ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 Windows Desktop Search 2.6.5 beta (KB911993) is now available from http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=4639280.More information: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/desktopsearch/default.mspxThis appears to be a renamed replacement for the MSN Desktop Search. Not sure if this has to be uninstalled first - I will do some digging... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted March 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 [This appears to be a renamed replacement for the MSN Desktop Search. Not sure if this has to be uninstalled first - I will do some digging...Confirmed - MSN Desktop Search 2.5 will be uninstalled when installing the new Windows Desktop Search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 Let us know if it runs OK. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted March 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 In the MSN Desktop Search forum several people complained that their settings were not transferred to the new installation. I did not experience that. I left the MSN Desktop Search running when starting the installation. The installer detected the presence of the previous beta, uninstalled it, and preserved all settings.The indexer is currently running, and I don't expect it to complete until next week. (The last time I did a complete reindexing it took 5 days; I have a vast number of documents and program source files on my 12 partitions). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D4\/!d Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 I don't understand the purpose of this applet :(Will it, for example, assist me in using the search function (Ctrl+F), to find music files or photo files that are spread across four partitions..?? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarecrow Man Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 Google Desktop Search 3 is also out today.http://forums.windowsforum.org/index.php?showtopic=23773&hl= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted March 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 I don't understand the purpose of this applet :(Will it, for example, assist me in using the search function (Ctrl+F), to find music files or photo files that are spread across four partitions..?? :)No, it is not related to the old Windows search function. It indexes every document on the PC, it can even index documents on the network. You can specify what document types to index in addition to the default file types.Once indexing is complete you can use WDS to very quickly find things with keywords, file types, dates, and many other things you can specify. You can include emails in the index, and very quickly find emails from decades back.It is especially useful if you have large amount of documents and mail; with WDS you can find what you are looking for within seconds. The left side contains a list of the serch results; the right side contains a preview of a selected document.Yesterday I thought indexing would take until next week. I was very surprised when it had already completed this morning. It seems the new indexing engine is much quicker.Google Desktop Search 3 is also out today.http://forums.windowsforum.org/index.php?showtopic=23773&hl=I have tried the first beta, and I was not very satisfied with it. Maybe I should try the new version? But I must say the new WDS is really good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D4\/!d Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 Thanks Pat, that's most helpful :)Do you happen to know if it will be suitable for me, with a second hard drive full of music files such as mp3's, flac's and so on..?? :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted March 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 I don't have any music on my computer, so I don't really know how WDS works with music or other multimedia. However, looking at the WDS panel I see that I can select subsections of my search result, and these are divided into Documents, E-mail, Music, Pictures & Videos, Appointments, and IM Chats. So I guess it does index Music.Why don't you try it? The download is just about 4MB (MSN Desktop Search was 9MB), and indexing is pretty fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 I have just installed the Beta version and immediately run into a snag.I am not sure about the correct terminology but as you can see by my screen shot - it has changed the layout at the bottom of the screen. My quick launch toolbar was not visible after the beta installation but after right clicking on the taskbar and clicking on toolbars I was able to get it back again by clicking quick launch - but now in two rows one above the other.I can unlock the taskbar and drag and drop the items to different positions or change their size - but cannot get it back into one line. I also feel that the font size for the start button and taskbar items is now smaller.Any ideas????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 If that was me I would get rid of it right away until such time as they get it right. I don't honesty think it's worth messing about with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Further to my posting above - I have done a bit more fiddling around. I tried hiding the quick launch toolbar and the MS search window but the display remained at two rows. It seems to be the clock area that has got screwed up - the clock now shows time, day and date in 3 rows. Turning off the clock still leaves the block the clock and task icons occupy the same extra size with the task items in 2 rows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Another addition to the saga.Tried to uninstall the MS Desktop search beta - using the proper method in Control Panel. however - it would not uninstall - got a message stating that the programme package could not be located and to contact the programme vendor. Therefore did a system restore to get back to normality which restored the taskbar etc at the bottom of the screen but MS search was now missing even though it had not been uninstalled. It was ticked in taskber - toolbars etc so should be visible.Then tried to do a reinstall - it first said version 2.5 was still installed and would remove it - but then came up with the same error message about not being able to find the package.After more abortive fiddling about to correct matters without success - resorted to trusty old Acronis and reinstalled my C: image.All seems now OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Are you going to do the sensible thing now and leave the program alone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Are you going to do the sensible thing now and leave the program alone?Dunno - aint med me mind up - I'm a masochist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Is this yet another bit of software that Microsoft has nicked from someone else, "improved" it to fit into their Windows family - like they've tried (and failed) to do with so many other previously good programs and succeeded only in making something that fubars people's computers, fails to work properly and all in all fails to come up with the goods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 I certainly won't even consider it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rong Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Have you tried just putting the cursor over the top of the quick launch (should change to double arrow) hold down the left mouse button and drag down to a single line. (needs to be unlocked) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted March 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 From the image I can see that the taskbar was unlocked.But I think the easiest would have been just to disable the search bar. I don't have the search bar activated; I just use the little magnifier icon in the systray.The product works fine for me, and I even have to say that it works far better than the first beta of the Google desktop search! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Have you tried just putting the cursor over the top of the quick launch (should change to double arrow) hold down the left mouse button and drag down to a single line. (needs to be unlocked)T'was the first of many things I tried. The bar refused to move to single line. I also tried disabling the search bar as suggested by PW - but the block where the date appears refused to collapse to one line.Tomorrow I am off to the isles of Scilly for a week - but will have another go at installing the programme when I get back. I hate to be beaten by a dumb machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Enjoy your trip. :D The dumb machine will be eagerly awaiting your return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted March 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 I was almost going to reply how much I would like to go to Sicily, but then I read the post again :D Anyway - enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanHo Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 I have found the time to have another go at installing the Search beta - this time the installation seems to have been OK and the taskbar at the bottom of the screen came back as one line. However, it was unlocked and without the quick launch or the new search window showing - I had to right click and tick the required options. Having done that the toolbar was OK but my desktop picture changed to a plain blue screen (with the normal icons superimposed) and I had to reset the desktop display.The other change is that Internet Explorer has now lost the web page tab feature (Like Mozilla) which I found useful.Anyone know how I can get the tabs back and still retain this beta search programme ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 You really are a glutton for punishment. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D4\/!d Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Why don't you try it?No Thank You..!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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