It appears that sometime after May 2015 FileSearchy has perhaps become free. On the website there is no longer a mention to purchase a separate "Pro" version of the application; and under download the single license is listed as "freeware".

However, without the former "Pro" version software to compare with, I do not know if the same/full feature set is currently included.

Also, it is listed as working with up to Windows 8 (not 10), in spite of the latest recent update to "v1.41 - 31 October, 2015". It would be nice to know if someone has tested it under Windows 10 (32 and/or 64-bit).

It is worth checking out at the new "price" (free) considering the good reviews (above)!

To XP-Man (and Roland):

Did you figure out a way to contact each other? I've often wanted to be able to do that (private conversation) after reading GOTD comments, although I suppose the forums are for that purpose. I'll check the forums after submitting this -- maybe there's a FileSearchy Pro thread started you're already using!

Anyway, I too am very interested in a good file-search program. Are you talking about something that fast-searches the CONTENTS of files (and hopefully the filenames as well in the same package), possibly using indexes to speed the results?

For the last couple of years I have been VERY satisfied to use Locate32 for file and folder NAMES. After proper setup of the database of drives to process, and enabling/disabling of the extensive features, I find that it works great, very fast, thorough, low system impact and is easy to use. When I last tried for support the friendly developer responded quickly. Sad, however bug-free and well it still works, to see it is no longer being developed -- I hope he might change his mind.

(Working with computers since before the PDP and later VAX days (OK, actual punch cards -- wow, now that taught me to type carefully!), I don't need a cartoon-like "modern" interface. Filling in well-laid-out blank fields on a simple form works just fine.)

Also, for file CONTENTS I have been using dtSearch for nearly a decade (but, amazingly, it does not work for the file or folder names themselves -- duh -- at least not the edition I'm still using). For that I've scheduled the generation of a directory-dump file containing all filenames/folders for each indexed drive... or simply use Locate32 since discovering it a couple of years ago!

dtSearch (.com) is a mid-priced (for many years $200 for the desktop edition), very mature commercial/industrial-strength program that is VERY powerful with many search options (expressions, binary & fuzzy searching, near-within, etc.) and features, and can index most ANY type of file most anywhere accessible on or by a network -- binaries, documents, XML, OCR, media file meta-data, e-mail PST, etc.

For as long as I have used it, it has been worth every penny for the time saved in finding stuff no matter where it lurked. My initial challenge was to rule out what it should NOT index for search!

A copy of dtSearch running on a local machine can search indexes generated remotely on other machines to reduce network traffic and speed results (pretty amazing to see in action on my own LAN on my old machines), and also includes "spider walking" the online content of websites to the page depth or other linked websites as you desire.

However, dtsearch has a fairly non-friendly "professional" mostly-text-based user interface that takes a while to explore and get used to. I've been hoping for years that someone would write a general purpose "public" GUI front-end for it (now THERE's an opportunity!) as many custom-tailored ones have been professionally written by consultants for specific industries and/or clients.

One last plug (I know, I sound like I work for them, but I don't!): Whenever I've contacted dtSearch for support (email, Yahoo! Group forums, a phone call to actual people!) they have been very responsive and friendly.

I have yet to try X1 search which, from my own "research", I understand strikes the best balance between price ($50 dollars?), features and performance among those applications in the class alongside Google Desktop Search aka GDS (no longer supported, and I found too intrusive and slowed my PC a lot), Copernic (free version obsolete, stripped down and with issues), etc.

So if you have released a similar application (or plan to), I'd be happy to know about it -- Thanks!

Problem was / is - Not searching the built in SDHC card reader.

I've found an answer, but it's a pain in the bum.
Each time I search I need to have the search pane view and then 'add a folder'.

Found a problem - I have a built in SDHC card reader that load normally as drive F.
File Searchy does not search this drive, even if I remove and then insert a new / different SDHC card.

Sorry to come at this so late in the day but I ran across an awesome and fast program called Find And Run Robot. It's small, it's quick, and you can assign it a custom hotkey so that you don't have to go looking for the shortcut while working on other things. Just hit the hotkey and you're in business! Once your search has completed, use your down arrow key (or click on it with your mouse) to highlight the entry you want and hit Enter and you're off to the races. I've never, ever had it fail to find what I am after and always shows the one I want listed as the first selection or in the top three. It uses some sort of smart indexing to prioritize its results so that you don't have to search through a huge list just to get what you want.
http://download.cnet.com/Find-and-Run-Robot/3000-2072_4-10433609.html

I like it, but WHY don't support network drives?
It's a shame.

