Best Free Desktop Search Utility
A couple of years back there were no contenders for this title. Today we have a wealth of choices. In a close race I would have to say Copernic Desktop Search [1]. It's a very competent and balanced product and one of the few freebies that supports network shares. My only beef is the presentation of email search results is not as effective as other search engines such as X1, a product that is unfortunately no longer available in a free version (although it is integrated into free email client Eudora's find function)
Another option is Google desktop search [2]. It not only will search your hard drive files but also your web history. It offers an Outlook toolbar, integrated Gmail search and a novel desktop sidebar that allows personalized search, news, weather, photos and more. The Sidebar also includes a quite effective application launcher. Some folks love the Sidebar but others, me included, find it intrusive. My main problem with Google Desktop search is again the presentation of email seach results which is even poorer then Copernic.
This is not an academic point. For many users searching email is the number one application for desktop search programs so you need a product that performs well in this area.
Locate32 [3] is a little known but highly impressive desktop search program. It works like updatedb and locate commands in Unix based systems. In other words, it uses databases to store information about directory structures and uses these databases in searches. The use of these databases provides very fast searching speed. The software includes a dialog based application as well as console programs which can be used to both update and access databases. Supported operation systems are Windows 98/ME/NT4/2000/XP/Vista. Locate32 does NOT have to be running at all times like both Copernic and Google desktop. In my tests, it wasn't quite as fast as either of the above, but it is still quite fast. Plus, I really like not having to have it run all the time. Just remember to update the databases fairly regularly. Please note that finding words within files is somewhat difficult to find. At first, I didn't believe that it included this feature, but it is included. You just have to look to find the feature. Available in many languages.
[2] http://desktop.google.com Freeware, Windows 2000 SP3 or later, 2MB
[3] http://www.locate32.net Freeware, Windows 98/ME/NT4/2000/XP/Vista
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DO NOT UPGRADE COPERNIC DESKTOP SEARCH
Do not upgrade to the new version if you have an old version of Copernic Desktop Search.
The new free version 3.0 of Copernic Desktop Search removes features including "search as you type".
Copernic absolutely sucks for removing features when promising an upgrade.
I have found Copernic Desktop Search to be a great product but I hope that I can find an old version of the install somewhere because the new free version of Copernic Desktop Search removed a feature that I care about.
I will also look at the X1 search program because frankly this move by Copernic is not customer friendly. Granted, using the free version does not make me a customer, but the whole point of a free version is to get corporations to buy the professional version. Removing a feature from the free version to get individuals to buy the professional version is a bad solution.
For those of you interested in version 2.3 of Copernic Desktop, this link appears to still have this version available:
http://www.download.com/Copernic-Desktop-Search/3000-2379_4-10314159.htm...
Beware of Copernic 3 and stick to 2.3. The main point in the new version seems to be removing a couple of nice features, such as the customizable preview panel and search-as-you-type, and replacing them with nag messages.
2.3 seems to have virtually vanished fom the web overnight, so I hope you still have your old install.exes if you need to go back.
Further info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copernic_Desktop_Search
CDS is now split in three categories: "Free" (with ads), Professional and Corporate.
Free version no longer includes the following features:
Searching Outlook appointments, tasks and notes;
Saved searches
Incremental find
Dropped support for older systems. Minimum requirements now are:
Windows XP
IE 6 SP2
Firefox 2
Outlook 2000
Updated interface
3 cheers for the updates interface (frankly I couldn't see the difference).
x1 Desktop Search is clearly the winner of this category. One of the very unique features is that x1 Desktop Search begins building the "find" list as you type your search word, and is usually finished within a second or two after you type the last letter.
The last free version (x1 Desktop Search v5.5.5) is still available for free download:
Download X1 Desktop Search free
I seem to remember there is now a limitation on the number of items indexed by the free version (100,000?), though I couldn't find it mentioned on their site. I uninstalled it for that reason (I have tons of small files).
Reinstalled the free version, which is now up to 5.6.3. Couldn't find special limitations any more. I wish they would stop changing their policy, but for the moment everything seems to be fine. Cheers!
Everything (www.voidtools.com) works just great.
It doesn't search inside files.
Great, but "EVERYTHING will only locate files and folders on NTFS volumes."
My C partition is FAT32.
Windows Search 4.0
I couldn't get either version of Locate32 to install. I install apps every day. This is frustrating. I know its free but damn, make it easy.
It's been a while since I tested it, but if I recall correctly, it doesn't actually need installed. At least the version I downloaded just needed unzipped. Then, I just ran the locate32.exe file.
Maybe its the apps I have running but Copernic slowed my PC down like a snail. Seemed to hang up a lot while indexing and.or searching. I have removed it and will see how PC runs now. Will try one of the others for now.
One problem I have with locate32 is it shows the hidden files and folders, I marked "do not show hidden and system files" option in the advanced option tab, still it is showing hidden files...
I don't think Gizmo can fix that, you should report that bug to the author.
Free X1 Search aka Yahoo Desktop Search can be downloaded here: http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Yahoo_Desktop_Search/1105420067/1
You should distinguish "in-file-content" desktop search (X1, Copernic) from only "file" desktop search (Locate32). I myself also need to search in documents content.
Exalead Desktop Search is also worth noting.
There´s an interesting little tool called NTFSniffer that can index MFT in a second and then search files instantly with boolean operators. The bad thing is it must be launched with the drive letter as parameter (only one drive per instance) and doesn´t offer many options.
Regarding NTFSniffer: I create a context menu entry for drive letters for it. You just need to enter the following registry entries:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\NTFSniffer]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\NTFSniffer\command]
@="C:\\Tools\\NTFSniffer\\NTFSniffer.exe %l"
The parameter is a lower "L".
Locate32 is NOT just a "file" desktop search tool. As I mentioned in my review, it can search in-file. However, it is limited in the types of files in can search. You do have to look to find this feature.
I recently took Exalead off this list because it is no longer freeware. It is now a trial version that only works for 30 days and then some features are limited unless you purchase a license.
Where do you look to search in-file with Locate32,please? Afraid I can't find it.
In the advanced tab, you will see a check box for "file containing text" and a space where you can type in what you are searching for in-file.
how about locate32.exe? it scans and catalogues.
http://www.locate32.net
Another thumbs up for locate32. I downloaded it, ran it and literally a few minutes later it had indexed my 3 drives (over 500 Gigs) with the database showing just 14.5Meg space used! Windows Desktop Search used well over 1 Gig to index the same drives.
I haven't played around for any length of time, but the few basic searches I did (*.jpg on all drives, some obscure words I happen to know I've written in a word doc etc) were delivered at astonishing speed.
You'd think I'm the author (I'm not) the way I'm gushing about this but I really was impressed, especially after relying on WDS (and YDS, and Coppernic before that).
Hopefully the review will be updated soon to include locate32... it needs the recognition!
Yes, I also think locate 32 should be reviewed, the GUI is fantastic and you can have it as a plugin that works with another "Best Free App" - FARR. That's a serious indexing alternative.
Locate 32 is best I have found also
Let's see here -
Agent Ransack - Cool searcher and integrates nicely with the Windows Explorer.. Does regular expressions and regular searches.
XFind - No install needed. Just extract and run.
Cool stuff!
Kent
I second Agent Ransack.
Superfinder is another gem.
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