• LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Google+
.
|
TechRecs: Cool Tools & Hot Topics
|
How to Search for Text Inside Multiple PDF Files at Once
Posted on September 19, 2019 by

PDF has been everyone’s favorite file format for sharing documents. It’s mostly because it retains all the text formatting and graphics inside it, and also the end-user doesn’t really need anything to open it except for a free PDF reader software. The only downside of the PDF format is that you can’t search for text inside these files as easily as you can with other files.

However, there are a few methods that let you perform the PDF search operation so you can search for a specific word in multiple PDF files at once on your machine. The following guide teaches you how to do just that.

How To Search Multiple PDF Files Using Acrobat Reader
The most popular way to search a PDF or multiple PDF files is to use the Acrobat Reader software on your computer. Here’s how you perform the task in the software.

  1. Open the Acrobat Reader on your computer.
  2. Click on the Edit menu and select Advanced Search.
  3. Select All PDF Documents in and then choose your PDF folder.
  4. Enter your search term in the input box.
  5. Click on the Search button.
  6. Hit Allow in the prompt on your screen.

The software will search for your given term in all the PDF files in your specified folder. You’ll see the results right in the search pane.

Searching For A Specific Search Term In Multiple PDF Files
Most PDF readers let you search for any text you want in your PDF files. It’s because PDFs are scannable documents, and like Microsoft Word files, their characters are also recognizable by your system.

What you can’t do easily with your PDF files, though, is that you can’t search for a specific term in multiple files at once. Pressing the Control + F key only searches the current document that’s open in the software but it doesn’t search any other PDF files.

If you have a lot of PDF files lying around and you’re looking for something specific in them, your best option is to use the advanced search feature of Acrobat Reader. It lets you look for your specific search terms in all the PDF files available in a single location on your computer.

Here’s the entire procedure to do so with Acrobat Reader:

  1. Download and install Acrobat Reader if you don’t already have it on your computer.
  2. Launch the software and you’ll see your recent files list. The option you’re looking for is located in the Edit menu. Click on the Edit menu at the top and select the option that says Advanced Search. Alternatively, you can press Shift + Ctrl + F.

On the following screen, set the options as the following:

  1. Where would you like to search? – select All PDF Documents in and then use the dropdown menu to select the folder where your multiple PDFs are saved.
  2. What word or phrase would you like to search for? – enter the word you want to search for in your PDF files.
  3. You can use the additional options to customize how your word is searched, such as tick-marking the Case-Sensitive checkbox so your search query is case-sensitive, and so on.
  4. Finally, click on the Search button to begin searching.

You can then review the results when they appear on your screen.

Using Windows Search To Search Inside PDF Files
PDF files can also be searched using the default Windows search option on your Windows machine. You need to first enable an option though as shown below.

  1. Head to Control Panel > Indexing Options and click on Advanced.
  2. Select the File Types tab on the following screen and look for pdf in the list. Tick-mark the box for pdf. Then enable the Index Properties and File Contents option and click on OK.
  3. It’s time to add the PDF folders into the index list. To do so, open the same Indexing Options dialog box and click on Modify. Then choose the folder where your PDFs are and click on OK to get the folders added for PDF indexing.

Once Windows has finished indexing your PDFs and their contents, you’ll be able to search for text inside multiple PDF files at once.

Use SeekFast To Search PDF Files
SeekFast also lets you easily search for your terms in various file types including PDF. Here’s how it works.

  1. Download and install the software on your computer.
  2. Launch the software, enter in your search term into the search box at the top, click on the Browse button to select your PDF folder, and finally hit Search.

It’ll search for terms in all the PDF files located in your chosen directory.

Performing A PDF Search Using Foxit Reader
Foxit Reader also comes equipped with advanced search capabilities and you can use it to find whatever it is you want in your multiple PDF files.

Get the software installed on your computer and then launch it.

Click on the search icon next to the search box at the top-right menu. It opens advanced search options.

On the following screen, select your PDF folder from the first dropdown menu, enter in your search term in the search box, checkmark other filters if you want to apply them, and finally hit that Search button.

Your search results should now be on your screen.

How To Use UltraFinder To Search PDF Files
UltraFinder is an advanced search tool for Windows machines and it can be used to search for text inside your PDF files as well.

Install and launch the tool on your Windows computer.

Set the options as the following so it searches the contents of your PDF files. Then hit the green play button to start searching.

Find matches by – File contents
Find what – enter your search term here
Find where – add the directory where your PDFs are located
In files/types – *.pdf

It’ll list out all the PDF files that it found your search word in.

For more information on solutions for running your businesses’ technology more efficiently, visit our website or contact Megan Meisner at mmeisner@launchpadonline.com or 813 448-7100 x210.

This was originally posted by Mahesh Makvana  for OnlineTechTips. 