While we are discussing this program, anyone knows how it compares with Google Desktop? That's the program I am used to, while it has shortcomings, it is quite usable, is this program any better? Thanks.

Hi, have been away from my computer for most of the day, so posting late comment. I too had an earlier Giveaway of this Program (v 1.1 Pro, 18 Feb '14), so kept that one in different location than today's v 1.3 - to compare and see what new features there might be.

BUT, both installations now show v.1.3 and the only noticeable difference is shown in Folder sizes - v 1.1 is 19.2 MB, and v 1.3 is 22.6 MB. To be honest they both look pretty much the same at first glance, so as long as the newer one does the same job, only better - I suppose there is no need whatsoever to keep the other one?

Question is - if I uninstall the first Installation, which now became 1.3 anyway, will it spoil today's one? Copying today's one over the other older Folder seems messy. Any clues? Aha, to see what was updated/fixed/added in this Giveway one can go to Download on their website and check History: http://www.filesearchy.com/history

Away of these few technical matters - I find this Program to be very useful indeed, I use it (now) all the time, and so frequently - that I keep it's icon on my Desktop as is, among very few 'core' icons (the rest neatly put in Folders and showing only shortcuts to them on desktop, as I dislike icon cluttered view:)
Thanks GOTD and Midline Soft for this lovely Gift. Recommended.

Does anyone know, if this program can search .jpg meta data?

When I import photos I always try to put in key words to help find them later. Things like Mom;dog;beach;vacation; etc...

Windows 8 works fine, but NOT for network drives, or temporary external hard drives, jump drives, SD cards, etc.. It doesn't seem to work. (or I don't know how to use it properly)

Or, if this offering will not do it, will any of the others mentioned here today work this purpose?

-thank you!

This seems to be an excellent program. Works as described. I did two separate searches "in files" by defining first the extensions of the file types. The first search was while still in Trial mode before I had activated it. It took about 7-8 min to find 2 specific words which showed 349 times in 47 different documents. I was then able to export a .cvs file with the results to My Documents folder.

After I activated the license, now it shows that it's registered to Giveawayoftheday and the [Trial] blurb is removed. I ran the Activation file 'As Admin' since I'm on Vista. Maybe that's why it hasn't worked for some people - they need to re-run the Activation file as admin to trigger the license.

I then did another search within only .epub files (which is only a feature within the Pro version, as I understand) and it again found 136 instances of the search terms within 17 files.

I have nothing to complain about. This program is most certainly VERY different from Everything, which I use almost daily. Both are great but for their own reasons.

Thanks a million to the developers for making this available today and giving us a chance to try it out. We appreciate the gesture. And thanks to the host - GAotD - for running this promo!

Have a nice day/evening... wherever you are and enjoy the new toy. I certainly will.

@Karl #15
Search for a string inside epub document is fast and retrieves both document(s) name and occurences of a given string; unfortunately it does not find sentences but searches (and finds) occurences of each word in the sentence,even if placed within quotes.
I do agree with the comment of Midlinesoft #22.

@Jeff #32: the program finds strings inside pdf ebooks, just like with epub books.
Great program

To Wayne #41. I am also searching for a program that would search more than 1 word at the same time, separated by a few words. Never found it, although in "Copernic Desktop Search" (free for a limited sized index, and you can find it at a discounted price ($25) for the full version without this limitation) there is the NEAR parameter, to be put between to word to be searched, to find documents containing these 2 words, separated by a maximum of 10 words by default.

To Aaron Farnsworth #31. I fully agree with you, Total Commander is a pure gem (the king of them all), and you can find files by name and/or content + a myriad of other useful things. Qdir is quite good also, for a free program.

HDDB mentioned by our dear Giovanni is very good. Its index is permanent, and must be updated manually from time to time to be up to date. The advantage is that you can search immediately, without
waiting for the building of the index. Everything is wonderful, as other said, but the index must be rebuild each time you open the program (once per session), which take a little time, but not too long.

Again, many thanks to Giveaway of the Day, and to all the contributors. Of course, a special mention to Giovanni, Karl and Mike. Great guys !!!

The registration / activation program works.
You just have to wait for indexing to complete before the activation will show as complete.

Addressed to all of you, who have a problem with activation.
FileSearchy Pro need to be restarted after running activate.exe.

So please try these steps:
1. Exit FileSearchy Pro (click Main menu > File > Exit).
2. Run activate.exe.
3. Launch FileSearchy Pro.

Aaron, I use and like Q-Dir, but how do you search with/in it?

Check out Master Seeker - http://www.master-seeker.com/.

