While an Internet search engine like Google can help you find what you want on the Web, desktop search tools do the same thing in a smaller environment -- your own computer's hard drive. While Windows Vista and the latest Mac OS have built-in search tools that do a pretty good job, some free downloaded desktop search engines can be faster and/or more thorough.

Expert reviews say to consider the following when choosing a desktop search engine:

  • Try out the search tool built into your operating system first. If you use Mac OS or Windows Vista, you already have a search application that reviewers say is fine for many users.
  • Check operating system requirements. We found some sad tales from users who installed desktop search tools on operating systems for which they weren't designed.
  • Decide how much time you can devote to learning to use a new application. Some desktop search tools, such as X1 (*est. $50) provide lots of advanced features and options that require time to master. Others do less but are easy to use right away.
  • Check up-to-date lists of compatible file types. Be sure to choose a desktop search application that works well with your e-mail program and covers the file types you use most including office documents, image files, PDFs and more. In addition, Google Desktop indexes each version of a file -- handy if you accidentally ruin or lose the current version of a file you're working on. See our Useful Links section for the most up-to-date lists.
  • Privacy issues. Copernic Desktop is a stand-alone application that, according to the current privacy policy, doesn't send any information to a server online.
  • Do you need remote access? Google Desktop 5.8 can be set up to do limited authorized searches of remote computers, handy if you use both a laptop and desktop computer, or keep files on both work and home computers. Both Copernic and Google offer mobile versions that let you search from a cell phone.
  • Do you add comments to media files? Copernic Desktop and Google Desktop can search inside media files to find comments, and also search EXIF data inside image files.
  • Browser compatibility. It's handy to be able to search your bookmarks or favorites from a desktop search engine, or use it to search the web. Most desktop search engines are compatible with Firefox, and Copernic Desktop is one of the only solutions that works well with Opera.
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