Redmond (WA) - Microsoft has posted a handful of details about the new version of Windows Search, allowing users more control over finding documents and programs hidden in their hard drive.

Microsoft's Vista operating system made Windows Search more accessible with one-click searching over the entire computer.  The next-gen version of the feature, Windows Search 4.0, will bring more enhancements.

In a preview on Microsoft's Vista blog, product manager Nick White says the new version of Windows Search is on its way for all versions of Vista and will fix a handful of bugs found in the current search platform.



Additionally, search results will be found and displayed at least 33% more quickly.  The biggest new functionality will be the ability to search multiple computers at the same time, as long as they all have Windows Search 4.0.

One final improvement will be called "rollback recovery," which White says will allow the search index to "roll back to the last good known state."  In other words, the results are not always rebuilt from scratch.

X1 has had most of these features for years.

Mar 28, 2008 12:38     

While it's always nice to see Microsoft fix bugs and add a few features. I have to say that X1 Professional Desktop Search Client has had most of these features for years. The X1 Professional Client is lightning fast, supports more than 400 file types for indexing, preview, and action, as well as federates with Enterprise repositories like SharePoint and email archiving systems like Symantec Enterprise Vault. Check it out for yourself. http://www.x1.com/

Christopher Walton report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

na

Mar 28, 2008 14:50     

i tried installing the windows search and it did less than the original. i sent an email to microsoft asking for a link to restore the original. i guess i forgot that microsoft doesnt actually give answers to questions. its more like they give you more questions.
ira m trager report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

They added the ability to search multiple computers...

Mar 29, 2008 04:30     

They added the ability to search multiple computers at the same time. And they added the ability to defragment multiple hard drives at the same time. What about searching inside the computer in different hard drives in parallel?
Virtualban report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Wow, they manage to be years behind Apple again

Mar 30, 2008 16:28     

Tiger had spotlight years before Vista came out. Leopard introduced cross-network searching in Spotlight. Now in 2010 with Windows 7, Microsoft will figure out how to copy Apple again. Why can't they make their own innovations??? Lazy? Greedy? Just don't care with large market share and only want to keep a little behind the times? Idiots...
Jack report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Has been in google desktop since long time

Mar 31, 2008 08:01     

When this feature was introduced in Google's Desktop Search, security experts accused Google with this being a security threat then Google's decided to give you the option to control network search feature. I personally use Google Desktop instead of Vista search.
Hamurabi report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Don't know "Jack"

Mar 31, 2008 10:55     

Hate to break it to you Jack, but Apple stole that from all kinds of places, I can't even pick one because so many had it BEFORE Apple did, Apple is just as lazy and greedy, they only have a better sense of when to act.
Revrant report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Actually Apple often copies MS as well

Apr 15, 2008 14:35     

A recent example, Apple took the windows server backup tool and made it graphical, but they do exactly the same thing. The Windows tool predates Time Machine by several years. They are all stealing each other's ideas. Thinking that only one company does it, is just naive.
aldo report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0