Windows Desktop Search 2.6.5 Final

[lhnz]

I like this software but it could be improved quite a bit.

Personally I don't like the way the taskbar is resized if you are using a theme which has a slim taskbar.

I think it should also have a bit more configurability for users like me who like to use it to open their music from. I am not really sure exactly what, but perhaps when you search for mp3 files it should display "Artist - Title" rather than just the filename, or something like that?

Or at least list the files in a way more appropriate for music.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Are you referring to the Deskbar? If you press enter and open the full WDS results view, it should show Artist/Album/Genre/etc if you click on the "music" filter.

Also if you try "Large Icon" view, music items should have the album and genre listed in the description area.

Aside from that, we're definitely looking at a lot of great ways to improve views over your data in upcoming releases.

[Top Qat]

Does WDS allow me to index my CD/DVDs with data on?

If not, is there an add-on?

I'm always manually searching thru my collection of download archives.

[drshdw]

Is there anyway to get it to open the closest thing it finds? Quicksilver..say I type in Fir..it'll find Firefox immediately and I can press enter to open it..and a sidebar for everything else it found. Is there anyway for WDS to do that? I really hate to click on FF =P.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Is there anyway to get it to open the closest thing it finds? Quicksilver..say I type in Fir..it'll find Firefox immediately and I can press enter to open it..and a sidebar for everything else it found. Is there anyway for WDS to do that? I really hate to click on FF =P.

We've talked about that as a possible feature for the Deskbar in the future. The Start Menu search in Vista has similar functionality.

You also might try:

-When you type a query into the deskbar, just press the "down" arrow key and it will highlight the first result. Then press Enter to run it.

-Check out the "Deskbar Shortcuts" feature. For example:

Prefixing a command with the = operator will tell the Deskbar to execute it as if you'd typed it into the Run box. So if you type "=firefox" without the quotes, it should run firefox.

You can also create a shortcut by typing "@ff,=firefox.exe" into the Deskbar. Then, anytime you type "ff" and press Enter, it will run that command :)

[drshdw]

We've talked about that as a possible feature for the Deskbar in the future. The Start Menu search in Vista has similar functionality.

You also might try:

-When you type a query into the deskbar, just press the "down" arrow key and it will highlight the first result. Then press Enter to run it.

-Check out the "Deskbar Shortcuts" feature. For example:

Prefixing a command with the = operator will tell the Deskbar to execute it as if you'd typed it into the Run box. So if you type "=firefox" without the quotes, it should run firefox.

You can also create a shortcut by typing "@ff,=firefox.exe" into the Deskbar. Then, anytime you type "ff" and press Enter, it will run that command :)

Do you work for MS? :rofl: I see you live in Redmond... :p

[icecaveman]

^ yes he does...

Thanks for the update Brandon :) This one I like the most

-Shutdown times have been improved significantly (we think we’ve nailed the ”End Now” dialog problem).

[rajputwarrior]

where can we see screenshots?

and also does it support e-mails in thunderbird?

[Alladaskill17]

Does this index more then just the C:\ drive? B/c Googles did not, so im curious..

[Winston]

Is the indexing still dragging the system down? When i was using it, everytime it indexed my system would slow down a bit.

I'd like to know is it actually possible for you guys to make it so it's silent at indexing, i.e. i wouldn't be aware of it indexing at all.

Cause i can sure tell when it's indexing when i'm sitting there at my desk idle and my hdd is going nuts.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

where can we see screenshots?

and also does it support e-mails in thunderbird?

I'll post up a few screenshots in a bit.

It does support Thunderbird and Eudora using a free add-in.

Does this index more then just the C:\ drive? B/c Googles did not, so im curious..

It will index any drives you tell it to. It will even indexed mapped network drives or network shares that you specify with a UNC path.

For e-mail, it can index Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Eudora, and Lotus Notes.

[XIII]

Can you update to make it index when screensavers are activated rather than indexing while the computer is being used?

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Is the indexing still dragging the system down? When i was using it, everytime it indexed my system would slow down a bit.

I'd like to know is it actually possible for you guys to make it so it's silent at indexing, i.e. i wouldn't be aware of it indexing at all.

