Your PC desktop is where you save most of your important files. These are the files you need to access frequently. You keep adding files and as they accumulate, you have to search for them using the Windows search function. But, with so many files saved on the desktop, you need to create separate folders for each type of file and this can mess up your desktop.
So when you want to search for a certain file, it can be difficult to find the right one quickly. That's when you need to use the search function, and the one you automatically think about is the Windows search box. But the Windows search box usually doesn't meet expectations. Searching for files with many indicators such as filename, type, size, location, etc. can be really slow and faulty.
So for those who often search for files on their desktop, Windows search is pretty straightforward. Hence, it would be better to use third party search tools for Windows. Here we have listed some of the selected desktop search tools for Windows that make searching for files extremely convenient.
Everything is one of the leading desktop search tools that extracts files and folders by name, instantly. It comes with a compact installation file which makes it easy to install. It features a clean and simple user interface. The best part is that it indexes files quickly and offers a quick search as well. This tool requires minimal resources to find the files you are looking for. While it helps you effortlessly share files with others, it also offers real-time updates.
Price: free
It is a simple desktop search software that can use standard expressions to search for files. This helps the instrument perform more dynamic searches and restorations. The software adds an input to the shell context menu to search for the chosen folders, effortlessly. Once launched, the software allows you to customize the search function or the restore function in multiple methods.
Price: free
For those who want to search their computer's files and emails, Copernic Desktop Search offers better performance. The free version offers users indexing and searching of more than 119 file types. The pro version offers searching for frequently used files like Microsoft Office, Outlook, PDF, cloud services and so on. It allows you to search for files anywhere, on any drive of your computer. Most importantly, you start getting results as soon as you start adding your search query in the search bar.
You can even dig really deep into system files and retrieve just what you are looking for using the refinement pane on the left side of the interface. By right-clicking on any file in the preview pane, you can instantly find the file's context menu. Furthermore, the tool fully supports Boolean operators such as AND, OR, NOT, Near, etc. What's more? The software also takes up the least amount of memory and uses the lowest computer resources in the industry.
Price: 30-day free trial available; the upgrade starts at $ 10,99 / year
Agent Ransack is a free and highly customizable desktop search tool that helps you search with several parameters that are not Windows search utilities. Also, it starts working quickly on startup. It comes with a simple and responsive interface where you can search for file names or text files. You can also mention the file size, search within a date range when the file was last modified, created or used, and more.
While the software displays the search results in one window, it shows the searched and found items and the length of the search in another window. It can locate even those files that Windows search cannot, and that's pretty fast. It is an easy to use program that comes with a well written instruction manual and can easily be used even by beginners.
Price: free
Lookeen, as they claim, is an ultimate desktop search software that finds everything you need, whenever you need it. From searching in Microsoft Outlook, PST archives or on Exchange servers, to public folders, on the desktop, the program instantly searches for every email, every file and every image, regardless of the saved location. Index and search an endless list of files in all major formats. That's not all, as it can also be added as a search plugin in Outlook and eliminates opening multiple programs.
Most importantly, this easy-to-use program comes with a clean and responsive interface. It offers a clear view of all your data in the search results list, advanced filters and more. It can also be accessed from the Windows taskbar or by double-clicking the CTRL key, regardless of which program you are using. While it offers the most up-to-date search results using automatic real-time indexing, it also offers colored highlighting for search results.
Price: 14-day free trial; the upgrade starts at $ 49,80
Google desktop is a free desktop search tool that allows you to search your desktop content quickly and easily. Once installed, the program indexes files on your PC which include emails, chats, contacts, images and calendar events. The best part is that the program indexes the first 10.000 words in the first 100.000 files on your system. In addition, the program supports all major file types and allows you to take a call on which ones to index.
Compatible with Windows Vista, the application comes with a new transparent design that brings an elegant look to your system. When the search results are displayed in the browser, a small preview option allows you to view the results without clicking the parallel link. This highly effective and easy to use program offers much more in terms of performing all kinds of functions.
