Scott Hanselman

Microsoft Desktop Search...quietly released. Look at me! I can code one too!

December 14, 2004 Comment on this post [4] Posted in XML | Tools
Sponsored By

Certainly comparisions will be made to Google Desktop Search, which I'm already a fan of, but here's YATB (yet another toolbar) for IE. Rather than building it into the operating system or XP SP2, it's a viral MSN toolbar. Here it is, Microsoft's Desktop Search.

I've installed it, and I'm currently digging into how it works. Doesn't support Firefox, though. ;)

It has an X1-style type-ahead feature and rather than browser integration it's an Explorer Toolbar (I needed more things in my tray! Woohoo!)

Currently Indexing...if it indexes .CS files, I'm all in.

UPDATE: It DOES index source and XML! Yum.

About Scott

Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.

facebook twitter subscribe
About   Newsletter
Hosting By
Hosted in an Azure App Service
December 14, 2004 3:18
Just wanted to mention that using a smal hack for Google Desktop called plus from http://www.trivex.net/ allows you to add any TEXT file type to the indexer, so my GDS now searches CS, VB, XML, CLS, MDL, ASP and SQL extension (and some more which I don't currently remember).
A huge benefit MSN toolbar has is that it integrates better into the operating system (you can define cool shortcuts) and in my opinion that the display is not Web based (you can right click a result file and copy/delete/send it by mail as you would normally). On the other hand the integration of Web and Desktop results Google gives is quite an advantage...

In short I am blabbering, This war is going to be interesting and good for us users.
December 14, 2004 3:37
Doesn't install on XP x64. Crap.
December 14, 2004 4:14
Uh - where's the link to the MS desktop search?
December 21, 2004 2:51
It appears to search .xml files but not XML files with different extensions (.xsd, .wsdl, etc.). I'm assuming that Microsoft's XML iFilter is built in, but it needs to be configured to pick up other file extensions, too. Anybody know how to do that?

Comments are closed.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in any way.