Desktop Search

Several questions:
1) Is it safe to use desktop search? How about the privacy issue?
I would not like to send or upload any data to the search engine server in order to use that service. The search engine and indexing files must reside in my computer.

2)
Requirements of desktop search:
- The search engine and indexing files must reside in my computer
- it has to be reputable (so I know the company will not spy or steal my data)
- it can index ALL file type (not just documents/audio/video, but like EXE, PIF, SCR, JAR)

Any good desktop search?

Thank you.

 

Hello Wai_Wai,

I've been using Google Desktop for years, not sure if it will meet all your criteria, but it's worth a look see.

Take Care
rico

 

How does it work?
It seems I need to go online and search from their website.
Where does the indexing files store?

 

Hi,
See: http://desktop.google.com/about.html

 

when i tryed it it has an extra option when you go to the google website but when you click it it goes to your computer if you look in the address bar.

 

I am using Copernicus for that.
Here the Features

Seams to fit your requirements.

 

Hmm... There are articles concerning the privacy problems of Google Desktop Search.

I am still uncomfortable with Google Desktop Search unless some people who are knowledgeable can tell me whether any personal info or index will be sent or stored online, or whether Google will know what I search, or whether communications to the server has to be made when performing a search, and so on.

Does anyone know about that?

PS: I have read its about page. It didn't clear all my concerns.

 

Unfortunately, it doesn't index everything like *.exe

 

i like this program best, the search results are instant
http://www.uku.fi/~jmhuttun/english/softwares.shtml

it uses a file to index everything on your HDD, the file is very small. when i used it you either let it do an index search every boot, or do it manually if you wanted to find something which hadn't been indexed, either way it only takes about 1 minute to update. i think it indexes everything.

here are some reviews, it looks like it might be able to search inside files as well now.
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Locate/1044509669/1

 

thanks that is a good program and testing it right now.

 

Then what you need is Locate32. The fastest search utility you'll ever find....

http://locate32.webhop.org/

 

The website says, "This program saves names of all files in your hard drives to file database..."

So I don't think it will search inside the files (ie the contents of the files).

Anyway, nice find.

 

Thanks again.

By the way, this URL is just the same as this one:
http://www.uku.fi/~jmhuttun/english/softwares.shtml

 

It won't index file contents but it will search inside them ("containing text" option) - it just means that it first narrows down the files to be searched in, from the filename criteria, using its index, then does a standard content search on those files - therefore taking far more time to return results.

 

Then it is no difference than the Windows built-in search.
The purpose of getting a desktop search is to do instant search.
I think for people who would like to search inside, they woul prefer a desktop search which can index contents as well.

Copernicus could do but it doesn't index every file type.

 

Hi Wai_Wai

I am using Copernic Desktop Search 2.01 Build 2515 and I if I go to Tools>Options>Advanced I can Add any extension I like to the searching

http://www.copernic.com/en/products/desktop-search/faq.html

http://www.copernic.com/index.html

Rgds

Chalawah

 

I tried all, MSN, YAhoo, Google, Copernic many months back. Almos all missed some during search.( But i liked google most)
I use Locate 32, very smart, very fast and very clever indeed. I have scheduled it to update data base automatically every day that takes few minutes only.

 

I also use Locate32 and it's great and fast at finding files but if you have a lot of documents, etc. it is too slow scanning their content.

For content I use X1 Enterprise Client (this is the big brother to Yahoo and used to cost $99 but it is now free). It does a great job (although, this also depends on what you tell it to scan) and has the best viewers of any desktop search I've tried. The only negative I've run into is the free version does not scan network drives.

Another desktop search, from France is Exalead. I have not tried this one. BTW - It is available in English.

 

How fast X1 is?

 

Aigle,

I would say it is relatively fast. Results are returned quickly, the viewer display speed depends on the document type and complexity, and it seems to index fairly quickly.

I say relatively and fairly because I tested most of the desktop search programs and their speed seemed about the same (i.e., they index during down times, it depends on how much you have them index, the speed of your system and its components, etc.).

 

X1 Enterprise Client... Does it index every file?

 

Yes, I realise that too.
But then I have to add any file type it misses.
It's going to be tedious and crazy.

I hoe it can add an option to instruct the search engine to index ALL file types.

 

It appears no one using desktop search address this issue.
Aren't you worried about your privacy when you use these desktop searches?
Any input?

 

It can index every file. By default it does not index everything but you can set it up to do so. However, by having it index every file it will require more time. This is why I use X1 mainly for content (i.e., files I want to search inside of) and still run Locate32 to index every file on all my drives. This is faster and less resource intensive.

 

I use FindAndRunRobot (FARR) from donationcoder.

http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/findrun/index.html