Author Topic: What is the currently best Desktop Search software? (Read 809791 times)

Curt · « **Reply #250 on:** March 10, 2008, 09:05 AM »

We seriously need dtSearch to be part of the next SOFTWARE GIVEAWAY, and have a fixed Shareware Discounts for Members! It may be one of the very best, all right, but man it is expensive!

Hold your horses, Darwin!

http://www.dtsearch.com/

Armando · « **Reply #251 on:** March 10, 2008, 11:04 AM »

Babis : thanks for your comments.

But, it's been a while... It might have improved.
-Armando (March 09, 2008, 06:59 PM)

But I stand behind what I said nevertheless. At the time, I made some fairly precise (personal) comparisons. I'd have to do it again and I don't have the time right now.

If I have the time I'll update my comments.

Armando · « **Reply #252 on:** March 10, 2008, 12:12 PM »

BTW, Darwin and others using Archivarius : I just noticed that Archivarius searches an finds metadata very well!

I searched for Find and Run Robot, looking for something I wrote a while ago, and saw 15 screenshots of farr in the result pane (and archivarius showed the images, of course). None of them had "Find and Run Robot" in their name nor their containing folders, etc. But they did have some EXIF or other info somewhere in the file (taken with screenshotcaptor)... X1 doesn't do that. (but maybe dtsearch does...

)

Darwin · « **Reply #253 on:** March 10, 2008, 03:43 PM »

Odd. I can't make this work, Armando - in either dtSearch or Archivarius.

Update to dtSearch trial: I updated my database, including Outlook files, and it did so in about 5 minutes flat. Very nice.

CWuestefeld · « **Reply #254 on:** March 10, 2008, 05:56 PM »

I've experimented with dtSearch in the past. The big negative is the price. It's also rather clunky in its UI, and even more so in its configuration (at least as of a few years ago).

The big plus, to me, was the ability to set up separate indexes. So I could have one that indexed my regular email and work files; an other that indexes e-books; and make targeted requests against them since I know what sort of thing I'm looking for.

Darwin · « **Reply #255 on:** March 10, 2008, 05:59 PM »

I just tried updating Archivarius' E-mail index - the one created using "custom mailboxes" with Outlook still running in the background and, as far as I can tell, no new messages were added after updating for 8 minutes. I deleted the index, closed Outlook, and recreated the index. Elapsed time? 6:23. This is a lot slower than dtSearch, but it works. I've deleted the index reliant on the OLE method (it was 12% updated after 17 minutes) and will simply rebuild the index with Outlook shutdown from now on...

Still loving dtSearch, but heeding Curt's advice!

Just to respond to Chris, who posted as I typed the above, Archivarius allows you to set up different indices as well, which is how I've got my installation set up. Agree about the price but am not so sure about the GUI - but I run XP in Classic mode, like Total Commander's GUI, and don't mind Archivarius text based previews...

Darwin · « **Reply #256 on:** March 10, 2008, 06:01 PM »

PS This is the way to fly... I decided to update the E-mail index mentioned above with Outlook shutdown and it took 17 seconds.

Armando · « **Reply #257 on:** March 10, 2008, 07:23 PM »

PS This is the way to fly... I decided to update the E-mail index mentioned above with Outlook shutdown and it took 17 seconds.
-Darwin (March 10, 2008, 06:01 PM)

Nice. I'll do that too.

Odd. I can't make this work, Armando - in either dtSearch or Archivarius.
-Darwin (March 10, 2008, 03:43 PM)

Open one of your pictures with a text editor -- like Notepad++ -- and look for the metadata info at the beginning of the file; then look for the string with Archivarius. OR find a picture with archivarius, and at the bottom of the viewing pane choose "text" instead of "image". You'll see the available metadata available for the image (well laid out too). Then, redo a search with one of the metadata string. I love it!

I'm using Archivarius v4.

