Command Line Options
Configure and control the Everything program from the command line.
Usage
Searching
Results
Window
Database
File Lists
Advanced Rename
ETP Server
Installation
General
Examples
See also
Usage
Everything.exe [filename] [-switches]
- filename
- Optionally specify a file or folder.
If an .efu file is specified, the Everything file list is opened.
If a file is specified, Everything sets the search to the file's full path.
If a folder is specified, Everything searches within that folder.
- -switches
- Optional switches to control installation, indexing, searching, search options, results, sorting, and the search window.
Switches can start with either a dash (
-) or forward slash (
/).
For example:
/maximize is the same as
-maximize
Dashes (-) inside switches can be omitted.
For example:
-wholewords is the same as
-whole-words
Use double quotes (
") to include spaces in a parameter.
Toggleable switches can be disabled by prefixing them with
no-
For example:
-no-whole-words disables
-whole-words
Use
^ to escape
\,
&,
|,
>,
<, and
^ in a command prompt.
Searching
Command line options to control the search and search behavior.
- -search <text>
- -s <text>
- Set the search to the specified text.
For example:
Everything.exe -search "abc 123" = searches for abc 123 (without quotes)
Use """ to escape a single literal quote (")
For example:
Everything.exe -search """"abc 123"""" = searches for "abc 123"
- -search* ...
- -s* ...
- Set the search to the specified text.
Treat the rest of the command line as literal search text.
- -filename <filename>
- Search for a file or folder with the specified filename.
If a file is specified, Everything sets the search to the file's full path.
If a folder is specified, Everything searches within that folder.
- -path <path>
- -p <path>
- Search for files and folders in the specified location.
- -parent-path <path>
- Search for files and folders in the parent of the specified location.
- -parent <path>
- Search for files and folders directly in the specified location.
Does not search subfolders.
- -name-part <filename>
- Search for the whole name part of the specified filename.
- -stem <filename>
- Search for files and folders with the same stem (name without extension) as the specified filename.
- -extension <filename>
- Search for files and folders with the same extension as the specified filename.
- -case
- -no-case
- Enable or disable case matching.
- -diacritics
- -no-diacritics
- Enable or disable diacritics matching.
- -whole-words
- -no-whole-words
- -ww
- -no-ww
- Enable or disable whole word matching.
- -match-path
- -no-match-path
- Enable or disable full path matching.
- -prefix
- -no-prefix
- Enable or disable matching the start of words.
- -suffix
- -no-suffix
- Enable or disable matching the end of words.
- -ignore-punctuation
- -no-ignore-punctuation
- Enable or disable ignoring punctuation in filenames.
- -ignore-whitespace
- -no-ignore-whitespace
- Enable or disable ignoring whitespace in filenames.
- -regex
- -no-regex
- Enable or disable regular expressions.
- -filter <name>
- Activate the filter with the specified name.
- -bookmark <name>
- Open the bookmark with the specified name.
- -home
- Open the home search.
- -explore <path>
- Set the folders sidebar selection to the specified path.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple paths.
The path can specify a file or folder.
If a file is specified, the parent folder is selected.
- -explore-expand
- Expand the selected item in the folders sidebar.
Use with -explore
- -explore-sub-folders
- -no-explore-sub-folders
- Enable or disable searching subfolders in the folders sidebar.
Use with -explore
- -url <[es:]search>
- Set the search from an es: URL.
Results
Command line options to control the results.
- -sort <name>
- Set the sort to the specified property.
Use double quotes (") around property names containing spaces.
For example:
-sort "Date Modified"
Spaces in property names can optionally be replaced with dashes (-).
For example:
-sort date-modified
Use -sort-ascending or -sort-descending to set the sort order.
- -sort-ascending
- -sort-descending
- Set the sort order to ascending or descending.
- -sort-mix
- -no-sort-mix
- Enable or disable mixing file and folder results together.
- -secondary-sort <name>
- Set the secondary sort to the specified property.
Use -sort to set the primary sort.
Use -secondary-sort-ascending or -secondary-sort-descending to set the secondary sort order.
