[NickDMax]

<rant>So for some reason Microsoft seems to think that this desktop search is a good thing... yet I never use it -- those times that I blindly tried I have been pissed off to find out that really I needed the little dog search which has been every so conveniently hidden.

From what I understand Desktop search is just an index of files under my profile... whoopee doo.

The one feature I have always wanted in windows is the ability to control what I see in explorer window (like using the dir command).

It would be nice to be able to pop open an explorer window and type in the address bar: "C:\window\system32\d*.dll" and see only those dll's that began with the letter d. That would be helpful because sorting by details is really irritating. But rather than adding filters to windows explorer they gave me desktop search. A feature that is useless -- for those things that it might be helpful for (like finding my research paper) it fails at...

</rant>

Has anyone every found a use for desktop search?

[Nykc]

Ugghhh! I hate desktop search, besides draining your resources - it is good for pretty much nothing more than helping people who do not know how to use windows explorer find there missing pictures of little johnny opening their xmas presents.

[Core]

I did find it quite useful. Back in the times when I still had it on my XP machine, it not only searched by the file names, but it also searched for the content inside those files, so that came handy from time to time.

[KYA]

I've never used it. Absolutely worthless so far.

[NickDMax]

See I thought the ability to search within word files would be useful... but since it does not index the whole HD it failed in helping me find my research paper from school --- I suppose if I get it to index the entire HD from my win98 computer it MAY work -- but I am not even sure it can read that version of word... anyway... I find it useless and irritating.

Yet People have been requesting filtering in explorer windows since windows 95 (windows 3.1 actually had that feature -- though it may have been an extension I don't remember). Funny thing is... the only feature I have ever asked Microsoft for would be easy to implement... (the open file dialog box does everything I need -- and don't think I have not used the open file dialog box to locate files).

[syfran]

Quote

Funny thing is... the only feature I have ever asked Microsoft for would be easy to implement...

I think I'm seeing one of the advantages to open source... Ya I'll shut up now.

[Smurphy]

Absolute crap. Tried using it a few times. Why bother though? the dog is so much easier. I hate the thing.

[joezim007]

Are we talking about Vista's or 7's? I love the Windows 7 desktop search, although I really don't need it all that often. It kinda removes the need for Launchy.

[firebolt]

I see no major point of it, just something Microsoft can flash in your faces.

[paperclipmuffin]

Smurphy, on 1 Sep, 2009 - 12:59 PM, said:

Absolute crap. Tried using it a few times. Why bother though? the dog is so much easier. I hate the thing.

++10000

You can link to it your your desktop!

[baavgai]

Yep. Absolute crap.

Core, on 1 Sep, 2009 - 02:11 PM, said:

when I still had it on my XP machine, it not only searched by the file names, but it also searched for the content inside those files

Interesting.

One of the things profoundly broken in XP is it's content search. Every time I've done one, it's offered incomplete results. I've resorted to using a DOS grep on things I really wanted to find. That they never fixed it, even into service pack 3, always annoys me.

[Amrykid]

baavgai, on 2 Sep, 2009 - 04:14 AM, said:

Yep. Absolute crap.

What? I use it all the time! I don't know you guys have against it, but you could easily turn it off in the System Features dialog.... Windows Search is what i use everyday, you can search in files, for files, even start programs from it.....Especially in Vista and 7.

[sparkart]

I don't think it's that entirely useless. It don't use it a lot but I do use it (Vista's search). It is waay easier and faster to find things that are buried in your hard drive.

I think it is supposed to be for accessing things that you know are there, not searching for something you're not entirely sure. Which is where a more detailed search kicks in.

[Mr.Janson]

one good thing about windows desktop search is for searching for microsoft outlook emails in the 2007 version when you do a search for your emails it searches and displays your oldest emails first when or if you need the most rescent you have to scroll all the way down to the bottom which is a pain in the butt if you have alot of emails. the windows desktop search allows you to search new emails first.

[crazyjugglerdrummer]

I think the mac os x spotlight search feature is one of the main advantages mac has over windows. Its ALWAYS at the upper right corner in the screen, searches the entire hard-drive, and easy to use and search by categories and stuff.