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A useful (and free) file finding tool. I use this a lot.

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Gyppo
Posts: 1338
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 3:28 pm
Location: UK

A useful (and free) file finding tool. I use this a lot.

Post by Gyppo » Sun Apr 18, 2021 11:12 am

EVERYTHING.  A simply useful and functional search utility.  Does what Windows 'search' ought to, but doesn't.

As far as I know this only works on Windows, but it doesn't give a damn which version you're using.  I'm sure the Apple and Linux crowd have their own equivalent, probably with a 'funky' name like Steve-Jobs-Is God, or Lightning Lizard V1.01.2az

But back in the real world...

There are however two versions.  One for the old 32 bit Windows, and the other for the more modern 64 bit Windows.  If you're running a newish machine you're probably already on 64 bit.   I've used both and and it seems equally fast on either.

Download at
https://www.voidtools.com/downloads/

Pick the appropriate 'download with installer option.  It's straighforward.

This is a clean link which takes you straight to the developer's own website, rather than some of the more 'dubious' download sites which may - very likely will - try and foist all sorts of other junk or even malware on you at the same time.  Some of which is a nightmare to get rid of.  Far better to simply not let it in to start with.

You will get asked once if you want to make a donation.  There is no persistent 'nag' screen constantly exhorting you to upgrade to a full and 'improved' version.  This is the full version.

Every now and then it is upgraded by the developer and you will get a one-off note to tell you this and you can simply install the new version over the old one.  If you don't want to bother the old one will just carry on working anyway.  This is software heaven compared to many utilities.

So what does it do?  How does it benefit a writer or poet?

If you can recall a filename, full or partial, or a keyword in that name, it will go and find it for you.  That's it ;-)  It's a one-trick pony, but it performs that one trick perfectly

On the most basic setting it will return thousands, even millions if you have several drives and external back-ups. But you probably don't want that.  It will terrify you with all the hidden stuff Windows keeps away from you, which only coders  and programmers need to see.

Wordsmiths don't need that crap.

There's a drop-down menu which lets you specify a file type, music, video, picture, etc.

The one you'll probably use most is document, and it will produce a list for you of .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .pdf, etc.  Yes, it should also find files written using Open Office or Libre Office if you use either of them as your processor.  But I can't speak from personal experience there.

It will find things you've long forgotten.  Sometimes this is a buried treasure, and sometimes akin to finding dog mess on your shoe.  If the latter it will tell you where it is and you can delete it.

If you've updated things over the years you can cut and paste texts from an old format into whatever you are using now.  You may need to tidy some of these cross-overs up a little bit, but it sure as hell beats retyping every word.

Is it difficult? 

My best advice is to download it and give it a try.  It won't damage your existing files, it just indexes them, neatly and thoroughly.

What if I hate it?

In that case then simply uninstall it via Windows own 'control panel'.  It will go quietly and politely into the night, taking its index but not your precious files.

Should I download it straight away?

Maybe not right now if you're in the middle of Napo.  Right now you don't need another excuse to go down the rabbit hole and get lost for an hour or more re-reading old stuff ;-)

Does Gyppo get paid for this plug?

Not a single penny, but if you use it and like it then please spread the word as I have.

Gyppo
Last edited by Gyppo on Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
I've been writing ever since I realised I could.  Storytelling since I started talking.  Poetry however comes and goes  ;-)

ajduclos
Posts: 1746
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2019 1:35 pm

Re: A useful (and free) file finding tool. I use this a lot.

Post by ajduclos » Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:02 am

Thanks, Gyppo.  Sounds marvelous.  I will download it a give it whirl after NaPo, as you suggest.
Aj. 

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Tracy Mitchell
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Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2018 3:58 pm

Re: A useful (and free) file finding tool. I use this a lot.

Post by Tracy Mitchell » Sat Apr 24, 2021 8:43 am

Thanks for that info -- I may give it a go after NaPo.

By far the most useful file I ever heard of is one surreptitiously floating around during my daughter's student days.  The file doesn't open.  No matter what.  That's the beauty of it.  You got a term paper due today -- its Friday and everyone is headed to the bar.   Slap your title on it, e.g. Gyppo's Term Paper, and email it to the Prof or TA before the deadline.  Then you've got Saturday and Sunday to finish it.  Monday you get an email which says the file won't open.  You express surprise, and "resend" your paper.

I wonder how long that window lasted?

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