- -secondary-sort-ascending
- -secondary-sort-descending
- Set the secondary sort order to ascending or descending.
- -tertiary-sort <name>
- Set the tertiary sort to the specified property.
Use -sort to set the primary sort.
Use -tertiary-sort-ascending or -tertiary-sort-descending to set the tertiary sort order.
- -tertiary-sort-ascending
- -tertiary-sort-descending
- Set the tertiary sort order to ascending or descending.
- -details
- Show results in detail view.
- -thumbnails
- Show results in thumbnail view.
- -thumbnail-size <size>
- Set the thumbnail size to the specified size in logical pixels.
- -columns <property-names>
- -add-columns <property-names>
- -remove-columns <property-names>
- Set, add, or remove result list columns by property name.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple columns.
Use -add-columns to add columns to the existing view.
Use -remove-columns to remove columns from the existing view.
- -enable-result-omissions
- -disable-result-omissions
- Enable or disable result omissions.
- -enable-temp-result-omissions
- -disable-temp-result-omissions
- Enable or disable temporary result omissions.
- -select-most-run-result
- -select-last-run-result
- -select-top-result
- -select-bottom-result
- -select-random-result
- Focus and select the specified result.
- -select <filename>
- Focus and select the result matching the specified filename.
Window
Command line options to control the Everything search window.
- -new-window
- -no-new-window
- Create a new search window or use an existing window.
- -new-tab
- -no-new-tab
- Create a new search tab or use an existing tab.
- -new-tab-position <position>
- Set the zero-based index where the new tab is inserted.
0 = insert at the start.
The default is to insert at the end.
Use with -new-tab to create the new tab.
- -toggle-window
- Show the current search window.
If the current search window is already shown, close it.
If no search window is shown, create a new one.
- -close
- Close the current search window.
- -close-all
- Close all search windows.
- -minimize
- -unminimize
- Minimize or restore the search window.
- -minimize-all
- -unminimize-all
- Minimize or restore all search windows.
- -maximize
- -no-maximize
- Maximize or restore the search window.
- -fullscreen
- -no-fullscreen
- Set the search window to fullscreen or windowed mode.
- -on-top
- -no-on-top
- Enable or disable always on top.
- -x <x>
- -y <y>
- -width <width>
- -height <height>
- Set the search window position and size in screen coordinates.
- -zoom <percent>
- Set the UI scale to the specified percentage.
- Show or hide the menu in windowed mode.
- Show or hide the menu in fullscreen mode.
- -filter-bar
- -no-filter-bar
- Show or hide the filter bar.
- -status-bar
- -no-status-bar
- Show or hide the status bar.
- Show or hide the folders sidebar.
- Enable or disable searching subfolders in the folders sidebar.
- Show or hide the bookmarks sidebar.
- Show or hide the filters sidebar.
- -preview
- -no-preview
- Show or hide the preview sidebar.
- -focus-search
- -focus-results
- Focus the search box or result list.
Database
Command line options to control the Everything database and its indexes.
- -db <filename>
- Use the specified filename to load and save the Everything database.
Optionally use with -read-only to open the database in read-only mode.
- -read-only
- Open the database in read-only mode.
The database is not updated.
- -load-delay <milliseconds>
- Wait up to the specified number of milliseconds before loading the database on startup.
- -no-db
- Do not load from or save to the Everything database file.
- -local
- Load the local database.
- -add-volume <path>
- Add a volume with the specified path to the index.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple volume paths.
Adding a volume disables automatically include new volumes and automatically remove offline volumes.
- -volumes <paths>
- Set the indexed volumes to the specified paths.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple volume paths.
Setting the volumes disables automatically include new volumes and automatically remove offline volumes.
- -add-folder <path>
- Add a folder with the specified path to the index.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple folder paths.
- -folders <paths>
- Set the indexed folders to the specified folder paths.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple folder paths.
- -add-filelist <filename>
- Add a file list with the specified filename to the index.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple filenames.
- -filelists <filenames>
- Set the indexed file lists to the specified filenames.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple filenames.