Darwin · « **Reply #258 on:** March 10, 2008, 10:38 PM »

Yeah - this is the weird thing, I can't find any pictures in either Archivarius 4 or dtSearch - and I have tried searching for the metadata string. I'll look into it further.

Armando · « **Reply #259 on:** March 11, 2008, 04:59 PM »

Even the pictures' names are not indexed???

Darwin · « **Reply #260 on:** March 11, 2008, 11:18 PM »

Nope... I'm pretty confident that I haven't set Archivarius up to index pictures. I'll experiment and get back to you.

Darwin · « **Reply #261 on:** March 12, 2008, 08:48 AM »

Wrong again, smarty pants! I did have Archivarius set up to index pictures. I just ran a search on my son's name and got three hits - must say I like the image preview feature in Archivarius - very nice

Incidentally, his name doesn't appear in either the file or the folder name, so i am curious about how the three pictures (all three of which feature his brother and not him

) got tagged.

I finally got dtSearch to return picture "hits" by searching for "img". It doesn't seem to have the image viewing functionality of Archivarius, though...

I still have 27 days left on the evaluation and do LOVE dtSearch, but I'm probably NOT going to go the distance on the trial. I simply don't see myself springing for it at this time... I'd need to see at least a 50%, and preferably a 66%, discount on it before I'd be tempted to buy it. Couple this with what appears to be a paid upgrade policy (the site states that you are buying a year's worth of support and upgrade protection) and I'm not overly motivated to part with any cash for it...

Darwin · « **Reply #262 on:** March 12, 2008, 07:34 PM »

OK - update: dtSearch AND Windows Desktop Search 3.1 are gone... as should be evident from the comments I've already made, I like both a lot. However, I have noticed a significant DECREASE in issues with Outlook's exe not shutting down now that WDS has been uninstalled. dtSearch - what can I say? It may very well be the Rolls-Royce of desktop search applications, but my Volkswagen gets me from A-Z just as well...

Curt · « **Reply #263 on:** March 13, 2008, 11:57 AM »

I am VERY impressed with the speed of today's offer from Bits du Jour: Search GT. ($10)

The program is quite new and you will probably miss some features for some time. It will not yet search the content of the files, nor any emails, and you will have to wait for the next version to search for folder names. It is merely a plain old fashion search engine. But: the SPEED! Be aware that this is done without any indexing at all!!

So what makes it so fast? In a nutshell, Search GT reads the file system directly, bypassing all of the Windows system libraries that are normally used for file enumeration. This allows users to get the results fast, and ensures that those results are always up-to-date.
-Search GT

What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

http://www.bitsdujou.../software/search-gt/ $9.97

-

Darwin · « **Reply #264 on:** March 13, 2008, 01:58 PM »

I saw that too, Curt. Looks a bit like DC member Veign's own Seeker application...

EDIT: I went and looked more closely. The resemblances are purely superficial. It looks to me like Seeker is much more powerful (regex searching, search and replace, search within files, etc.). Of course, I haven't tried them side by side... Yet!

Darwin · « **Reply #265 on:** March 13, 2008, 02:33 PM »

Hmph! So much for that idea - it seems I must have trialled SearchGT in the past because installing it I get a Trial period over warning. At least I was able to confirm that it and Seeker are quite different. FWIW, Seeker is VERY fast!

I've uninstalled both applications now (sorry Veign!) as I already have shareware apps covering this functionality.

Curt · « **Reply #266 on:** March 13, 2008, 03:12 PM »

I am not sure what Seeker can do. At first run, I directed it to C:\ , and typed belarc and pressed Enter. It lasted 294.8 seconds ("building file list") and gave no result. I didn't give it a second chance as I am an IT-illiterate and any program must be easy to figure out how to use.

I remind you that Search GT will do its magic without any indexing at all, and the very first time I ran GT Search it listed the three belarc files from three different folders within 2.7 seconds!!! I expect you will be hearing more about this program in the future!