Its a basic search only and standalone executable file (with Config file - hidden). It can search my 9TB as fast as I can type it in the search query, I kid you not.

Instant results, brilliant and small size.

"Free" and it searches pretty fast. Wise Jetsearch

http://download.cnet.com/Wise-JetSearch/3000-2248_4-75717142.html

A year ago, somehow, my " Search " option on XP stopped working. I tried everything to restore, replace it. Nothing doing. I installed today's GOTD FileSerachy and I'm back in business. Thanks so much GOTD.

#1 Secret Agent

The Windows embedded search routine is also woefully slow .

I have been using Agent Ransack, which is freeware, and it's superior in every aspect.

#1 Secret Agent
Including this giveaway software, I have 24 search programs.
Windows Search is excluded as it is useless.

For searching within MsWord doc files, InfoRapid-Search+Replace is the undisputed king. It can search within the file for a specific text A that is less than X number of characters from specific text B.
And display the find results IN CONTEXT.

For searching all types of files, Locate32 and Agent Ransack are excellent. These two can search within the file for a specific text.

Grepwin, Fileseek and TextCrawler are very good and all 3 can display find results IN CONTEXT.

I search a lot of text files and would like the ability to search the text using 2 or more whole words to limit the results. In other words "all" the search words must appear in the file to be a valid result. This software finds each word and shows the result. Using all the words search will limit the results to be more manageable. Is there a way to make this software do what I want ?

Hmmm... Claims that it's registered, but says that it will get me free updates until October 24, 2014. (That's not a typo on my part.) Ummm.... can someone please get back to me about this?

Good program todae. However, my favourite file search and indexer has long been Copernic Desktop. It is free and has no expiration date.

Happy Dae·

Found this [UltraFileSearch]some months ago and I have to tell you its an absolute delight. It finds files, folders, texts in files, etc,. to say the least. Here's the link.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/File-managers/UltraFileSearch-Lite.shtml

Today's giveaway is actually helpful. Now I have the option of selecting between these two and keeping the one which consumes lesser computer memory. Adiós!!

#6 Hobo
Windows search DOES roughly the same as today's offering, it is just not as easy to use unless you know how to set it up.

At the end of the Microsoft article, it tells you how to activate natural search:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/advanced-tips-for-searching-in-windows

and if you are thinking that it still will not index contents of files, you need to tell it to. There are many articles on different ways of doing it, like this:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Windows-7-Search-File-Contents

The main thing about today's offering is that you do not have to change Window's settings, but knowing how to make Windows search properly will help you with other computers.

For posts #'s 2 and 29. I had the same issue untill I ran the program as Administrator. As a general user, it shows as trial.

post # 29 (Merle )
You might have run the program before having activated it. So it is open in the system, thus preventing activation. Now close the program (open Start Task Manager, click FileSearchy and end process)
Activate it again.
This time it may work.
By the way, thank you MikeR (Post # 160

If one is happy with a content indexing search application, such as this, should the Windows 8.1 search engine be turned off, so as to avoid the burden it places on resources?

x 12


How about PDF format?

When SearchGT died, I went on a hunt for something to take its place. FileSearchy was as good as I could find, so I've been using it off and on for over a year now. Not nearly as fast as SearchGT, and I can't get it to integrate into Explorer, but it is a speedy improvement over Windows snail paced search.

I often search for content, and I have thousands of files on my computer. For that serious business I use FileLocator (newer rendition of Agent Ransack). It is the ONLY thing that works. Other apps that claim to search for content limit their searches to a very few file types, such as .doc, .docx, and if you are lucky, .rtf. FileLocator searches all file types. It even digs through my pim files.

FileSearchy is very limited in its content search. BUT- it is a good alternative to Windows Search for finding files by name.

Hate to ask this stupid question, but I followed the instructions and can't get it to activate. Keeps telling me its a trial and I have 21 days left.

No bad at all....I had used it when it was in Beta stage and I have to admit that I was very much impressed by its advanced functions.

Can search any file by name, location, content, modified date, and/or size, but best part is that users can perform multiple searches with their own rules, by opening several tabs at the same time, not to mention that it can even integrate itself in Windows Explorer, thus allowing you to search through the contents of a folder by simply right-clicking on it.

3 THUMBS UP from me!

As BEST FREE alternative I recommend this tool (it's also PORTABLE):

http://hddb.xp-zed.com/getstarted/index.html

See also:
http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/findrun/index.html
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/search_my_files.html
http://www.ultrafilesearch.com/features.html
http://www.joshcellsoftwares.com/2011/12/instant-file-searcher-professional.html

Enjoy ^_^

I'm curious, does this read .java files? At work at the moment so won't be able to test until later tonight. If no response before then will try it when I get home and post back with further results.

