Locate32 / Discussion / General Discussion: Locate32 still the best?!

Anonymous - 2012-09-10

Locate32 has been in use for almost a decade! now. There were many alternatives like google search and ms indexing but none of them were anything close to resource efectiness (not indexing all the time) and supporting network drive index&search.

How about now, is the locate32 still the best tool in windows xp/vista/7 network ?

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  Anonymous - 2015-08-23
  
  for me - and i have checked some alternatives - the best one.
  
  using it all the time!
  a great one.
  
  for me - and i have checked some alternatives - the best one. using it all the time! a great one.
  
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dimag0g - 2012-10-05

Well, I also use Windows Search, and it's really good, it can even index contents of files and outlook folders, which locate32 can't. I can hardly notice any difference in search speed (it's as fast as I type) or resource effectiveness, but maybe I'm just spoiled by my quad core processor...

Of course, WS is Microsoft product, which means a profound lack of configurability, compatibility and common sense, but you are using Windows anyway, right? =)

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Anonymous - 2012-11-02

I am incredibly satisfied with Locate32! I have a network drive mapped to my PC and Windows 7 x64 refuses to index network locations. Locate32 comes to the rescue :) It takes just a little time to get used to this new workflow, because I want to use Locate32 all the time. Windows Search is obsolete. I've set up a task in Windows Task Scheduler to index my drives when the system is idle (just like Windows does with it's file indexing). Finally I can quickly find my Files on my NAS!

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Anonymous - 2013-02-16

Yep, cant find any better program because this is the best^^

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Anonymous - 2013-08-08

does anyone have experience useing locate32 as default search application for explorer in windows 7 ? I followed the instructions in the readme file. But the protocol for search only showed one option for an associated program, which was explorer. There was no way to choose another option. I tried when logged on as administrator also. thanks.

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jmj - 2013-08-08

I think it should also work in Windows 7. It might not show up in the protocol list (I guess you mean the one in control panel?), if the path to locate32.exe is wrong in the reg file. Have you check that it is correct before registering the reg file? If not, you can still edit and fix it and then register it another time.

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Anonymous - 2013-08-09

Thanks jmj. i renamed the directory from locate32 to locate and it now works.

Do you know if locate32 is usable inside microsoft word by CTRL-F?

Also, from MS Office 2010 (WORD & EXCEL), when i hit File, Open, there is a search window top right. I used it but no results were given. Do you know if Locate32 will work from this location also?

My computer is new but all data was migrated from my old one. Maybe Windows needs to index my files ...

Any suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated.

tom

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jmj - 2013-08-09

"Do you know if locate32 is usable inside microsoft word by CTRL-F?"

Umm.. why? Locate32 designated to find files based on filenames, so I'm not sure why you would like to use Locate32 inside of Word.

"Also, from MS Office 2010 (WORD & EXCEL), when i hit File, Open, there is a search window top right. I used it but no results were given. Do you know if Locate32 will work from this location also?"

No it's not possible. I think Windows does even not allow such integration.

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Anonymous - 2013-08-10

ok. i think i was expecting too much... tnanks.

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Anonymous - 2015-10-23

I find locate32 suddenly uses loads of CPU power - first I know is when I hear my fans spinning extra fast

I find locate32 suddenly uses loads of CPU power - first I know is when I hear my fans spinning extra fast

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jmj - 2015-10-23

More details could be helpful. For example, is the Locate32 dialog open or not. And if so, are there results in the results list?

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Anonymous - 2016-03-13

Hi, how use in Q-dir?

thanks

Hi, how use in Q-dir? thanks

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Anonymous - 2016-05-12

I just found out about Locate32 after scowering the web for tool that could:

search file contents for a specific folder and subfolders ACCURATELY

filter by extension type (I found out I can actually exclude extensions with minus symbol, '-dll' for instance)

IS FAST (I like how you can customize databases and choose to create and use db's of just specific folders)

AND WHAT REALLY MADE ME POST HERE: you can easily copy to clipboard the full paths of all the results!!!! AND customize what is copied even further!!!!
(ie select one or more result items -> right click -> special -> copy data to clipboard -> AMAZING)

Amazing job guys. Where can I Locate32 the donate button?

-davrob01

I just found out about Locate32 after scowering the web for tool that could: 1. search file contents for a specific folder and subfolders ACCURATELY 2. filter by extension type (I found out I can actually exclude extensions with minus symbol, '-dll' for instance) 3. IS FAST (I like how you can customize databases and choose to create and use db's of just specific folders) 4. AND WHAT REALLY MADE ME POST HERE: you can easily copy to clipboard the full paths of all the results!!!! AND customize what is copied even further!!!! (ie select one or more result items -> right click -> special -> copy data to clipboard -> AMAZING) Amazing job guys. Where can I Locate32 the donate button? -davrob01

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jmj - 2016-05-12

Thank you for you feedback. I guess there is donate link in the about box, but be aware of that development hasn't been active for years.

