blog: desktop search

[nikos]

here's the comment area for today's post found at:
http://zabkat.com/blog/01Apr07.htm

[nikos]

btw any opinions on the x2 vs desktop search issues raised by the article? Is the choo-choo search of xplorer2 a dead duck already? (honest opinions )

[RickyF]

I do not use any of the desktop search applications. I have tried them all but they consume too much of my computer's resources and seemingly always when I am doing something important.

My main box has 2GB of memory but that is not enough when I am running several applications including a virtual machine with 768MB of memory. So I uninstalled each and every one of them after trying them.

I use a Microsoft-owned add-in utility for Outlook called Lookout for much of my searches. It works pretty damn well and provides feedback almost as fast as a Google web search. However, I limit it to email, docs, spreadsheets, and several watched folders, not the whole computer's 1.5 TB of disk space.

Unfortunately, Microsoft no longer makes it available for download. Instead, they direct you to Windows Desktop search. Fortunately, I store downloaded files so I can still load and use Lookout with a new machine.

I always have X2 opened. For general searches I use X2, press Ctrl-F, define my search and wait for the results. It works for me.

[james_k]

RickyF: Lookout v1.3 is still available from here:
http://www.chip.de/downloads/c1_downloads_13013850.html

Nikos: I don't like those full blown indexer search engines, they eat up too much resources (see RickyF).

X2's CTRL-F search - together with the Ifilter 'plugins' - works perfectly well for me.

BTW: this was one major argument for purchasing X2 pro

[fgagnon]

-ditto-
& for same arguments.  

[JPB]

I use a Dell Axim PDA running Windows Mobile 2003 2nd Ed.  I create Pocket Word docs extensively and then sync them back to my desktop.  On the PDA side they are actually *.psw files; when sync'ed to the desktop they are Word 2003 (or Wordpad) readable *.doc files.  When I "Find Text In Files" (with non-text checked) these files for known strings, I get no hits.  I assume this is an IFilter issue, any suggestions?  Additional info: if I force Pocket Word to save file as a Word 97/2000 .doc, then sync, I get expected search hits. I prefer not to use this method due to the significant increase in file size.

PS If this is posted in the wrong area, I apologize.

[patlange]

Although I use xplorer2 for searches within the directories I use all the time and which change hourly, I really like Locate32 (http://locate32.webhop.org) for searching my multiple huge drives which have fairly static content.  I've used Google Desktop and Copernic Desktop in the past, but I agree they use too many resources.  Locate32 builds a database of your files and updates it as often as you like, but it's very fast and unobtrusive in doing so and the searches are almost instantaneous.

[nikos]

JPB are these files saved as DOC or PSW on the desktop? (the extension matters). If xplorer2 can extract text from them (see the draft tab preview pane) then it can search for text too

[JPB]

[nikos]

so something's weird with them... you should be able to search in them if you force the encoding to unicode from what you describe (see the older blog article about forced encodings)

[nikos]

it just occured to me that another strong point in x2 search is that it will locate parts of words, not just whole words. These indexers break down words and cannot find "window" when the word contained is "windowless". x2 has no trouble with that at all

nice one, i'll pass it on to the marketing department

[wasker]

Nikos, while you're talking to marketing dept about search feature could you also ask them to reorder tab order for "Find files and folder" dialog so the Containing Text box would be the next one right after Named box? Honestly: how often you change fuzzy or "files/folders" settings? I've never changed them, for instance.
_________________
You gotta hear that: http://www.getfugitive.com

I'm using Xplorer2 - the only file manager that does not suck. Actually, it rocks!

[nikos]

i'll tell them but will they listen?
problem with contained text is that it is the first of the group and acts as enable/disable anchor... we'll see

[ZoNi]

I use xplorer2 only to search for file names - when I want to search for some text inside of files, I use Copernic Desktop Search... It is great, fast and does not torture my PC's...
_________________
ZoNi's hardware, software & desktop

[longfellow]

Like other posters, I've found desktop searchers to be too resource intensive; x2's search is just fine for me.