Posted on: Tuesday, April 19, 2005

HELP DESK
File indexer a little too thorough

By Kim Komando

Is your computer's hard drive packed with documents, spreadsheets, pictures, e-mail, music and video files? New desktop search programs make finding precisely what you want a snap. Unfortunately, that means that anyone who has access to your computer can tap into your private files and Internet travels.

The big Web search sites, including Google, Microsoft's MSN and Yahoo! offer these programs. Free for the download, they take just minutes to install. Afterward, you can search your computer's hard drive just as if you were using a search site.

Desktop search programs tend to be very thorough. However, the programs differ on exclusions. For example, Google will index Thunderbird e-mail files. Yahoo! and MSN will not. Check to be sure they index files in which you're interested.

All three programs require Windows XP or Windows 2000.

Google is the only one of the three big programs that retains copies, often called a cache. That can be especially troublesome. Google Desktop Search, which runs continuously, creates a copy that lingers after the original is deleted. This makes it difficult to manage sensitive information.

In addition, Google by default indexes secure Web pages. So if you shop online or manage your stocks at a Web address that begins with https: rather than http:, those pages are also saved. These pages often contain confidential information, such as credit card numbers. Further, it indexes your temporary Internet files and saves AOL instant messages.

Google can also index password-protected Word or Excel files. And you don't need the password to view the cached file that appears in the search.

Fortunately, you can change the program's options. Right-click the Google Desktop Search icon in the Windows taskbar and select Preferences. There, opt not to index certain file types by unchecking the boxes. Definitely deselect secure Web pages.

You can also exclude file folders and specific Web sites from the search index. To do this, enter the file path or Web address in the Don't Search These Items box.

To remove results from the index and cache, search for the item to delete. On the results page, click Remove Items. Then select the entry to delete and click Remove Checked Results. But remember, files will be indexed again if opened while the desktop search is running.

To avoid that, pause Google Desktop Search before opening files you don't want indexed. Right-click the program's icon on the Windows taskbar and select Pause Indexing. While it's paused, nothing will be indexed or cached.

Real-time desktop search programs such as Yahoo! Desktop Search are less problematic. These programs don't retain copies of deleted files. They simply index files.

Yahoo! Desktop Search will not index temporary Internet files. Unfortunately, it does index files in password-protected mail folders. However, you can exclude folders from the index.

In the Yahoo! Desktop Search window, click Tools, then Options. Select Indexing, Files, More Indexing Options. Use the file tree to find folders. Once you select a folder, you can specify advanced options.

To exclude e-mail folders, click Indexing, E-mail. Select your e-mail program. Then click Select Folders to Scan. You can also deselect private folders.

Yahoo! Desktop Search can also be stopped while indexing. Right-click the icon in the Windows taskbar and select Exit.