CNET Editors' review
No matter what your operating system, your PC has its own search capabilities. However, Effective File Search kicks your file searches up a few notches by giving you more options.
The user interface could use a splash of color, but it's easy to navigate. It consists of three tabs (Main, Date and Size, Containing Text) that break down your search methods. You can find files using the three tab functionalities separately, or use them in unison to drill down into your searches. The Main tab let us conduct a search based on the file's name and folder. Considering the task at hand, the program quickly pulled up hundreds of files that met the criteria. From there, we were able to narrow down our search by entering specific date and size specifications. Again, the program quickly scanned and pulled matching files. Finally, we entered specific whole words that we wanted to include in the final scan, and the much narrower results included our test items. Menu options include copying and cutting files, moving them to specific folders, as well as deleting and renaming them.
Effective File Search offers a Help menu with search and index capabilities, and the 30-day trial period is ample time to learn how to navigate its interface and features. If you're looking for a more comprehensive file search program, we highly recommend this program.
Publisher's Description
From SOW:
Effective File Search lets you search for any file on your computer or local network. The program includes support for all popular file formats (MS Office, PDF, RTF, HTML, and other text and binary files). Search filters include date and size, as well as text or hexadecimal codes. You may use Boolean operators to perform multiple keyword searches. All results and parameters can be saved to a file. The application's other features include exporting, Windows Explorer functionality (icons, context menus, drag and drop), and file operations (copy, rename, delete).
What's new in this version: Version 6.8 has ability to pause, resume, search process and to create USB flash drive version of effective file search.
More Popular File Management downloads
- EaseUS Partition Master Home Edition
62,537 downloads
- Easeus Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition
23,091 downloads
- TeraCopy
11,440 downloads
- Unlocker
9,551 downloads
- GoodSync
9,288 downloads
-
All versions:
4.1 starsout of 18 votes
-
Current version:
0 stars Be the first to review this product -
My rating:
Write review
-
"simply the best"
Version: Effective File Search 6.7
Pros
the fastest and easiest searching program ever exist. just insert the file extension and hit the search button it searches everything
Cons
none of i can think of
Summary
user friendly and searches everything... it allow you to add director(ies) exclusion and word(s) exclusion, search from containing certain word(s) etc. it's thunder blazing fast!!!! it doesnt need indexing service either unlike the built-in windows search. i dont need windows built-in search so i just disabled the indexing service process from administrative tool in control panel and it makes my PC faster.
-
"Download doesn't run: says 30 days already expired."
Version: Effective File Search 6.7
Pros
don't know
Cons
Doesn't run
Summary
Authors might try to upload a non-expired evaluation. I downloaded and ran on a clean machine. Said that 30 day trial already expired.
-
"Not too shabby!"
Version: Effective File Search 6.5
Pros
Found all the files I was looking for that Windows 7 Search could not find.
Cons
App crashed when I tried to delete a podcast file whose name was 'too long.' But I don't really think that was the programs fault.
Summary
Did exactly what I needed it to do. Many thanks to the developers!
-
"The best search software I have ever used"
Version: Effective File Search 6.5
Pros
It searches all types of files - doc xls, pdf, etc. It is very quick and thorugh and you can give it parameters like date, size, title, or containing text. When I got Windows Vista the search facility was terrible - This did the trick.
Cons
No - its great.
Summary
I needed an efficient way to search documents on my computer as I have 1000s and Effective File Search exceeded my greatest hopes. Highly recommended - try it!
-
"A Great Search Tool"
Version: Effective File Search 6.3
Pros
The search is based on text strings or words in the file name or the file itself. It?s very fast and effective,
Cons
It doesn't read my mind. You have to learn how to search. Any of the parameters may be important. The bottom line is you have to think and thinking is good.
Summary
Effective File Search is the best search engine I have tried yet. There is no search engine in Windows any more. The corporate butt boys claim that a file finder is a search engine it is a lie. I use the file finder, but it's not something I need. If you can't find ?My Documents? or ?Call of Duty? on your own then not only are you not ready for computers you are not ready for crayons. The hard stuff is where is Grandma Ella?s picture when all I know is the caption said ?Ella? or where is the report that I wrote on stock trading when all I am sure about is I mentioned ?General Motors.? If you are smart enough to read this then you need Effective File Search.
-
"very fast and effective"
Version: Effective File Search 6.3
Pros
see above summary
Cons
none......................
-
"Excellent & extensive search."
Version: Effective File Search 6.3
Pros
VERY fast.
Cons
Includes too many files with not "exactly" your input. (BUT, much faster than other searchers).
Summary
You may have to go thru 100 or more lines of search, BUT if the file is on your computer or network, EFS WILL find the file.
-
"Great Software!"
Version: Effective File Search 6.3
Pros
I hate the windows default files search, this tool is very very handy if you need to search for the text inside files, highly recommended
Cons
There is not any!
-
"Works as advertised--very fast/effective!!"
Version: Effective File Search 6.2
Pros
This beats the heck out of Vista's native search. It's fast, effective and all I have to do is right click and there's an option to search in the context menu! It makes short work of finding what I'm looking for!
Cons
Haven't really found any drawbacks for this yet...other than haveing to pay for major version ujpgrades (ie: 5.1 to 6.2). However they do offer a discount.
Summary
This programme has ultimately replaced what passes for the Windows Vista "search" feature for me. This is far faster and more effective. It doesn't require indexing all the data on my drives (and as a 3d/graphical artist, there's a lot of files in my runtimes!)
-
"Very fast, Doesn't Require Indexing, No search text PDF"
Version: Effective File Search 6.2
Pros
Lightning Fast File Search
Doesn't Require IndexingCons
Won't search text within PDFs
Doesn't support Outlook EmailsSummary
I loved it and would buy if in a heart beat if they add ability to search PDF's and Email.
Add Your Review
Submit your reply
E-mail this review
Report offensive content
See more CNET content tagged:
Previous Versions:
