Best Free Desktop Search Utility [1]
Introduction
A couple of years back there were no contenders for this title. Today we have a wealth of choices.
NOTE: I have made a decision to mainly highlight programs that meet 2 specific needs that I have: 1) the ability to search within files (find words within files) and 2) programs that will work across network shares (index files on my work network where all my documents are stored). There are literally tons of software programs that will search for files and folders, but that do not search within files. There are also several alternatives that might search network shares, but do not search within files.
Again, my focus has been on programs that meet the primary needs I've identified above. It is beyond my scope to review all types of desktop search tools.
NOTE #2: I recently upgraded to Windows 7 (64-bit). To be honest, after upgrading and using Windows 7 built-in search tool, I see no reason to use a third-party desktop search tool. It takes a little tweaking, but the new search tool within Windows 7 is quite good. It even searches within files and will search my home network for files. My recommendation is that if you are using Windows 7, you really don't need a third-party tool.
For an excellent resource on how to maximize your use of the Windows 7 search tool, please check out this article Getting the most from Windows Search — Part 2 [3].
Rated Products
[5]
Locate32 [5] [6]
A highly impressive program to search files and folders based on their names stored in a database.
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [7] | [8]
Version reviewed: 3.1.11.7100
Gizmos Freeware [9]
| Our Rating: 5/5 |
|
Read more... [6]
[10]
Copernic Desktop Search Lite [10] [11]
A very competent and balanced product to instantly search files and documents stored on your computer.
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [12] | [8]
Version reviewed: 4.0.2
Gizmos Freeware [9]
| Our Rating: 4/5 |
Read more... [11]
[13]
Google Desktop [13] [14]
Search your hard drive files and web history conveniently from a deskbar or sidebar.
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [15] | [8]
Version reviewed: 5.9
Gizmos Freeware [9]
| Our Rating: 3.5/5 |
Read more... [14]
Related Products and Links
-
Everything [16] indexes your entire hard disk and then you can search for a file by typing in part or all of the filename and it will display results as you type. Then just double click to run the file or right-click for the menu to open the path. The beauty of Everything is that it can be completely portable! Everything was recently updated and now supports Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7. (There is no mention of 32 bit or 64 bit on their website.) If all you are looking for is a specific file or folder, then this little program totally rocks! It is fast!
Cons: It does not have a right click preview of common file types (txt, doc, pdf, etc.). It works only on NTFS drives. And, Everything does not search file contents, only file and folder names.
-
Exalead One:Desktop [17] - For home users, this is a serious contender for my top pick. It's been around for a while, but only recently has become totally freeware. It's fast and the options are quite handy. It opens up in a browser window with preview options and other search options. Recently updated to version 4.6. Supports Windows 2000 (SP4), XP (SP2 and SP3), Vista/Vista SP1, Windows 7.
Cons: I don't recommend Exalead Free version in a networked environment unless you have a ton of storage capacity. On my work laptop, the index file took up a HUGE 46 GB of storage space! In addition, Exalead does not allow users any option about where the index files will be kept on computer.
For an interesting review of this product, see this link [18].
-
DocFetcher [19] is an Open Source desktop search application: It allows you to quickly access documents on your computer by typing keywords. - You can think of it as Google for your local document repository. The application is currently available for Windows and GTK-based Linux distributions. It does offer the ability to search within files (actually only certain document types).
A Java Runtime Environment (JRE), version 1.6.0 or higher, is required. Note: If you have a 64-bit OS, you might have to replace an installed 64-bit Java Runtime with its 32-bit counterpart in order to make DocFetcher work. 64-bit Java is currently not supported.
The Windows version runs on Windows XP or later. Windows 98 is not supported. There is also a Linux version and a portable version.
Cons: (though some might see this as a pro) It indexes documents only - pictures, music, videos, etc. are omitted.
-
Agent Ransack [20] is one of my favorites when I'm in a hurry. It is very similar to Locate32. It does not index your hard drive, but is still relatively quick. It also has the ability to search within files. When searching the contents of files Agent Ransack displays the text found so you can quickly browse the results without having to separately open each file!
Have Your Say
You are invited to share and discuss your views in our freeware forum [21]. To post in the forum you need to register first but that's quick and immediate. Alternatively, anyone can leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
Editor
This software category is maintained by volunteer editor Kendall Alexander.
Back to the top of the article.