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(Credit: stock.xchng)Last week, in an article about optimizing hard drives, I mentioned that I'm a digital pack rat. I'm continually bumping up against my disk size and burning files off to DVD.
While maintaining my hard drive is no big problem, finding the files I need among 120GB of images, songs, movies, Web pages, Word docs, and other personal data can be a challenge, especially when I need something ASAP.
Google Desktop allows a persistent search box in its sidebar.
(Credit: Google)The big boys of online search (Google, Yahoo, and MSN) all offer desktop apps that work reasonably well. Despite accusations of bloat and recent security issues, GoogleDesktop is the king so far, most likely because of its domination of online search.
Yahoo tried to compete with a free Yahoo Desktop Search product but stopped development to partner with X1, perhaps most famous for its e-mail search. Yahoo's new desktop search app is now simply X1 Professional Client, which offers a 30-day trial for its $50 software.
Don't worry, Microsoft still wants to own your desktop search too. Its free client, Windows Desktop Search, is widely used, free, and integrated well with the Microsoft Office Software suite.
Among the small guys, one of the user favorites on CNET Download.com is Copernic Desktop Search. It's free and some nice features, like a customizable preview pane.
Create your own file taxonomy with tag2find.
(Credit: tag2find)A new program (still in beta) is tag2find, which incorporates the popular practice of adding "tags" or keywords to your files. You're probably familiar with ID3 tags for your MP3 music files; tag2find uses the same concept, but with all of your files.
What do you use to keep the files on your hard drive organized? Tell me about it in the comments.
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On the desktop search front, I use Windows Desktop Search. Seems to work well enough and integrates well with the other Microsoft Office programs that I use.
as to adding MY 3 cents? "I" just simply use folders....
"I" know where EVERYTHING is on my hdd. "I" have zero trouble finding anything I want......
but maybe? there are 2 possible schools of thought. one is those that have no idea what a folder is.
another is those that like to complicate life with one more piece of software?
I do not know for sure. what I know is what I do. folders for everything. music folder with mini folders for mp3 and mpg and whatever else kind of musical items...wma...etc etc.
pics folder for ALL pictures...am "I" the ONLY one???
maybe I am huh?
okay peter. this is MY view,..as you asked for.
hopefully you and cnet will get together and fix the link for emailing? would be nice to have your address so someone COULD email you!!!
- Troy @ TLC
- www.ThePowerPointBlog.com
So, to not have 2gb dedicated to a search index and to prevent a constant drag on my CPU I choose to do a little organization and use a very simple search tool.
Let's first say that organization is not the lazy man's way of doing anything. Followed by, work smart, not hard. and ending up with KISS Keep It Simple Stupid.
First thing's first, either partition your hard drive (if you only have one), or use two seperate hard drives. Most home PCs still using IDE hard drives, make both your hard drives Primary HDs and slave your optical drive (cd/cd-r-w-rw/dvd...etc..) to the second IDE.
This helps if you ever have to reinstall Windows, keep the first hard drive (or first partition) for primarily Windows itself (or whatever OS). The second one is for everything else. Organize your stuff in to things like:
Downloads (these are your install files for things)
Music (you can sub-organize these by Artist - Album, I believe iTunes does a really handy job of doing that automatically based on your ID3 tags)
Photos/Pics - (All pictures, sub-categorize however you wish)
For programs that download things automatically in to a specific destination, I recommend creating a folder called "tosort". Point things like LimeWire, Bittorrent, FireFox, etc.. to automatically download in to that folder. Then periodically move those in to their appropriate folders to keep yourself organized.
Install your application on to the 2nd hard drive (partition) as well, and install them in to folders that make sense. Graphics, Internet, Utilities, Games, etc... Much easier than trying to remember who made the game or application, especially if you're fond of start-up or small-name software developers that you won't always remember and a lot of times they will install by default in to c:\program files\<companywhomakesthisprogram'snamehere>
At least for me, my downloads or installs folder contains the largest chunks of data, so when I run low on space, I just backup that whole folder on to some removeable media and then wipe the folder clean.
Once you get used to organizing, you will be able to find things a lot faster than you ever will in a find utility or in as much time..with less clutter in your installed programs or you desktop/screen real estate.
I have to confess though, the reason for writing this is to ask for help (& it is to do with searching!).
Before I installed Microsoft Windows Live OneCare I had about 15 GB available on my "C" drive. The first time I ran Microsoft Windows Live OneCare completely, this went down to 5 GB. The second time I ran it completely it gobbled up this remaining 5 GB. Now I am left with a crippled system with many, many "Temp" files and just a few MB after I run disk cleanup.
1)How do I know which "Temp" files can be removed and which might be required for the system to function?
2)How do I stop Microsoft Windows Live OneCare from repeating the problem?
Any help gratefully accepted.
Bob
PS Microsoft refuse to answer my emails on this!
D.B.
DVGUN allowed general search or target search for mail, audio, video, web pages, etc., and had update and rebuild index features. Unfortunately the web site wasn't there when I tried to check for updates last year and web searches still haven't found the company. Too bad, it was a very good program with many options.
i use the old way for doing these things
i use folders and i sort items into proper folders with proper dicriptions (if it is general Acessories the i put it in that folder, if it is a special program like Nero or Photoshop then i make an entirely separate folder
Have fun (it certainly is for me!).
- Google Desktop rules my search
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by vishzilla
June 26, 2007 8:31 PM PDT
- Google products have always amazed me, i use googledesktop for my desktop search. i love to play with the gadgets and it never lets me down
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