FolderScout: quick drive navigator

[justice]

I just discovered FolderScout today, basicallly FolderScout does a one-time index of the folders of your drives (takes about 10 sec), then keeps track of changes in the background.

From then on, you can call up FS with F7, then start typing - folderscout instantly shows a list of only those folders with the query as part of their name! Also does recent folders and recent documents.

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The help file is a bit full of marketing, and it doesn't work for mapped drives yet, but works as a great team with my other favourite apps:

Find and Run Robot as the main launcher to quickly software launching
Folderscout for quick folder launching.
Locate32 for quick file finding.
Cathy for quick cd-collection browsing.

Between these 4 i think the whole spectrum is covered. Found it on ShellCity

[edbro]

Yes, I took a look at it also but uninstalled it because it will only work with Explorer. I prefer to use another file manager.

[justice]

Yes, I took a look at it also but uninstalled it because it will only work with Explorer. I prefer to use another file manager.

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You can specify your own file manager.

Under Filefolder: You can reduce the amount of characters to start a search with from 3 to 2 to make it more useful. To compensate, also reduce the maximum folders to 100, you're unlikely going to look past a list longer than that anyway.

[edbro]

Hmmmm.... Might have to take another look. Although my filemanager has bookmarks which reduces the need for this.

[lanux128]

looks good justice but since you already use farr, why not use farr's built-in folder searching function? just wondering..

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[justice]

The way I use FARR's directory search feature is if for example I need an application/folder in program files but it's not in the start menu, or running a utility that doesn't come with an installer (my utility folder is too big to be included by default in farr searching): i'd do c:\scr\auto to get to c:\scripts\autoruns\ for example.

Although it seems if i type 'auto\' without quotes, it finds folders in program files even though program files is not enabled in the searchable folders hmm. 

However pressing F7 and typing auto is faster. And as the results are indexed, it doesn't have to search the actual folders, just the indexed file. it's slightly more convenient. I don't have to worry where the folder is (c:\, d:\, 12 subfolders deep). So it's mostly a matter of shorter syntax and slightly quicker performance.

I guess when FARR adds in indexing, or some syntax shortcut so I could type '\auto' to search folders with the phrase auto in them, then I might dump Folderscout Also I use a dialogue box extender which works well for favourite folders. I hope that explains things a bit?

[lanux128]

yes, i use Farr's folder search for something like that too since most of my programs are the portable type with no installers nor start menu junk.. thanks again for the info, justice.. i might find some use out of FolderScout, just like with Locate32 earlier..

[justice]

I was thinking a plugin called FolderList for FARR would be desirable. It basically would return the folders for the query you put in. that would stop my need for FolderScout.

[jgpaiva]

I was thinking a plugin called FolderList for FARR would be desirable. It basically would return the folders for the query you put in. that would stop my need for FolderScout.

Actually, farr already does.
If you input the name of some folder, it'll give you the matches in the search path.
The problem is that as there isn't indexing, you can't have it search for folders in your whole disk, only on the search path.

(i believe there's a '+' action to improve the ranking of folders so that they appear first on the list, but can't remember which one is)[edit] nope, there isn't. but you can add one, at options->heuristic scoring-> right-click on "folder score as %..."-> edit this entry -> optional modifier keywords [/edit]

You can make farr search only folders by adding +\ to your query.

[justice]

hey fantastic tip!
obviously it's not instant with a query like +\ c:\ <folder> but it works good enough for me to add some popular folders into farr.

[jgpaiva]

justice: see this post for a possible (??) solution for your problem.