- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows XP
- Date added: October 22, 2008
- Total Downloads: 332,208
- Downloads last week: 770
- See full specifications
A newer version of Google Desktop 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
Simple, small, and free, Google Desktop indexes your hard drive the way Google's own servers index the Web. Your search results are returned in a Web-page format that looks very similar to the Google Web site. The application's sidebar regularly updates the status of your e-mail, photos, RSS feeds, and weather.
Although the initial indexing period can crawl--especially if you have a lot of e-mail, contacts, chat transcripts, and documents for it to parse through--it's well worth the wait to be able to search any of them from a text entry box that's installed next to the Quick Launch bar. You'll still find the same basic gadget content: a music player, sports and stock tickers, a file shredder, and wackier items like an interactive plant. We like the Desktop sidebar's built-in to-do list, notepad, and the capability to integrate other gadgets with ease.
Version 5 is fully compatible with Windows Vista, emulating the rounded corners and translucent panels and capable of overriding the native Vista sidebar. There's also cross-indexing for multiple machines and sharing panel items directly with friends. The sharpest new feature is the preview window for search results, which saves a lot of time on clicking, opening, and closing.
Other programs with lighter feature sets may offer quicker and easier indexing and searching. Nevertheless, the efficient and feature-rich Google Desktop Search stands as yet another feather in the company's quite decorated cap.
Watch the CNET video review of Google Desktop:
Publisher's description
From Google :Google Desktop will offer full text search over your email, computer files, chats, and the web pages you've viewed. By making your computer searchable, it puts your information easily within your reach and frees you from having to manually organize your files, emails, and bookmarks. It introduces new ways to access relevant and timely information. When you view a web page in Internet Explorer, it caches or stores its content so that you can later look at that same version of the page, even if its live content has changed or you're offline. It organizes email search results into conversations, so that all email messages in the same thread are grouped into a single search result.
Version 5.8.809 adds support for Windows XP SP3 and Firefox 3, and adds a preference to display the deskbar on the left of the taskbar.
What's new in this version:
Version 5.8.809 adds support for Windows XP SP3 and Firefox 3, and adds a preference to display the deskbar on the left of the taskbar.
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User reviews of Google Desktop 5.8.809.23506
- Average user rating: 3.3 stars out of 334 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 7 user reviewsSee all 7 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Google Desktop 5.8.809.23506
"Gds destroyed my Outlook search"
Pros: It´s for free.
Cons: indexing needed about 20 hours.
didn´t find any mail older than the date of install of gds.
changed automatically my search settings without asking.
needs much cpu power (...)Summary: now using the xp search for my system search (it´s not great but it works most of the time) and using Lookeen (http://www.lookeen.com) for my e-mail search.
everything´s fine now ;) -
Version: Google Desktop 5.8.809.23506
"Destroys outlook, can't find things."
Pros: None. Resource hog.
Cons: Agent Ransack will find more things than this by far, and its extremely old
Indexing is slow and a resource hog
The outlook plugin makes outlook in the office (Exchange, cached exchange and PST mode) slow. Makes outlook 2k3 or 2k7 totally unusableSummary: Crap for a company with this many "smart" employees. Also, Windows Desktop Search 4 is crap too. Filth.
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Version: Google Desktop 5.8.809.23506
"does NOT Re-Index files when moved to another folder"
Pros: this product sucks big time
Cons: does NOT Re-Index files when moved to another folder
Summary: This is a worthless product. Google doesn't listen when you advise them of their software flaws or improvement recommendations. This software sucks.
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Version: Google Desktop 5.8.809.23506
"GDS is still too flaky and unreliable"
Pros: Good integration with browsers and email programs
Quick indexing and appears to be easy on CPU
FreeCons: Still randomly crashes and stops running inexplicably
Doesn't find all occurrences of what you are looking for.
Doesn't search many common file formats like .wpd, .hpd, etc...
Options and preferences are arbitrarily spread out across multiple windowsSummary: GDS is decent for a free product, but in the end you can't rely on it. It inexplicably crashes occasionally, it doesn't find all occurrences of what you are looking for, and doesn't search as many file formats like other search products, such as X1... read more >>
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Google Desktop 5.8.809.23506
Pros: Nice touch for the XPerienced user! Adds a touch of vista to XP giving users a customisable sidebar.
Cons: Hungry for CPU! Added this to my XP desktop only to see that it used up 50% of the CPU power! [1.7ghz M processor - laptop]
Summary: Bottom line... Nice addition to the uninspiring XP desktop, but if you value CPU, steer clear!
- See all 7 user reviews Write review
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