Search tools usually begin to display results as soon as the user is entering some characters. Some instantly display hits while others require the use of the enter key to start the search. Everything – that’s the name of the portable software that is under review – uses a different approach.
Like the name suggests it starts off by displaying everything – that is all files and folders – of a computer system. It eliminates all files and folders that do not match the search query of the user in the instant the key is pressed. What this means is that thousands of file names and folders will be displayed at the beginning, for example 1.5 million on a Windows XP test system.
Entering characters will reduce that amount drastically so that the required files and folders will be left in the end. To ensure that all files and folders have to be added to the index at start. It might take a minute or two depending on the amount of files. The developer mentions that indexing 1 million files will take around 1 minute. The index will be stored on the computer’s hard drive in the same location that the file was launched from. The one million indexed files and folders take up about 5 Megabytes of hard drive space.
The desktop search tool uses between 50 and 60 Megabytes of computer memory and about the same mount of virtual memory while running. The items can be sorted by name, path, data or size.
The search supports Boolean expressions, wildcards and regular expressions. The faq contains a helpful list of the expressions that can be used in the search.
Another interesting aspect of Everything is that it can launch an HTTP server so that users can search for and download files.
Everything will run on Windows 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista and can locate files and folders on local NTFS volumes.
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I looked at Process Lasso screen and found that Locate32 uses less that 7Mb RAM. So I would recommend Locate32.
Wow, and when I say wow I mean WOW! I don’t know how it does it, but it does it, fast, smooth, nice! This is a keep, really highly worth it, IMO. Martin, you are definitely the Web’s Columbus, thank you for this true gem.
Useful addition to a Flash Drive, if it indexes that fast
@Roman: Locate32 needs to index. Everything does that too, but super fast.
MK Locate32 indexes the contents of the files as well and makes them available for search. That’s why Everything is faster in indexing.
Is it able to search metadata?
@Martin: oh thanks for the info. dang, i have to use both apps then.
Martin, Locate32 doesn’t index contents unless I am totally out of it which is possible hehe
RG I’m pretty sure that it does because I remember an option that you could tick to search in files as well.
Locate does not look inside files (content). Compared to Everything, Locate is way slow and uses heaps of resources whenever it indexes. Everything, on the other hand is completely un-noticeable (and I have a fairly old system) and will find a file that only just installed onto my machine – immediately. Further – compared to Everything, Locate (which I have used for a long time) is simple and needs pretty well no setup or administration. It is far and away the most friendly and effective search engine I have ever used.
correction idodialog, Everything is the one that is easier to install, compared to Locate.
anyway, looks like naming a software after a verb is the in thing right now. they are pretty confusing when you put them on a post title, though.
idodialog: Have you seen the File Containing Text option in the Advanced tab of Locate32? Check it out..
MK: My bad. Everything installs so easy. Then you can leave it alone.
Martin: Thanx, no I haven’t and frankly I probably never will. Sorry I was double wrong. I’m just rather enamored with Everything and I don’t often need to Search within a file – I do like to find a file quickly – so quickly it can even double as a launcher.