Query the indexing service?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve Hawkins
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S

Steve Hawkins

This appears to be a useful service that XP wants to hide from the casual
user. Why?

When one takes the trouble to go through the many levels necessary to open
the query window, one finds that this has a similarly 'instant' search
ability to Google Desktop - though not a very user friendly one -, with the
additional bonus of being able to find many thousands of 'invisible'
temporary internet files thought to have been regularly 'emptied' via the
'normal' channels!

In the normal 'Search' 'For Files or Folders', one gets from the Start menu,
the option to 'Use the indexing service' can be selected, but searching via
the 'Search' function is still glacial by comparison with Google Desktop,
and far slower than when one takes the trouble to find and use the 'Query
The Indexing Service' window. So, why does 'Search' claim to be using the
indexing service when it appears not to be?

Just to spoil things, XP does not seem to allow the Query screen to be
accessed through a link placed on the desktop - is there any way of doing
this, other than putting the whole 'Computer Management' section on the
desktop (as I have done)?

It would also be better if search results from the Query panel could be
presented in Windows Explorer type windows, so that more details of each
could be fitted on the screen and one could pan down the list instead of
having to go 'next' all the time.

With 'Search' being generally, a 'go make the tea' exercise, which misses
many of the files in any case, why is the Indexing Service so well hidden
and why isn't the Query The Indexing Service screen available in 'Search'?
Does MS like us to spend forever trying to find things?

Any recommendations for improving access and usability of this function -
and other general views on it - would be most welcome (to many XP users I
would imagine!).

Regards,

SteveH
 
Thanks Frank,

Have downloaded msn search and now typing is slow as it indexes in the background. I now presumably
have three lots of indexing going on: Indexing Service; Msn Search; Google desktop search.

Do the first two use the same index and find the same stuff?
Should I turn one of them off/ can I tell MSN Search to use the catalogue already made by Indexing
Service?

I liked the Indexing Service for speed, just wanted easier access and better presentation of the
search results.

Regards,
SteveH
 
It's slow the first time but once done you won't see much slowdown. I don't
use Google but there doesn't appear to be any problem with the other two. I
have no idea if they use the same index so I wouldn't try to turn one off.
Hopefully MS will have more details about this at some time. RightClick on
the button and then DeskTop Search Options and you see everything you can
modify. You should be able to run it only when not being used.

Frank
 
Thanks again,

SteveH


FrankV said:
It's slow the first time but once done you won't see much slowdown. I don't use Google but there
doesn't appear to be any problem with the other two. I have no idea if they use the same index so
I wouldn't try to turn one off. Hopefully MS will have more details about this at some time.
RightClick on the button and then DeskTop Search Options and you see everything you can modify.
You should be able to run it only when not being used.

Frank
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