What is the currently best Desktop Search software?

tomos · « **Reply #267 on:** March 13, 2008, 03:35 PM »

this is kindof off the main topic of the thread but I've been using XYplorer as my "searcher" for files etc
also incredibly fast (doesnt index - does search content if you want but I've never done that)
https://www.donation...49.msg86932#msg86932 (and following posts)

Darwin · « **Reply #268 on:** March 13, 2008, 03:43 PM »

Not really, Tom! XYPlorer started out life as a file searcher:

Historically, XYplorer is not a file manager with a search feature, but a search tool with a file manager attached to it. Not for nothing it was called "Tracker" before...

Source: https://www.donation...49.msg87001#msg87001

Darwin · « **Reply #269 on:** March 13, 2008, 03:49 PM »

Ah well, no worries, Curt! Whatever floats your boat! I was content to confirm that SearchGT is not a ripoff of Seeker and didn't dig much deeper than that (would have, I suppose, had I been able to try SearchGT out

).

One thing to note about Seeker is that it DOES search within files, which may be why it was taking longer than SearchGT. Also, it will only search within the folder (and subfolders) specified in the address bar ~~about~~ above the file tree. To change this location, you need to use the drop down arrow to the right of it...).

KenR · « **Reply #270 on:** March 13, 2008, 03:57 PM »

I am VERY impressed with the speed of today's offer from Bits du Jour: Search GT. ($10)

The program is quite new and you will probably miss some features for some time. It will not yet search the content of the files, nor any emails, and you will have to wait for the next version to search for folder names. It is merely a plain old fashion search engine. But: the SPEED! Be aware that this is done without any indexing at all!!-
-Curt (March 13, 2008, 11:57 AM)

Wow Curt, you were right about the speed. It is staggering for something that does no indexing. Thanks for your post about it.

Ken

Darwin · « **Reply #271 on:** March 13, 2008, 04:02 PM »

Now you guys are ticking me off

...

Singing the praises of an app that a software addict such as myself can't actually try out is like waving a red flag at a bull. <Darwin snorts lightly through his nose and beings pawing the ground in front of him...>

Hmph! This is going to wind up costing me $10 just to see what the fuss is all about!

tomos · « **Reply #272 on:** March 13, 2008, 04:27 PM »

the website for Search GT
http://www.search-gt.com/
says - "Completely integrated into Windows Explorer"

can anyone say what that means... context menu or ..??

KenR · « **Reply #273 on:** March 13, 2008, 04:38 PM »

the website for Search GT
http://www.search-gt.com/
says - "Completely integrated into Windows Explorer"

can anyone say what that means... context menu or ..??
-tomos (March 13, 2008, 04:27 PM)

LOL at Darwin

Tomos, it means that it is integrated into the explorer window itself, which is NOT good for people who use other file managers.

Darwin, to give you some perspective, I search 3 hard drives for "batc". I terminated the search after several minutes in DOpus. In Search GT, it took 1/2 of one second!!!!!

Ken

Curt · « **Reply #274 on:** March 13, 2008, 04:51 PM »

"Completely integrated into Windows Explorer"- can anyone say what that means... context menu or ..??
-tomos (March 13, 2008, 04:27 PM)

The most important integration of Search GT to me is the one in Explorer's GUI - see the three screenshots of my (QT Tabbar) XP Explorer in the initial post. Click the "Search GT" in upper right corner of your Explorer window, and the big left window at once becomes Search GT. Click again, and you will have your normal Explorer back at once. There is also an entry in the context menu, and of course one in the usual XP place in Start > Search. It may or may not be o'kay for people with other file managers, but it is not a common stand alone - which I think is good.

--

One special "feature": it is not possible to install on top. When executed, the installer will ask if you (really) want to uninstall.

Poll

Which Desktop Search Tool(s) do you use? (Choose up to 2)

Author Topic: What is the currently best Desktop Search software? (Read 809791 times)