I hide the matching sentences and show only the file names?
Yes. Open Options -> General and set Results per file to 0. Then SeekFast will show only the file names.
How can I export the search results?
You can export the search results from the File menu either to a text file or to a CSV file.
Can I import search terms from a CSV file?
Yes. Use File -> Import Search Terms to import search terms from a CSV file. You can also use Add Search Terms to append more search terms to the current ones.
Can I copy text from the preview without opening the file?
Yes, click on a sentence in the search results to show the document text in the right pane, then select and copy the desired text.
Performance and troubleshooting
Why is the first scan slower than later searches in the same folder?
When you search a folder for the first time, the program first reads and processes the files in that folder. After that, repeated searches in the same folder are much faster because SeekFast can reload the processed folder quickly.
What can I do if SeekFast reads files very slowly?
If you are searching in a folder with a very large number of files, or with very large files, it is normal for the first reading to take longer.
You can speed things up by limiting the search to a smaller folder, excluding very large files, reducing the maximum PDF size, or using Windows index mode for very large indexed locations.
Can I search very large files, for example larger than 1 GB?
Yes, you can search very large files with SeekFast, but keep in mind that very large files may take a long time to be processed.
What should I do if SeekFast crashes, closes unexpectedly, or does not open?
First, make sure you are using the latest version of SeekFast. Then try the following:
- Restart the program.
- Reload the folder instead of searching it again from scratch.
- Use Tools -> Reset Application Settings if the program has a serious configuration problem.
- Enable diagnostic logging and send the log to us if the problem continues.
If the issue persists, contact us at info@seekfast.org.
What should I do if SeekFast returns "No results found" even though the text exists in my files?
Check the following first:
- The file is not scanned, encrypted, or damaged.
- You reloaded the folder after changing the file type settings.
- The search terms are typed as expected and are not affected by punctuation or exact phrase requirements.
If the issue still remains, send us the problematic file and a short description of the case at info@seekfast.org.
Updates and compatibility
How do I update SeekFast to the most recent version?
Open the menu Help -> Check for updates... and press Update.
If needed, you can also download and install the latest version manually from the Download page.
How can I check whether I have the latest version?
Open the menu Help -> Check for updates.... SeekFast will tell you whether a newer version is available.
Which operating systems does SeekFast support?
SeekFast supports Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server (64-bit), and macOS 10.15 or later.
Can I use SeekFast on 32-bit Windows?
On 32-bit Windows you can use only an older version of SeekFast - version 2.3. You can download it from the SeekFast 2.3 setup file.
Can I use SeekFast from a USB drive or as a portable app?
A portable version is planned, but it is not available yet.