Wednesday, September 27, 2006

COPERNIC Desktop Search

 

New: Copernic Desktop Search 2.0

Copernic Desktop Search--my favorite (and free) searching tool--has been upgraded. I like it even better than before for a number of reasons. The redesigned interface is cleaner and easier to follow. For example, the different search file categories--e-mail, files, music, images, contacts, Internet Favorites, and History--are better in the new version. I can immediately see exactly how many hits were found in each category. And creating and saving custom searches is blessedly easy. The "as you type" search function is cool, too.

If you're not familiar with CDS, here's a brief rundown.

CDS looks into files--Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint docs, PDFs, and other files, such as e-mail messages (including Eudora), as well as videos and pictures. I can search on specific file types, say Word docs, or for exact words within files. The program uses an index of files on the PC in order to make searches nearly instantaneous; it updates itself while the system is idle.

The last version automatically installed itself to the taskbar at the bottom of my desktop as a new toolbar. I wasn't pleased that it did so without asking, and I promptly removed it. The new version, however, gives you an option. If you inadvertently install the features, right-click any empty portion of the taskbar, highlight Toolbars, and click Copernic Desktop Search.

Ann C., a reader, raves about it: "Copernic lets me do something others that I have tried do not--it lets me customize the extensions to be searched, and add the ones I use into the search parameters. Since I continue to use some Lotus programs that are not supported by anyone anymore, this feature sold me on Copernic."

You can read more about Copernic Desktop Search--and download it--from the company's site:
Copernic Technologies

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