I use a font manager named Typograf which, among other things, allows you to move fonts to any folder you choose. This makes it a relatively easy task to sort out your fonts for viewing later. So I used it to sort my fonts on my hard drive by category. Serif, san serif, scripts, etc. You can create subcategories for further time saving. Scripts, for example, can be separated into casuals, connected and non-connected formals. Serifs can be easily separated into traditional, modern and slab serifs. I then also created folders for the same fonts that are sorted by manufacturer.
Now when I want to look up a font by name or search for a matching style, I have it narrowed down substantially. Typograf allows me to enter whatever text I want to see and I just scroll a page at a time to do my viewing. Takes very little time.