- -add-network-index <host>
- Add a network index with the specified host to the index.
Host syntax:
[username:password@]host[:port]
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple hosts.
- -network-indexes <hosts>
- Set the indexed network indexes to the specified hosts.
Host syntax:
[username:password@]host[:port]
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple hosts.
- -add-property <name>
- Add a property with the specified name to the index.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple property names.
- -properties <names>
- Set the indexed properties to the specified property names.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple property names.
- -add-exclude-folder <path>
- Add the specified folder to the list of excluded folders.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple folder paths.
- -exclude-folders <paths>
- Set the list of excluded folders to the specified paths.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple folder paths.
- -no-auto-index
- Do not automatically include volumes for indexing.
- -rescan <path>
- Rescan an indexed FAT volume, folder, or network drive with the specified path.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple paths.
The specified path does not have to be the root path.
Specify a subfolder to rescan only that subfolder and its subfolders.
- -rescan-all
- Rescan all indexed FAT volumes, folder indexes, and network drives.
- -reindex
- Force a database rebuild.
- -monitor-pause
- -monitor-resume
- Pause or resume updating the indexes.
While paused, Everything continues to monitor for changes to volumes.
Indexes are updated when monitoring resumes or Everything exits.
- -monitor-start
- -monitor-stop
- Start or stop monitoring for changes to indexes.
Changes to FAT volumes, folder indexes, and network drives will be missed when monitoring is stopped.
- -save-db
- -save-db-now
- Start saving the database to disk.
Use -save-db-now to save the database to disk and return after it has been saved.
File Lists
Command line options to open, edit, and create
Everything File Lists.
- -filelist <filename>
- Open a file list with the specified filename.
- -edit <filename>
- Open a file list with the specified filename for editing in the file list editor.
- -filelist-editor
- Show the file list editor.
- -create-file-list <filename> <path>
- Create a file list with the specified filename from the specified path.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple paths.
Returns when the file list is created.
Does not start Everything or show a search window.
- -create-file-list-include-only-folders <filter>
- Include only folders matching the specified wildcard filter when creating a file list.
Prefix a filter with regex: to use regular expressions.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple filters.
Use with -create-file-list to create a file list.
- -create-file-list-include-only-files <filter>
- Include only files matching the specified wildcard filter when creating a file list.
Prefix a filter with regex: to use regular expressions.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple filters.
Use with -create-file-list to create a file list.
- -create-file-list-exclude-folders <filter>
- Exclude folders matching the specified wildcard filter when creating a file list.
Prefix a filter with regex: to use regular expressions.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple filters.
Use with -create-file-list to create a file list.
- -create-file-list-exclude-files <filter>
- Exclude files matching the specified wildcard filter when creating a file list.
Prefix a filter with regex: to use regular expressions.
Use a semicolon (;) to specify multiple filters.
Use with -create-file-list to create a file list.
- -create-file-list-no-subfolders
- Do not include files and folders from subfolders when creating a file list.
Use with -create-file-list to create a file list.
- -create-file-list-no-folders
- Do not include folders when creating a file list.
Use with -create-file-list to create a file list.
- -create-file-list-no-files
- Do not include files when creating a file list.
Use with -create-file-list to create a file list.
Advanced Rename
Shows the Advanced Rename dialog to rename, move or copy multiple files and folders.
These command line options do not open an Everything search window.
- -copyto [filename1] [filename2] [filename3] [...]
- -moveto [filename1] [filename2] [filename3] [...]
- -rename [filename1] [filename2] [filename3] [...]
- Show the Advanced Rename dialog with the specified filenames.
The remaining command-line is treated as a list of filenames.
* and ? wildcards are supported.
If an Advanced Rename dialog is already running, filenames are sent to the existing instance.
Otherwise, a new Advanced Rename dialog is created.
See also -instance
See also -rename-list
- -rename-list <file-list.txt>
- -copy-to-list <file-list.txt>
- -move-to-list <file-list.txt>
- Show the Advanced Rename dialog with the files from the specified text/plain file.