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Anonymous - 2016-07-16

More praise for Locate32. Microsoft really dropped the ball with desktop search with Vista and onwards; it is absolutely lousy and it either never finds the file I'm looking for (even when I'm in the directory where the file is located /and/ I type the exact filename!), and none of the other third-party alternatives quite managed to fill the void. VoidTools' "Everything Search" is similar, but its GUI is too streamlined; Agent Ransack lacked some features, stuff like that. And none of the others were as responsive as Locate32.

Reasons I prefer Locate32
* lightweight
* fast
* can save search criteria with "Presets"
* it indexes networked drives
* "old school" Win9x interface with its own dialog box
* can create and search (or exclude) multiple index-databases (useful for when I /don't) want to search the backup drives ;-)
* easy to modify search criteria by location, extensions, date, size, etc.

It's a shame this project is both so underlooked and no longer under development. Even though it does still have a few areas that could use improvement (reading file-metadata and contents, for instance) It is probably the best desktop search available. Kudos to the developers and I hope that wherever they've got to, their skills are being put to good use.

More praise for Locate32. Microsoft really dropped the ball with desktop search with Vista and onwards; it is absolutely lousy and it either never finds the file I'm looking for (even when I'm in the directory where the file is located /and/ I type the exact filename!), and none of the other third-party alternatives quite managed to fill the void. VoidTools' "Everything Search" is similar, but its GUI is too streamlined; Agent Ransack lacked some features, stuff like that. And none of the others were as responsive as Locate32. Reasons I prefer Locate32 * lightweight * fast * can save search criteria with "Presets" * it indexes networked drives * "old school" Win9x interface with its own dialog box * can create and search (or exclude) multiple index-databases (useful for when I /don't) want to search the backup drives ;-) * easy to modify search criteria by location, extensions, date, size, etc. It's a shame this project is both so underlooked and no longer under development. Even though it does still have a few areas that could use improvement (reading file-metadata and contents, for instance) It is probably the best desktop search available. Kudos to the developers and I hope that wherever they've got to, their skills are being put to good use.

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aslo sharp - 2017-01-19

I have seen 20% CPU with Locate32 sometimes, although it's often less than 1% CPU. I have not discovered the cause but will try.

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- jmj - 2017-01-19
  
  You could try to choose "Disable updating (file information from database)" in Databases first.
  
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Anonymous - 2017-06-23

Locate32 does not seem to be able to find text within files or files per se that were created in MS Office 2013 format. Any ideas about how to solve this issue?

Locate32 does not seem to be able to find text within files or files per se that were created in MS Office 2013 format. Any ideas about how to solve this issue?

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- jmj - 2017-06-23
  
  Text is probable in unicode format, so you could try to add "wstr:" to the front (see the help files). However, Locate32 is not really ment to search text withing files and lacks in that.
  
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  - Ricky Marshall - 2021-05-26
    
    And yet, it is my go-to tool for doing that very thing.
    I was looking for a comparable GUI for the linux version of locate, but it seems the selection is either an uncustomizable travesty, or using the command line.
    
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Anonymous - 2017-06-23

Thank you for your prompt answer. I will try to figure out how to add the format you mention.

Thank you for your prompt answer. I will try to figure out how to add the format you mention.

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Anonymous - 2017-07-19

I use Locate32 everyday to do mass searches on networks (in the company I work for)
It is amazing how fast it find stuff. It is a tool that really reflects the K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid)mentality. Most software today are just full of bells and whistles and don't work as expected. It is sad that a awesome software like this doesn't get more praise or doesn't have any development any more.
Thank you for making this amazing software.

I use Locate32 everyday to do mass searches on networks (in the company I work for) It is amazing how fast it find stuff. It is a tool that really reflects the K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid)mentality. Most software today are just full of bells and whistles and don't work as expected. It is sad that a awesome software like this doesn't get more praise or doesn't have any development any more. Thank you for making this amazing software.

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Phil Goetz - 2021-01-18

There's a Windows program called Everything by David Carpenter at https://www.voidtools.com/ . It's free, but source code isn't available. I've used it a bit. It's very fast, but it doesn't seem as customizable. My main problem with it is that it's impossible to find answers to questions about it via web search, because "Everything" is not a Googlable name.

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Locate32 still the best?!

Locate32 finds files and directories based on file names.

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Locate32 still the best?!

Locate32 still the best?!

Locate32 finds files and directories based on file names.

Forums

Help

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Locate32 still the best?!