Killer Desktop Search -- For Free
September 2005
For years one of the more nagging but not quite worth jumping up and down frustrations with my computer was the lack of a decent way to search my files and e-mail. To be sure, the Windows “Search” mechanism (that can be found off the Start menu in Windows XP at least) provided help in searching for files. When it worked, which for some reason is no longer the case, I would use it to find recent documents (often PowerPoint files) because I couldn’t remember in which folder I had put them. Thus, a search in my “Slides” folder for *.ppt would traverse the many subfolders I have accumulated from years of speaking and show me in reverse order whatever PowerPoint file was the latest. I could do the same with Word documents. If needed to find a recent contract to use as a base for updating, the *.doc search against my client files worked like a charm.
But Search didn’t help much when I was digging for text rather than a file name. As you can see from the illustration, there is a second box that will allow you to enter a search phrase. However, I found this terribly slow and seldom tried it. For me, the Search feature was handy only for finding recent files, either by date or by file name. Even more frustrating for me was the fact that Search didn’t work on e-mail. In order to search e-mail, I had to use the “Look for” box which was painfully slow and only worked against one folder at a time. From time to time, I would bravely try the “Advanced Find” option but I defy anyone to really make sense of that interface. At least it never worked for me.
Then, as a final insult, when I did find an e-mail I could never figure out how to tell which folder I had hidden it in. I tried right clicking and everything else I knew but never figured this out. Reader tips welcomed.
So, for years I was a frustrated desktop searcher. There were worse maladies, I know. But it bugged me.
Occasionally I would read about and try some of the third-party desktop search utilities. One that comes to mind is X1, which offers a highly-regarded desktop search utility that many of my friends swear by. The attractive thing about X1, and there are several other utilities like it, is the fact that you can search e-mail and documents in one shot. As you can see by the illustration, you can even preview your files as you move through them.
The problem with X1 (for me) was that it cost $75. I don’t want to get in an argument over whether the product was worth the money it cost (I’m sure it is). Rather, I never could bring myself to buy it. Instead, I remained in desktop search hell.
Along Came Google
Several months ago Google released a free utility called Desktop Search. http://desktop.google.com/. After I downloaded the program, it went to work indexing my hard drive. This took awhile but I let it run for the evening and voila! My hard drive including all my e-mail was indexed. Even cooler, the program ran in the background and would index additional files and e-mail on the fly.
I started using Google Desktop Search religiously and thought I was in desktop search heaven. However, there were still a couple of nagging bothers. First, while Google would bring back results in descending order (most recent) which I liked, I couldn’t find any easy way to see the dates of the files and e-mail. Second, while Google showed some helpful metadata, it didn’t provide an easy way to sort on these fields (author, for example), nor did it provide any kind of useful viewing utility. And, when I opened e-mail, it opened a text version with a required second click to open the original Outlook version.
All in all, however, it was a big step forward. If it were not for that upstart Microsoft, I might still be using it and writing to you about it.
Microsoft Follows Right Behind and Gets it Right
Not long after the Google buzz began over Desktop Search, Microsoft began making noise. “We are working on our own desktop search,” some minion announced but I didn’t pay much attention. Not too long after, Microsoft released a beta version of Windows Desktop Search and for some reason released it through MSN.com rather than its own site. I have no idea why that is other than somebody at Microsoft thought they had to copy Google. I didn’t pay it much attention.
Recently, my CTO downloaded the latest copy of Windows Desktop Search (now version 2.1) and quickly told me I had to try it as well. I did and before long found myself uninstalling Google Desktop Search. Here is why.
Search All of Your Files in One Shot
Like Google Desktop Search, Windows Desktop Search (“WDS”) allows me to search documents and Outlook files at the same time. However, WDS goes a step or two further. I can search contacts, calendar items, and even tasks, all in the same search. As a result, I have started searching for phone numbers using the handy desktop search bar that you can see below:
I entered the name “Flax” for my friend Jeff and could quickly see contact information, several calendar entries, some files with his name in it and a number of e-mails. This is a cool feature and certainly beats opening Outlook and running the search from there.
Sort and Filter the Results
When you click “Search Desktop” or press enter, you get a full page of results.
As you can see, the display includes useful metadata like Title, Author, Date, Size and Type. There is also a column showing the folder the item came from and a preview window. All of the columns can be sorted.
You can also see a number of handy filter icons. If I want to limit my search to documents or e-mail (or contacts, etc.) it is a simple matter of clicking the appropriate icon. Google provides some of these features but not in such a nice package. You can even search for folders by name.
I like this utility, particularly for the price, and highly recommend it to you. I may never use Outlook or Windows search again but I do expect to see this product integrated into the Windows OS by the next release. It is just too useful to be without. Thank you Microsoft.
How to get it.
Go to http://toolbar.msn.com/ to download the free Windows Desktop Search Program. You can also find it under the Technology/Downloads section at www.msn.com. The program requires Windows XP or 2000 and Internet Explorer 5.01 or later.
More
The search toolbar is also integrated with Internet Explorer and offers several other features that you might find useful. These include a popup blocker, quick Internet search, form fill capabilities and the ability to have several windows open as tabs. I am not yet sure I am sold on these features (and prefer the Google toolbar for Web search) but you might find them useful.
Conclusion
The rap on Microsoft is that the company never innovates but is pretty good at copying and extending other’s good ideas. That may be the case here but you have to hand it to them. Their desktop search is a killer.
About the Author:
John Tredennick is a former litigation partner at Holland & Hart and the founder of CaseShare Systems, which provides case, claim and document repositories for legal and insurance.