Posted in TechRecs: Cool Tools & Hot Topics, Small Business IT Management
More Than 99% of Attacks in the Past Year Relied on Human Error to Gain Access
How to Record a Phone Call

Related Posts

  • How to Make a Booklet in Word

    Microsoft Word is essential for anyone who does any sort of work with documents. Word’s
    read more
  • How to Split Data Into Multiple Columns in Excel

    If you start an Excel workbook by grouping data into the same cell and later
    read more
  • How to Insert a Signature in Google Docs

    Adding your signature to a document may be a necessary step to create the final
    read more
  • How to See What Data Google Has on You (and Delete It)

    There are a few companies that people seem to have trust issues with. Google is
    read more
Logging In...

Profile cancel

Sign in with Twitter Sign in with Facebook
or

Not published

TO WEBSITE >>
launchpadonline.com

CATEGORIES

  • Launch Pad News
  • TechRecs: Cool Tools & Hot Topics
  • Small Business IT Management
  • Small Business Web Strategies
  • IT Solutions – Cloud | Mobile
  • IT Solutions – Stay Secure
  • ITs Easy Being Green
  • RevITup TechCare Client Forum
  • GreenBack Nonprofit Wish List
  • Launch Pad Franchise Forum
  • Launch Pad Partner News

Cloud Computing in Plain English

Copyright © 2021 | Privacy Policy
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Google+

Archives

  • February 2021 (3)
  • January 2021 (2)
  • December 2020 (2)
  • November 2020 (2)
  • October 2020 (4)
  • September 2020 (2)
  • August 2020 (3)
  • July 2020 (2)
  • June 2020 (3)
  • May 2020 (2)
  • April 2020 (3)
  • March 2020 (3)
  • February 2020 (3)
  • January 2020 (4)
  • December 2019 (3)
  • November 2019 (2)
  • October 2019 (4)
  • September 2019 (3)
  • August 2019 (4)
  • July 2019 (2)
  • June 2019 (3)
  • May 2019 (3)
  • April 2019 (3)
  • March 2019 (3)
  • February 2019 (3)
  • January 2019 (4)
  • December 2018 (3)
  • November 2018 (4)
  • October 2018 (3)
  • September 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (3)
  • July 2018 (3)
  • June 2018 (3)
  • May 2018 (2)
  • April 2018 (3)
  • March 2018 (3)
  • February 2018 (3)
  • January 2018 (3)
  • December 2017 (3)
  • November 2017 (4)
  • October 2017 (3)
  • September 2017 (4)
  • August 2017 (4)
  • July 2017 (4)
  • June 2017 (3)
  • May 2017 (5)
  • April 2017 (4)
  • March 2017 (4)
  • February 2017 (5)
  • January 2017 (4)
  • December 2016 (3)
  • November 2016 (4)
  • October 2016 (4)
  • September 2016 (4)
  • August 2016 (5)
  • July 2016 (4)
  • June 2016 (5)
  • May 2016 (3)
  • April 2016 (4)
  • March 2016 (4)
  • February 2016 (3)
  • January 2016 (3)
  • December 2015 (4)
  • November 2015 (4)
  • October 2015 (3)
  • September 2015 (3)
  • August 2015 (3)
  • July 2015 (3)
  • June 2015 (5)
  • May 2015 (4)
  • April 2015 (6)
  • March 2015 (4)
  • February 2015 (2)
  • January 2015 (5)
  • December 2014 (4)
  • November 2014 (3)
  • October 2014 (8)
  • September 2014 (5)
  • August 2014 (2)
  • July 2014 (3)
  • June 2014 (6)
  • May 2014 (3)
  • April 2014 (6)
  • March 2014 (5)
  • February 2014 (3)
  • January 2014 (5)
  • December 2013 (4)
  • November 2013 (4)
  • October 2013 (6)
  • September 2013 (3)
  • August 2013 (5)
  • July 2013 (6)
  • June 2013 (4)
  • May 2013 (3)
  • April 2013 (4)
  • March 2013 (4)
  • February 2013 (3)
  • January 2013 (5)
  • December 2012 (4)
  • November 2012 (5)
  • October 2012 (5)
  • September 2012 (6)
  • August 2012 (6)
  • July 2012 (6)
  • June 2012 (3)
  • May 2012 (7)
  • April 2012 (6)
  • March 2012 (10)
  • February 2012 (6)
  • January 2012 (5)
  • December 2011 (7)
  • November 2011 (9)
  • October 2011 (4)
  • September 2011 (4)
  • August 2011 (11)
  • July 2011 (14)
  • June 2011 (4)
  • May 2011 (11)
  • April 2011 (8)
  • March 2011 (11)
  • February 2011 (11)
  • January 2011 (21)
  • December 2010 (10)
  • November 2010 (10)
  • October 2010 (8)
  • September 2010 (10)
  • August 2010 (12)
  • July 2010 (8)
  • June 2010 (9)
  • May 2010 (8)
  • April 2010 (7)
  • March 2010 (10)
  • February 2010 (8)
  • January 2010 (6)
  • December 2009 (7)
  • November 2009 (13)
  • October 2009 (11)
  • September 2009 (16)
  • August 2009 (13)
  • July 2009 (16)
  • June 2009 (18)
  • May 2009 (16)