If this read .java this could be dead useful!

GAOTD thank you for giving us a different thing today.

I've been using Everything for years but this is *much* better. It's just as fast, it allows searching within files and it allows searching by file type.

I was skeptical given the quality of many of the offerings here, but this one's a keeper. Thanks.

Agent Ransack.... still free :)

#2, your firewall is blocking the activation. Allow activate.exe through and it will register

@ Karl #15

2) I want to know in which ebook I find a certain string. I give a directory to search for eBooks with the given key. The result should show, in which eBook the key matches.

This simply does not work! see my first comment. Useless for searching a special string in eBooks. Rethink and rewrite this subroutine!

#10 Chris Locke.
This program appears to update the index only when it is opened.

File searching methods vary with newer methods requiring little system resources and being near-instant
If you could expand on the above statement with examples it would be much appreciated. I spent many months when creating my program in finding the fastest content search method.

When searching for content you have to search every file, it would not be possible to index
binary or phrases, this tends to be a slow process.

#16 MikeR.
Tried Win 7search facility, still an abysmal piece of work.

Have been using Locate32 for some time:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Servers/Database-Utils/Locate32.shtml

Don't know how it compares with these programs, but works quite well.

Do not use too many ebooks - mostly have read classics in Hard Cover & STILL have them - SO - This kind of search engine is going to get a work out on my machine. So far, so good - I am teaching myself about the db approach. Will try to get back to you later. Thank you GOTD team and Midlinesoft.

Maybe it's just me, but I've no need for any search utility that doesn't find text within old emails (i.e. it indexes all my old .pst files). Windows 7 did it, Windows 8 doesn't. I'm hoping Windows 10 will be more like Win 7 in this respect. If not, I'll have to buy Lookeen.

Thank you very much for yesterday Karl!!
Thanks but no thanks for today's offering GOTD.

@ post #10, abc8808: Filesearchy Pro, offered here today, is not the same as FileLocator Lite and is not from the same developer;

@ post #12, abc8808 (again): if you're not sure what Filesearchy Pro does, then read the developer's description on this page. If you're not sure what FileLocator Lite does, then go here:


http://help.mythicsoft.com/filelocatorlite/en/index.html

FileLocatorLite is the "polite name" for the multi-million downloaded freeware Agent Ransack created by developer MythicSoft more than a decade ago. Home users who wanted to have Agent Ransack on their work machines were nervous about the word 'Ransack' appearing on-screen in a corporate environment so asked MythicSoft if it could provide this same software under a less contentious name. MythicSoft duly obliged.

Regardless of your own experience, I can't see why folks who have a need to search by string, date and size shouldn't take advantage of today's kind offer from GOTD and MidlineSoft.

Those who don't have such a need can contentedly stay with Agent Ransack / FileLocator Lite from MythicSoft.

Those who simply want a lightning fast (and ultra lightweight) folder and file NTFS searcher can happily stay with David Carpenter's freeware gem, Everything. David has popped the details here:

http://www.voidtools.com/faq/

I have both Everything and Agent Ransack on this computer. I use the former for the blistering speed at which it finds any file and folder on my HDD and Agent Ransack for the occasional content -- occasional, because as most of the stuff I have is in MS Word, then it's easier to run a Find/Replace.

As to Windows Search, I abandoned it in the OS travesty that was Vista. Friends tell me it improved in Windows 7 . . so all the criticisms that one hears about indexing slow-downs may just be anecdotal stuff endlessly relayed by people who think it's true but don't actually know themselves.

Me, I'm happy with Everything and Agent Ransack. Others seeking more should DL today's giveaway.

@ Midlinesoft #12

Thank you for answering here. I will answer here :

If something doesn’t work for you please describe the problem on this page

I think we have a basic different understanding of content search. What you propose is :

1) You know the eBook where to find a certain key. You choose the exact ebook, look for a keyword and the results will be shown. The first 100 matches.

This does work.

2) I want to know in which ebook I find a certain string. I give a directory to search for eBooks with the given key. The result should show, in which eBook the key matches.

This simply does not work! see my first comment. Useless for searching a special string in eBooks. Rethink and rewrite this subroutine!

Greetings from Germany
Karl

Installed and registered, don't let it launch at the end of the setup until you have run the Activate program, then allow it to finish this way it will open as registered.

When today's download open I did have a slight problem, the search panel was too narrow and did not show the small buttons at the end of In Directory, and In Contents, vital in building up a list of directories and expressions.