Cause i can sure tell when it's indexing when i'm sitting there at my desk idle and my hdd is going nuts.

In its default configuration WDS will not do any indexing while you're using the computer, or while other processes are using the CPU, or while other applications are causing disk I/O.

So no, you shouldn't ever notice any impact on your system. During the initial building of the index, there will likely be a period of disk activity from indexing when the computer is not in use (or right away if you click the "index now" button).

Can you update to make it index when screensavers are activated rather than indexing while the computer is being used?

As I said before, with the default options WDS will not index while the computer is in use.

[mercury_rising]

Great! I'm really liking this.

There's one bit of a problem though. I've got firefox (1.5.0.2) set as my default browser, and the Search Web feature doesn't work.

Whenever I click the search web button in desktop search or the deskbar, I get the contents of my C:\ drive displayed (in Firefox) instead of a search. (Screenshot in the attached file - I used the term "keyword" to search in this example).

Anyone else getting this? Is this supposed to happen, or does Desktop Search just not work with Firefox...?

[jmc777]

Anyone else getting this? Is this supposed to happen, or does Desktop Search just not work with Firefox...?

I seem to recall Brandon saying that it was a Firefox problem. It happens with Opera too... :whistle:

Edit: Here's the quote.

The web search uses whatever your default browser in Windows is. It passes a parameter in the format " ? query"

I know it works with IE, Maxthon (though they have a related bug), and FireFox 1.0 (their default ? handler would be to go to the "I'm feeling lucky" result from Google). I don't know about other browsers, but I believe this is supposed to be the Windows standard method for accessing the default web search provider (and no, I'm not sure exactly what that means either). I've heard that Firefox 1.5 has a bug in how they handle that parameter, but I haven't looked into it myself. Which is strange, because I thought they were part of the discussion that decided on that particular format.

[fels]

Easy install, good indexing time, just one little problem. Every search I do comes up empty, despite having indexed everything.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Easy install, good indexing time, just one little problem. Every search I do comes up empty, despite having indexed everything.

Is the WDS tray icon (manifying glass) there? If you right-click on it and click "status" does it tell you how many items are indexed?

What happens if you double-click on the tray icon and then do a query for * - which should return all results.

[XIII]

It is getting better.

[fels]

Is the WDS tray icon (manifying glass) there? If you right-click on it and click "status" does it tell you how many items are indexed?

What happens if you double-click on the tray icon and then do a query for * - which should return all results.

Yeah, WDS is running and the icon is there.

99,430 items indexed.

Nothing found in All Locations for query "*"

[rajputwarrior]

how is this compared to google?

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Yeah, WDS is running and the icon is there.

99,430 items indexed.

Nothing found in All Locations for query "*"

Was this an upgrade or a clean install? Is it a English system? Have you ever installing a WDS MUI pack?

[fels]

Clean install, English system, never touched anything with WDS prior to this installation.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Have you tried restarting? I'm really at a loss since I've never encountered symptoms quite like that.

[Smigit]

Brandon, have you got any information regarding the old issue where by the application didnt shut down cleanly durring a system shutdown and would thus need to be manually closed before windows could also be shutdown. This was supposedly improved apon a month or 2 ago according to another member here threedaysdown but in this and the previous release I am still getting a popup whenever I try and logoff Windows saying the program couldnt be shut down propperly and I have to click "end task" to close it.

Unfortunatly it's a major pain in the back and since I hardly use search it's more convinient for me to uninstall it rather than be subjected to these shutdown anomalities. Is there any sort of fix. Absolutly no other program has this form of behaviour on the consistant basis desktop search does.

The program box lists the problem app as WS_*** , I cant remember the full name and dont wana log off now to check. But yeah, its been an issue I have experienced from day 1 and this is including a system format in November last year so it was also a clean XP install. Perhaps its due to the fact I have it indexing all the drives but it shouldnt be it.

Anywya I know other people in the past have had this issue (there were a few post on the channel9 site). any comments would be appreciated and if you want me to actually test or send you system specs to aid then I'd be happy to. Shame because besides that its a lovely program which I would like to keep installed.

ta.

[jmc777]

I still get it too Smigit. Not every time though, it seems random.