Indexed file searches are much faster and support many file types which can’t be conveniently searched by these grep-type text search apps. I’ve use indexed desktop search since the Alta Vista Personal Search days. There are many, many choices, both freeware and commercial. Windows Search has the most support for different file formats (via Ifilters), Google Desktop probably has the second most (via indexing plugins, one of which supports Ifilters). While I like Windows Search 4 features and Vista integration, it has by far the most complex and scattered configuration options (all quite needlessly), and some of the Microsoft Ifilters have been defective for years.

Unfortunate bug: It keeps getting hung up on a 220mb video file I rescued from a damaged, self recorded DVD. Why??? Did a date created search and it beat Vista badly, but hung up on that file. Did a search for files under 100k and MultiFind failed badly, getting hung up again on the video file. What does listed file size and date created have to do with actual file size? Is it searching inside the file for the same info.?

Both text searches (well, one I gave up on) are taking too long on my 64 gigs of data. So, I really can’t judge on speed, for I don’t know how long it should take, but this is obviously no miracle cure.

For a developer: sure, test it. You know how to run it and what to expect and look for. For a newbie, stay away. There’s no help file. For a mid-range user like me, it depends. If you’re up on file finding and/or search and replace, it’s probably worth a try. For the rest us, it isn’t. It certainly isn’t worth paying for. I’m sure most of the shareware, including the ones recommended here, have help files. I imagine if I look long enough, I’ll find better freeware. Since I’ve already downloaded this, I’ll keep it until I do. But I can hardly recommend it.

The only help is to e-mail support. Unless I’m really up on this kind of software, I’m not going to e-mail on every thing I don’t understand. It isn’t worth it. Although some super users might disagree, my general rule is: no help file = cheap software that’s rarely worth it. Unless it’s purpose is much more simple and straightforward than this type of software’s is.

Also would like to find and remove tabs and format colors in text.

Installed just fine Win XP S2. Didn’t ask where to install start up or create a desktop icon so necessary to click C:\, Program files — which after several months at GAOTD is a long list.

Tried a search for “About” in c:\downloads as know have several documentation files with that name. Seconds were advancing but nothing showed on window. Took 141 secs to finish and found 14 files. Except the window listing had 53 files, or EVERYTHING in that directory.
Huh?????

While that was running, started up a second search page. “About” as a whole word, on 4 MB flash. Found 53 files in 1235 secs. Since most were JPGs, without the search word in the title ??????. Text files that I clicked to open didn’t have anything high lighted so Multi Find was not a whole lot of help in finding.

Third try. “Gorilla”. On that same USB 2.0 drive, took 950 seconds. This time noticed that bottom bar was showing the progress and what sub folders it was searching. Found two files with that name and the saved web page from PD Artist. ????.
Okay, doing a seperate find from that window did find someone with that name who had posted a comment.

Tabs would be better named ‘Search 1, 2, 3… Instead of “New page” as really only can go a new search from the Pages menu.

Try 4, for a specific file name several subfolders down in a zip file did find them.

Gave it a thumbs down for lack of help file and poor ease of use.

For bulk string find & replace Illl stick with Gnu Tools