The file list must contain one filename per line.
See also -instance
See also -rename
ETP Server
Command line options to connect to an
ETP server.
- -connect <[username[:password]@]host[:port]>
- Connect to an ETP server using the specified host and optional username, password, and port.
- -admin-server-share-links
- -server-share-links
- -ftp-links
- -drive-links
- Set the link type for ETP connection results.
Use with -connect.
Installation
Install, configure, or uninstall Everything features.
These command line options return immediately without opening an Everything search window.
Everything automatically prompts for administrative privileges when required.
- -install-language <langID>
- Set the language to the specified language ID in decimal.
1033 = English (US).
0 = System default.
See Language IDs for a list of langIDs.
Requires Everything to be closed.
- -app-data
- -no-app-data
- Store settings and data in
%APPDATA%\Everything or in the same location as Everything.exe.
Requires administrative privileges.
Requires Everything to be closed.
- -enable-update-notification
- -disable-update-notification
- Enable or disable update notifications on startup.
Requires Everything to be closed.
- -install-run-on-system-startup
- -install-current-user-run-on-system-startup
- -uninstall-run-on-system-startup
- -uninstall-current-user-run-on-system-startup
- Add or remove Everything from system startup for the current user.
- -install-all-users-run-on-system-startup
- -uninstall-all-users-run-on-system-startup
- Add or remove Everything from system startup for all users.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -install-service
- -uninstall-service
- Install or uninstall the Everything service.
The service is started automatically.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -start-service
- -stop-service
- Start or stop the Everything service.
- -service-pipe-name <name>
- Set the pipe name used to connect to the Everything service.
- -install-service-pipe-name <name>
- Set the pipe name used by the Everything service.
Must be used with -install-service.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -enable-index-as-admin
- -disable-index-as-admin
- Enable or disable indexing in a separate process running as administrator.
Requires administrative privileges.
Requires Everything to be closed.
- -enable-run-as-admin
- -disable-run-as-admin
- Enable or disable running Everything as administrator.
Requires administrative privileges.
Requires Everything to be closed.
- Install or uninstall the Search Everything folder context menu item for the current user.
- Install or uninstall the Search Everything folder context menu item for all users.
Requires administrative privileges.
- Create or remove the Everything shortcut in the Start menu for the current user.
- Create or remove the Everything shortcut in the Start menu for all users.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -install-desktop-shortcut
- -install-current-user-desktop-shortcut
- -uninstall-desktop-shortcut
- -uninstall-current-user-desktop-shortcut
- Create or remove the desktop shortcut for the current user.
- -install-all-users-desktop-shortcut
- -uninstall-all-users-desktop-shortcut
- Create or remove the desktop shortcut for all users.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -install-url-protocol
- -install-current-user-url-protocol
- -uninstall-url-protocol
- -uninstall-current-user-url-protocol
- Install or uninstall the URL Protocol for the current user.
- -install-all-users-url-protocol
- -uninstall-all-users-url-protocol
- Install or uninstall the URL Protocol for all users.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -install-efu-association
- -install-current-user-efu-association
- -uninstall-efu-association
- -uninstall-current-user-efu-association
- Create or remove the EFU file association with Everything for the current user.
- -install-all-users-efu-association
- -uninstall-all-users-efu-association
- Create or remove the EFU file association with Everything for all users.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -choose-volumes
- Do not automatically index volumes.
Requires Everything to be closed.
- -enable-auto-index-fat-volumes
- -disable-auto-index-fat-volumes
- Enable or disable automatically FAT volume indexing.
Requires Everything to be closed.
- -create-usn-journal <volume> <max-size-bytes> <allocation-delta-bytes>
- Create a USN Journal on the specifed volume with the specified maximum size and allocation delta in bytes.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -delete-usn-journal <volume>
- Delete the USN Journal on the specifed volume.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -install <path>
- Install Everything to the specified location.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -install-options <command line options>
- Command line options to pass to the newly installed Everything.exe.
Use with -install
- -install-config <filename>
- Install the specified configuration file.
