- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows XP, Windows 2000
- Date added: August 22, 2005
- Total Downloads: 332,208
- Downloads last week: 770
- See full specifications
A newer version of Google Desktop Search is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 334 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
A simple, small, and free application, Google Desktop indexes your hard drive the way the company's own servers index the World Wide Web. Your search results are returned in a Web-page format, just as they are when you use the Google engine. This application offers some excellent features and searches the most important documents and locations, including local Microsoft Office files, PDFs, archived files, e-mail messages, chat transcripts, and the Web browser cache. You also can download or develop plug-ins for searching other types of documents and displaying them in a more convenient way. Similar to other local-search products, the program installs an indexing engine on your computer that runs whenever your PC is idle. Once the index is built, search results return blazingly quickly. Though the Web-based interface will be second nature to Google regulars, we're not convinced it's the best way to scan local search results. Other programs offer real-time searches, in which you see your results list winnow down as you type. Such a design scheme exploits the power of the PC and makes more sense when searching a single system. Nevertheless, the efficient Google Desktop Search stands as yet another feather in the company’s cap. Watch the CNET video review of Google Desktop Search:
Publisher's description
From Google :Instantly find your e-mail, files, media, Web history, and chats. By making your computer searchable, Google Desktop Search puts your information easily within your reach. It frees you from having to manually organize your files, e-mail, and Web pages you've viewed. Version 2.0 adds a sidebar for quick, personalized access to your favorite Web and desktop information, including news, stock quotes, media clips, weather, photos, and e-mail.
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User reviews of Google Desktop Search 2.0
- Average user rating: 3.3 stars out of 334 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 11 user reviewsSee all 11 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Desktop Search 2.0
"Faster, easier computer searches than Windows Search."
Pros: Searches take about a second, unlike 10 minutes with the Windows Search utility.
Cons: Archiving of files can take a while, unless your on a desktop that is always on, but with laptops that aren't always on or hibernate automatically, this is not really a recommended program (since the program only archives files when the computer is idle). Great for desktop users, not so great for laptop guys like me.
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1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Desktop Search 2.0
"great and faster than the orthodox windows search"
Pros: Highly effective,you get results from your comp. in milliseconds, the results which your existing search panel from Windows took minutes to find...and sometimes didn't find at all!!!
Cons: Well, it makes an index of all the data names on your system and thus will consume a lot of space on HD, 420+mb in my case.
If space is not a constraint then I don't think there is a reason whynot to use it.
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Desktop Search 2.0
"as far as total search programs... this is the one."
Pros: I tried MSN serach because my cousin, who works for them, suggested that I try it. I did and I was not impressed one bit. It seemed to be a memory hog. Then Google came out with this and I really like it. Once it finishes indexing then try it out. It takes a while to index your files.... but not half as long as the MSN search took. Many many options.
Cons: I don't like the fact that if you don't uncheck the privacy and sharing box, it's defaults to you agreeing. It should be the opposite. When you're loading the program, just uncheck that box. Have Fun!
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1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Desktop Search 2.0
Pros: Have you ever saved a file and forgotten where you put it? Used the regular search, but to no avail? Then you're just like I was! And I say was, because after I downloaded this, that hasn't happened again. (Not the forgetting part, I still do that. :P)
Just like all of Google's products, this is simple and easy to use.
Cons: None so far.
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Version: Google Desktop Search 2.0
"one of the great tools to have"
Pros: I had tried more than 4 different desktop search software so far, and 2 were really caught my eyes - Google Desktop Search and Windows Desktop Search. Personally, I found Google one is better than Windows one because it does not search resource with explorer; which at sometimes when the it is doing some extensive work and it uses up all the CPU time; my Windows Explorer became unusable or very slow.
Cons: Cannot choose when you want to do an index or force an indexing to begin.
- See all 11 user reviews Write review
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