Changing the Default Windows Search

I use google only because of it’s other services and googlepedia (<– must get firefox addon). Although it could be the fact that I’m easily impressed by shiny buttons :O

I don’t use Vista, but I can still answer the question. I would continue to use Google Desktop for a couple of very simple reasons.

1. WDS does not index Gmail.
2. WDS does not index Thunderbird. I couldn’t even find an add in for it.
3. Cached copies of deleted files don’t remain in the index for WDS. This has saved me more than once.

I rely entirely on Gmail for my email and in much the same way that Microsoft tries to tie their services together I am tied to Google.

GDS works perfectly for me and I see no reason to change. I do hope that MS continues to improve WDS. It is perfect motivation for Google to do a much better job with GDS cause Lord knows it does have it’s shortcomings.

i recommend http://locate32.net/

its damn good and made for ppl who dont like lots of bells and whistles attached to a software

I should add that I have tried WDS 4. I installed it and it allowed it to do it’s index and then used it for a week.

Aside from MS Office files and Outlook email WDS is awful. Even with the PDF and OpenOffice/StarOffice IFilters installed WDS would not return results like GDS does.

I’m using Copernic Desktop Search 2 (http://www.copernic.com/en/products/desktop-search/index.html). I even forced it to index my Thunderbird Portable mails. It’s pretty nice and fast.

You should be aware that Copernic is taking their free version to an ad supported model. Sooner rather than later you will see a little ad window pop up.

dualsub2006, I’ve been using CDS2 for over 5 months and I haven’t ever seen any ads. You mixed sth up probably.

Is taking. Means will be taking. Not currently taken. Sooner rather than later.

I didn’t mistake it and you don’t need to believe me. Go to the Copernic website here and read the features. Right at the bottom where it says ad supported, that means that they will begin displaying ads.

http://www.copernic.com/en/products/desktop-search/corporate/compare.html

Hm… That’s interesting.
Anyway, as I said before, there haven’t been any ads so far. And I’m pretty much satisfied of CDS2.

@damiankrol: how did you get CDS to index TBP? I have both installed but no luck yet in getting CDS to index TBP. Thanks

1. Run Mozilla Thunderbird (not TB Portable) - just run thunderbird.exe, this will create normal user folders, which we will use later. Close the app after creating any (fake) email account (we just need having folder data).

2. Edit
C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\profiles.ini, find lines which start at “IsRelative” and “Path”, and change them to:

IsRelative=0
Path=

(where is your username and is a direct path to TB Portable’s profile folder)

3. Go to C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles
a) make a link from Thunderbird Portable’s profile folder to this listed above,
b) rename the link to exactly the same name of a folder, e.g. mine is 0xoysseh.default (after that delete original folder from this folder so that you have just a link)

4. Done. Now restart CDS2/Windows, enter Options menu, and you will find TB’s folders and address book working.

Of course, this works and has sense only when you have your TB Portable in one, constant place (e.g. I’m using TB Portable just because I lovehaving my private data on an encrypted drive).

Oh, I see you cannot use here < and >.

(…)
2. Edit
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\profiles.ini, find lines which start at “IsRelative” and “Path”, and change them to:

IsRelative=0
Path=<path>

(where <username> is your username and is a direct path to TB Portable’s profile folder)

3. Go to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles
(…)

You do know that your index contains a cached copy of your email messages right? And that unplugging TBP won’t automatically remove them from the CDS index, right?

Your encrypted data is sitting right on your hard drive.

That’s a good point.
That’s why I moved my index file into encrypted drive, too.