The strength of this program is in its ability to limit your selections in where it searches and what it searches for in the files.
For example, "*.txt;*.doc" means it will search in both these file types, " C:\Documents and Settings;C:\Documents and Settings\User" in only these two directories and subdirectories if selected.

The "In Contents" allows very powerful expressions, personally for speed I like the “Whole Word” only selection and I avoid "Regex" like the plague.
The ability to include and exclude content particularly in the whole word type of search allows you to build complex expressions with the intent of limiting the number of files found.

First thing I did when I obtained XP was write my own search program because the one supplied by Microsoft was utterly pathetic. It is very much like today's concepts in its ability to limit the search so that only the minimum number of files are returned.

This is by far the best search program I have found and today's is an improvement on the one last version offered here and I thoroughly recommend it.

Everything doesn't search text, but neither Filelocatorlite nor Filesearchy Pro does. I extracted a short sentence from a known writing in my computer, and run the programs. Both, in turn, kept searching and searching for five minutes and didn't seem to stop to give the result!

Dear users!

Search in eBooks is supported. You can search in eBooks with the following extensions: EPUB, FB2 and MOBI.
In order to make a search in content:
- Main menu > View > Search pane.
- Enter file name in "File name:" field (e.g. *).
- Enter path in "In directory" field (e.g. c:\ebook).
- Enter a word to be found in ebook contents in "In contents" field (e.g. new).

If something doesn't work for you please describe the problem on this page and we will try to help you: http://www.filesearchy.com/support

#7 Adif,
Filelocatorlite is completely the same as this offer Filesearchy Pro.
the two might be the products of the same programmer.
Neither works well. Or both are 12 to 16 times slower than Everything.
Everything is the best.
Uninstall. But Thank you GAOTD.

Its a shame that NYB's comment has been overlooked and even downvoted - currently at -1. I'll try to explain some 'backstory'.

File searching can be done via 3 methods. method 1 (like a DOS command of 'dir *.doc') is done via searching through every directory comparing every file. This is the slowest method ever, but very thorough. If you do a search, then add a new file then run the search again, the second search will pick up the new file.
The second method is using an index. Perform the search as per #1, but record in a database every file (and details) for later on. Perform another search, and instead of rattling through each file, you can go through the database which is much quicker. Databases are designed for searching, so searching for 'fred.doc' can take seconds, regardless of the number of files. The downside though is that if you add a file, its not recorded in the database until you re-index, and this re-indexing can take a while - 'is this file in the database still valid? Is this one? And this one? What about this one?'. It could be quicker to ditch the index and just start again.
The third method is using the index already on the hard drive. When you store 'fred.doc' on your desktop, the computer notes this in the FAT (file allocation table) on the hard drive. Well, it used to in the days of FAT and FAT32 disk formats, but generally, NTFS (what Windows uses) works the same way. A file is stored on the disk, and the NTFS system records where on the disk its stored in its own index. This index is therefore an up-to-date list of what files you've got stored. You're not interested in what sector they're located at, just the names (and you can get other details - date, etc, from looking up the physical file). The advantage of this is that as soon as you add a new file, this index is update and current, and you didn't have to do a thing.

So going back to software we know and love, lets see where they slot in. 'Secret Agent' in comment #1 asked about Windows Search. This runs in the background monitoring new files and updating its index. It actually takes up a lot of memory and resources and can slow a machine down quite a bit (especially one with little memory in the first place, like older laptops). Its useful if you search for files a lot, but if you don't, its holding your machine back for no strong purpose. Its also quite buggy - searching for 'fred.doc' wouldn't actually find 'fred.doc' in some situations, due to the directory it was in, for instance.
NYB (comment #5) mentioned Everything, and this is a disk index searcher (method #3). The initial read is quite slow as it 'plugs itself in' to the disk index, but once thats done, every search you perform is nearly realtime. Search for 'barney.doc' and it'll show you every barney on your hard drive and even portable drives you've plugged in. If you've got it running on another PC (as a service) you can even search that PC, so great for running on a network server (which could potentially hold thousands of files for hundreds of users).
In a rush to type the above, I don't know if this program fits into method 2 or method 3, but I'm going to go for method 2 - the website says it maintains its own database of filenames. Like the Microsoft Search, this means (potentially) it could slow your machine down as it continually updates its index. Everything on the other hand has nothing to maintain and just runs when you need it.

So in summary (ie, skip the above and just read this bit). File searching methods vary with newer methods requiring little system resources and being near-instant. Unfortunately, this software doesn't fit into this category and other software (free!) is recommended instead.