Price: free
Listary is another great desktop search tool that offers a revolutionary way to search for files on Windows. It helps you search for your files and launch applications super fast, for both casual and advanced users. Eliminate the hassle of browsing through folders, searching for the correct name, and looking through limited Windows menus.
It features a lightweight interface that does not slow down your PC or strain system resources. It also syncs with your favorite utilities, such as Total Commander, Directory Opus, XYplorer, Xplorer2, WinRAR, FileZilla, etc.
Price: free version available; upgrade available for $ 19,95
This lightweight program, AstroGrep is specially designed to search for files in a user-defined location. This is a portable application that leaves no traces in the Windows registry. The cool thing is that you can transfer it to any USB flash drive or any other device. You can then transport it as and when you need to search for files on the go without needing to install it.
The program features a clean and responsive interface that helps you perform most of the functions easily. Using the application, you can mention the target location or add filters by defining extensions as you add text. Its other significant features include an option to filter search results by date and size, avoid private files and directories, prepare omission lists, and so on.
Price: free
Exselo Desktop is another desktop search program that allows you to search, collaborate and share information in real time through password-protected peer-to-peer technology. Using this software, you can productively search and find desired data from files and emails on your system, cloud storage and network. Plus, it allows you to quickly share your data with friends and colleagues, and even connect securely with them.
Among its main features are:
- robust search engine
- option for a local data index
- simple and easy to use user interface
- unified with Outlook
- option to search for files, text and images
- rapid generation of results
- fast data sharing
- powerful password protection
- distributed search function
- instant messaging facility
While the free version offers search, collaboration and sharing for everyone, the pro version offers priority features and support for all power users. The enterprise version, on the other hand, offers software distribution, single sign-on, access control, and activity logging.
Price: free version available; $ 1,95 / month
If you are looking for a lightweight app that is also available for free, SearchMyFiles may be the best option for you. It offers comprehensive criteria for searching the different drives and disks of the system. The interesting thing is that it is ready to use from the start without the need for an extensive configuration.
That's not all, as you can also set up searches to find certain drives or folders and omit others as needed. The program also allows you to search for files with certain text or binary details, define the file size, and so on. You also have the option to search for read-only, discrete, compressed, and password-protected files. Overall, it's a detailed and effective desktop search program.
Price: free
DocFetcher is a free and open source application intended for desktop search. It allows you to search the details of documents on your system. It works more like Google saving your local documents. The software offers a preview pane with search term highlighting. Furthermore, you can also sort and filter the results. The program supports various document formats like MS Office, OpenOffice.org, PDF, HTML, plain text, RTF, etc.
Among its main features are,
- supports Unicode,
- offers archiving support,
- search the source code files,
- Outlook PST file, find HTML pairs,
- regex based omission of files from indexing,
- Mime-type revelation,
- query syntax.
It is a cross-platform tool available for both Windows and Linux.
Price: free and open source
Search the most used files on your system in the blink of an eye using Puggle Desktop Search. Setting up the software is a quick and easy process. Once the setup is complete, you can explore the features. But first make sure that Java Runtime Environment is installed on your computer. What's more, you can also use the Portable Puggle on the fly.
When the software is run for the first time, the configuration window appears allowing you to spend some time defining the general application behavior. It means that the application can be instructed to store the index file in a specified location. You can then start looking for the files that interest you.
It features a clean and simple interface that is easy to use. Overall, it is a reliable application that helps you find and recover the files you want.
Locate32 is another great desktop search tool that searches for files and directories based on the names of files and folders saved in a database. The program stores the names of all files in a database on the hard drives. Once the file indexing is complete, you can quickly find the file using the program's search option. It works similar to the "updatedb" and "locate" commands in Unix.
It means that it makes use of databases to save data on directory structures and makes use of these databases in search functions. Using these databases helps speed up the search. The program also comes with an application (dialog-based) along with console programs that can be used to update and use databases. The tool is not primarily designed to search for text or data within files, but it has a basic feature to perform this function.
Price: free
Searching for files and folders on a cluttered desktop can be tedious, using the usual Windows search box. These are some of the best desktop search tools for Windows that serve as great alternatives to the Windows search option. So, switch to quick search with any of these tools and be productive with your time.
