SearchFor

Windows helps you find any file and folder of interest through its default tool which can be configured with various filters to narrow down results. However, it can take a while for the index to scan your entire disk drive, and this is where specialized third-party alternatives like SearchFor come in handy.

On the bright side, the application can be used as a personal search engine on other computers besides your own. This is possible due to the lack of an installation process, so it can perfectly function from a thumb drive. What’s more, the scan operation doesn’t interfere with system registry entries, thus keeping the target PC intact. Note that .NET Framework is a mandatory requirement for functionality.

As far as the visual design is concerned, a compact, clean window shows up on launch. This simple design makes accommodation a walk in the park for beginners and experienced individuals alike. What’s more, you can assign a hotkey command to the program’s shortcut to easily access it from any location.

However, the application has a rather ambiguous set of search parameters. Selecting the location can be a pain, with a couple of drop-down menus to select the target drive, as well as one of the root folders to perform the search operation in. It’s possible to target external drives as well, but you need to launch the program after plugging in the thumb drive to be detected.

Searching can either mean looking for a file or folder. This is done according to a name. Unfortunately, you need to know the exact name and extension when searching for file. You can find all files under a specific format. Results are shown in a list by path, but there’s no option to run them, or at least jump to the source folder.

All things considered, SearchFor doesn’t really manage to live up to expectations. Setting up parameters might not take a lot of time, but input for files needs to include both name and extension, while selecting a directory of interest proves to be a challenge.