All of us, at one time or another during our computing experiences, have created a new document, and in our hurry to name it and save it, called it something we can’t remember and saved it in a folder known as “who-knows-where”. Come on. Fess up. You know you have.

Fortunately, modern operating systems have built-in and add-on tools to keep track of our stuff, often in spite of ourselves. In “the old days”, we needed to either stay “within the boundaries” of where the operating system wanted to keep files, or at least come up with a filing system of our own. Today we can use sophisticated search technologies that can not only search for and find files by name, but can also find specific data buried deep within files. These search tools are also blurring the line between the files on our computer and the vast resources available through the Internet. In the future, computers will know where things go and just put stuff away for us. But that’s getting way ahead – actually, the first half of 2005 - but we’ll get to that next week.

Computers have long been able to accomplish file searches based on criteria like file name, file type, date created, etc. With greater computer speeds came the ability to search inside documents as well. Now, even with the blazing speeds of today’s processors, searching within thousands of files can be time consuming. To speed up the search-by-content process, operating systems do something called “indexing”. In the background, either by schedule, or during times of inactivity, or alongside other processes, the computer indexes, or catalogs, information within files. Indexing does use precious processor cycles, enough that the feature wasn’t built into Windows XP. Indexing and searching by content is built into Mac OS X, but indexing is only done when you’re searching, so it doesn’t use background processor cycles.

Windows XP users eager to search-by-content need look no further than the new Google Desktop Search (GDS) application. Yes, it’s the same Google that millions use to search the web. Here’s how it works.

You install Google Desktop Search (only a 400K download) on your PC (Windows XP or Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 and above). Double-click on the installed Shortcut, and Internet Explorer opens, announcing that the indexing of your computer has begun. GDS doesn’t use up processor power while you’re working – it waits till it senses no activity, then gets at it. Full indexing can take several hours if you have a lot of stuff. Install it before you go to bed, then set your computer to stay awake all night. You awake refreshed, and GDS has indexed your computer.

GDS indexes the full text of your emails in Outlook 2000+ and Outlook Express 5+, your chats in AOL Instant Messenger, files in TXT, HTML, DOC, XLS, and PPT formats (basically, all your MS Office files), and web pages you’ve viewed with Internet Explorer 5+. GDS caches web pages you’ve visited so you can go back and see them while offline, as well, and retains all of Google’s excellent web searching capabilities.

I know what you’re thinking. Here’s a portal, connected to the Internet, that’s making a list (and checking it twice, er, continuously) of nearly everything on My Computer. Google is adamant that your data will not be transmitted without your permission. You can also designate “hands off” files on your computer that Google will not index.

Microsoft has announced that it will be offering its own Internet and Desktop Search engine by the end of 2004.

© 2004 Peter F. Zimowski