desktop search
An application that is used to find data in a user's local system, which includes the built-in hard drive as well as external drives that may be connected from time to time. Desktop search programs search file and folder names, the meta-data (title, author, etc.) within multimedia files and the content of popular file formats such as word processing documents, spreadsheets, e-mail messages and contact lists. Desktop search programs may also be able to search the content of Web pages that are cached by the user's browser.Desktop search comes standard on Windows and Mac starting with Mac OS X Version 10.4 and Windows Vista. Windows Desktop Search (WDS) was also made available to Windows XP users. Free and paid third-party desktop search programs are also available with additional features such as the capability of viewing the contents of found files (see X1).
Indexes are the Key to Quick Searches
In order to search the computer quickly, desktop search programs create and maintain indexes of the computer's files. It can take several minutes to index all the files the first time; however, subsequent file additions and deletions are indexed in real time.
Enterprise Search
Enterprise search extends desktop search across the network, allowing authorized users to search for data in servers and other users' computers. See Google Desktop and Win Desktop search.
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| The Mac's Desktop Search |
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| Spotlight is the desktop search in Mac OS X. Spotlight searches for data in all these files within the computer unless the user unchecks a particular type. |
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