Search my Files 4.0 update brings secure file move feature

Martin Brinkmann
Apr 26, 2013
Updated • Apr 27, 2013
Software
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Search my Files by Karsten Funk, not to be confused with Nir Sofer's SearchMyFiles, was updated today to version 4.0. The new version introduces several new and improved features, and since I never reviewed the program before, I figured this to be a good time to do so.  It is a file management tool as much as it is a desktop search program.

The program can be run as a portable version if you like, or integrated in Windows Explorer. When you start the program you see the main search interface. Here you can select the locations on the computer that you want to search and make lots of - and I mean that - customizations. Here are a couple just to provide you with an overview of what you can expect here:

  • Search files, folders or inside file contents.
  • Use Regular Expression search or DOS wildcard search.
  • Limit results to specific file extensions.
  • Collect all kinds of file information (dozens of options) including MD5 hash, path information, encoding, compression state, file version or time stamp.
  • Select the depth of directories that you want to scan recursively.
  • Exclude or include hidden and system files.
  • Search for duplicate files.

search my files 4.0

Once you have made your selection and clicked on the search button you are automatically taken to the progress tab. Here you see information about the search progress, including the files and directories that have been analyzed so far, as well as the files and directories that match the selected filter. You will also see the speed of the search in files per second, and the total runtime of the operation.,

A report window is opened afterwards automatically. Here you see all the files and directories matching the query sorted in a table. You can sort the table with a click on a table header, display previews for select file types such as images, and use the right-click context menu to work with files listed here. You can theoretically use it as an image viewer, to browse a collection of images by switching to the show previews mode.

The context menu displays the secure move option among many other options. You can copy or move select files, delete them, open them or run them using a different user account. The data can be exported to the clipboard or to a XML, HTML, CSV or ZIP file, and you can also use integrated third party tools like Hex Edit, HJSplit or Rename Files for further actions.

search my files

The program's duplicate file finder uses an ingenious system to test if files are duplicates. Instead of calculating hash values from full files, it is only reading 24 Kilobytes in total to compute the hash. It takes 8 KB from the beginning, end and middle to compute the hash which makes it a fast solution when it comes to the functionality. Filters can be set to make it even faster, for instance by excluding files that are smaller than a specific size.

Verdict

Search my Files may not be the prettiest program out there, but it is packed with features. It is also pretty fast when it comes to searching the system for files and leaves little to be desired in this regard or in terms of functionality. Note that some antivirus engines may flag the program as malicious. I had troubles running it on a system with BitDefender installed, and Virustotal reports that four out of 44 engines report the file as being malicious.

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Comments

  1. Ray A said on December 27, 2019 at 4:49 pm
    Reply

    Excellent article and review. This is the most impressive, full-featured search tool that I’ve seen in years. And its open source!

  2. Ken Saunders said on April 29, 2013 at 3:29 am
    Reply

    I’ve relied on Everything search engine (portable version) and have liked it for it’s really fast speed even through 3 internal hard drives and sometimes external as well, but this looks pretty sweet (considering the features) and worth checking out.

    Thanks.

  3. Jojo said on April 27, 2013 at 1:08 pm
    Reply

    It’s not clear from your review. Does this program support indexed searching? Or is it strictly real-time search only?

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on April 27, 2013 at 1:22 pm
      Reply

      It is not indexing files, but the search itself is pretty fast.

  4. Shawn said on April 26, 2013 at 6:35 pm
    Reply

    AutoIT is my programming tool of choice… you can practically do anything with it. Right now I’m currently building a hidden object game maker with AutoIT but should you want to see something spectacular that was built with it someone actually made a Mario Bros game with it.. since I’ve seen what people can do I can’t stop playing with it.

    Now considering you’ve found amazing gems in the past would you know of a program to manage technical writing / code snippets type of storage database as I’ve been collecting so much AutoIT code from everywhere I need to find a way to organize all of them. Spent a week already trying to find something that is in the open source area but in vain.

    DropIT was also made with AutoIT and because of it I was able to find out how to use movable transparency which in turn I made a card scratching game.. so ya AutoIT is great for theses type of jobs… Great work to the programmer…

    ——Update—-
    LOL I just noticed one of the tools that he has on there the resolution changer I had seen it on the official AutoIT site… I must admit quality work from this person.

  5. Shawn said on April 26, 2013 at 4:58 pm
    Reply

    The malicious detections I’m sure are caused by the programs aggressive search routines… As for the program itself thanks for mentioning the update I had not updated this little gem in a while.

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on April 26, 2013 at 5:01 pm
      Reply

      I talked to the author and he mentioned that it is created in Auto-It, so that’s the reason.

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