Desktop Search Engine Review

Desktop search engines can help you find an e-mail or file in seconds

Internet search engines (covered in our separate report) help you find what you need online. Desktop search engines, on the other hand, are small software programs that can search millions of files on your computer and, in some cases, network files, in seconds. Instead of trying to remember where you saved a file, you type in a search term and scan the list of results. Most desktop search engines can also show you a preview of the files in the results, and you can open the file from the list.

Both Windows Vista and Mac operating systems come with built-in desktop search applications that get reasonably good reviews. However, both professional and user-written reviews say that some third-party tools are even faster. For example, reviews say that Mac users can speed tasks by using the popular Quicksilver or newer Google QuickSearch for Macs, both of which are free downloads. Even more options are available for Windows users.

We found excellent objective tests of desktop search engines designed for PCs, but most date back to 2006, 2005 or even 2004, covering older versions or software that's since been discontinued. At least 20 or 30 search applications are still available if you count lesser-known titles, but the field of major players has narrowed quite a bit.

The most recent comparison test we found, at CNET's Download.com, covers just four programs. A 2008 review at DownloadSquad.com compares only two free desktop search engines: Google Desktop 5.5 and Windows Desktop 4 (built into Windows Vista but available as a download for Windows XP). Lifehacker reviews five desktop search engines for PC and Mac, and the poll of over 2,000 readers is also illuminating.

Experts recommend selecting a desktop search engine with some care. Although some of these tools are free, it takes time to install and configure most of them, then wait while they index your hard drive. An exception is the ultra-lightweight Everything search engine for PCs, which searches only folder and file names. Most desktop search engines take anywhere from an hour to several hours, however, to build the initial index.

Before making a choice, it's a good idea to scan the latest versions of the file types each desktop search application can index. Often plug-ins are available to enable indexing of less common file types. One file type might be a deal-maker -- or deal-breaker -- based on your specific needs.

For example, even the free version of Copernic can index WordPerfect and OpenOffice documents. Google Desktop 5.8 can index the transcripts of instant messages, and a plug-in is available that lets it search QuickBooks. A plug-in for Windows Desktop 4 indexes the contents of PDF files. The image files from the popular photo-editing software, PaintShopPro (PSP), can be indexed by the free Google Desktop and by X1 (*est. $50), but none of the Copernic versions index PSP files.