The specified ini file is merged with any existing configuration file before any other install options are applied.
Requires Everything to be closed.
- -uninstall [path]
- Uninstall Everything from the specified path.
If no path is specified Everything is uninstalled from the Everything.exe location.
This removes Everything from system startup, removes the service, folder context menu, start menu shortcut, desktop shortcut, URL protocol, EFU file associations and deletes any files created by Everything.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -uninstall-user
- Uninstall Everything user files.
- -install-client-service
- -uninstall-client-service
- Install or uninstall the Everything client as a service.
Useful for running plugins without having a user logged in.
Requires administrative privileges.
- -start-client-service
- -stop-client-service
- Start or stop the Everything client service.
General
General command line options for Everything.
- -help
- -h
- -?
- Show the Everything command line help.
- -instance <name>
- Specify the name of the Everything instance.
- -first-instance
- Run Everything only if it is not already running.
If Everything is already running, this command is ignored.
- -no-first-instance
- Run Everything only if it is already running.
If Everything is not running, this command is ignored.
- -startup
- Run Everything in the background without showing any search windows.
- -restore-previous-session
- Restore the previous session.
- -restore-session <session.json>
- Restore a session from the specified session JSON file.
Use with -no-new-window to prevent a new window from showing.
- -is-relaunch-command
- Perform the default action when Everything is launched from the taskbar.
If Everything is already running, open a new window.
Otherwise, start Everything normally.
- -admin
- Run Everything as administrator.
- -index-as-admin
- Run an additional Everything process as administrator to index NTFS volumes.
The main Everything process continues to run as a standard user.
- -safe-mode
- Start Everything with plugins and icon shell extensions disabled.
- -config <filename>
- Use the specified filename for the Everything.ini configuration file.
- -no-policy
- Ignore group policies.
Can only be used when running as administrator.
- -command <id>
- Run the command with the specified UI ID.
Use a semicolon (;) to separate multiple IDs.
- -language <language-ID>
- Temporarily set the specified Language ID.
- -exit
- Exit an existing Everything instance.
Optionally use with -wait to wait until the existing Everything process exits.
- -wait
- Wait for the existing Everything process to exit before returning.
Optionally use with -exit to tell Everything to exit now.
- -restart
- Restart Everything.
- -debug
- Show the debugging console.
- -verbose
- Display all debug messages.
Use with -debug or -debug-log.
- -debug-log
- Enable debug mode and write debugging information to
%TEMP%\Everything Debug Log.txt.
- -svc
- Host the Everything Service in an elevated Everything process.
- -svc-pipe-name <name>
- Host the Everything Service pipe server with the specified name.
Use with -svc to host the service.
- -svc-security-descriptor <security-descriptor>
- Host the Everything Service pipe server with the specified security descriptor.
Use with -svc to host the service.
Examples
Search for files and folders with
invoice in the filename:
Everything.exe -s "invoice"
Search for PDF files with
invoice in the filename:
Everything.exe -s "invoice *.pdf"
Search for PDF files in a Downloads folder with
invoice in the filename:
Everything.exe -s "\downloads invoice *.pdf"
Search for JPG files and show the results as thumbnails:
Everything.exe *.jpg -thumbnails
Search for ABC or 123:
Everything.exe -s "ABC|123"
Search for files and folders in
C:\Program Files\Everything:
Everything.exe -path "C:\Program Files\Everything"
Sort results by date modified in descending order:
Everything.exe -sort "Date Modified" -sort-descending
Open a favorite bookmark:
Everything.exe -bookmark "My Favorite Bookmark"
Start Everything without opening a search window:
Everything.exe -startup
Load an Everything.db backup in read-only mode:
Everything.exe -db "E:\backup\Everything Databases\Everything-2026.db" -read-only
Create a file list of MP3 and FLAC files in D:\Music
Everything.exe -create-file-list "music.efu" "D:\Music" -create-file-list-include-only-files "*.mp3;*.flac"
Show the Advanced Rename dialog for all MP3 files in a specific folder:
Everything.exe -rename "D:\Music Albums\My Album\*.mp3"
See also
