Google Desktop Search: Installation Tips and Advantages

Google Desktop Search Tool

Desktop search is the name given to tools that search the contents of a user’s own computer instead of the Internet. These tools are designed in a manner such that they find information on all the drives including the web browser history, email archives, images and videos.

The Google Desktop Search was developed with the intention of bringing the Google search technology to the desktop. By installing it on your PC, you have access to your own private Google server. It goes on as a background process and indexes all documents, videos, music files, incoming and outgoing email messages, instant messaging chats and just about everything else that is available on your machine. The complete list of file types that the tool indexes is:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Text Files
• Emails
• Chat
• Web History
• Images
• Acrobat Files
• Music and Video Files

After the initial indexing is completed when the Google Desktop is installed the first time, the tool works real time. The tool indexes the file system, email and chat applications, browser caches every time you leave your PC idle for 30 seconds or more. It stops the second the mouse is moved or there is an activity on the keyboard thus ensuring that it does not affect the normal work. After the initial inventory is completed, the tool comes into action if an email is exchanged, a new document is created or updated or you decide to chat with a friend. Everything will be indexed in a matter of a few seconds.

Installing Google Desktop

The Google Desktop Search Engine can be freely downloaded from Google’s website. Although the application by itself it very small in size (just about 400 KB), the tool will take up about 500 MB of space on the PC to store the indexing details. For optimum results, you should have a minimum of 128 MB RAM installed on your PC.

After installing the setup, the application will embed a colorful icon in your taskbar and will also create a shortcut on your desktop. The installation is completed after you have setup a few preferences in a popup. You will then be notified that the Google Desktop Search Engine is starting the initial indexing.

Advantages of Google Desktop

The advantages offered by the Google Desktop Search Engine are far too many to count. However, listed below are some of the advantages that make the tool a must have:

• The tool is tightly integrated with the website. Hence, when you search for something on the website, the result page will display results from your PC (if any) and the web.
• The tool duplicates the history of your Internet Explorer. Hence, even if you delete the cache of your browser, they are still available with the tool.
• The indexing is performed when the computer is left idle. Hence, it does not slow down your work. If you work very extensively on your PC, it is advisable to leave it idle for sometime so that it can catch up with all the indexing.
• Unlike, the Window Explorer Search wherein you have to specify the drive and folder path, the Google tool can return the results instantaneously without specifying any drive or folder path.
• When you want to search for a mail in your Outlook application, the Google search returns results faster when compared to the search results of Outlook itself.
• Text snippets are displayed on the result page. Hence, you get an idea about the result without actually opening the document.
• You can use it on GMAIL and can even read your old GMAIL mails when you are offline.

Disadvantages of Google Desktop

Unfortunately, there a few disadvantages as well. Though they do not outweigh the advantages in any measure, you need to consider them before deciding if the tool serves your requirements.

• Password protected files are indexed unless explicitly turned off.
• Without any plug-ins and modifications, the tool does not index .tmp, .temp, .obj, .pst and .dat files.
• The folders that are not indexed are the System Root Folder, Recycle Bin, Local App Data and Templates.
• Zip files cannot be indexed either. This is on my wish list and I hope that Google implements this in the future.
• Only 10 results at a time are displayed.

Keeping up with Google is like chasing a mirage…you move forward but you can not really get there…it is a never ending journey. Keep updating the Google Desktop Search Tool installed on your machine with every release and maybe, just maybe, the mirage will appear a little closer.