Newbie question: MFT / Everything

[petey]

System: Win 7 Pro SP1 64-bit.

I mostly search for filenames, search over multiple partitions/physical volumes. The program should be integrated into DOpus right-click menu.
Which tool would do a better job: Everything, or a program that takes the request and searches the MFT directly (if such a tool could be found for Win 7)?

Thanks for your answers.

[raccoon]

Everything searches the MFT directly.

I have never heard of DOpus. But Everything does its own thing pretty good... on its own.

[void]

To show the Search Everything folder context menu:

• In Everything, from the Tools menu, click Options.
• Click the General tab.
• Check Show Search Everything folder context menu item.
• Click OK.

[petey]

Everything searches the MFT directly.

I have never heard of DOpus. But Everything does its own thing pretty good... on its own.

Hello,

DOpus is the short name of Directory Opus file manager. Many file search tools do not integrate with it well - or at all.
'Everything' reads the MFT for creating an index file on disk, which is then regularly maintained by the program. So, when used for a search it searches its DB file.

[petey]

To show the Search Everything folder context menu:

• In Everything, from the Tools menu, click Options.
• Click the General tab.
• Check Show Search Everything folder context menu item.
• Click OK.

Thanks for this information.
My main problem is that I used 'UltraSearch' from JAM Software, but sometime ago they canceled support for Win 7. The program crashes frequently, and I do not know if the search results are reliable any more.
However, when typing a search term, it immediately started to search the MFT directly. So it was really fast, and it did not need a background program constantly running in the background to maintain an idex-DB on disk.

[raccoon]

Maintaining a database localized in RAM is far faster and resource friendlier than constantly scratching your disk's MFT for raw reads with every keystroke.

I am unaware of any alternatives to Everything that does as you specified.

[horst.epp]

As DOPUS can be scripted it should be possible to adapt an Autohotkey script
we have for Total Commander, XYplorer and Free Commander.
The AHK script reads the the Everything search results from its GUI and stores them into a textfile.
This textfile is read and stored as Paper folder in XYplorer or displayed with Loadlist in Total Commander.
I guess the same should be possible in DOPUS.

[petey]

Maintaining a database localized in RAM is far faster and resource friendlier than constantly scratching your disk's MFT for raw reads with every keystroke.

I am unaware of any alternatives to Everything that does as you specified.

Ah, my bad! Seems I missed the part 'maintained in RAM' when reading the info on the website. Now, that makes perfectly sense
So I went for the light version and installed it.

Thanks to everybody for the help!

[horst.epp]

Maintaining a database localized in RAM is far faster and resource friendlier than constantly scratching your disk's MFT for raw reads with every keystroke.

I am unaware of any alternatives to Everything that does as you specified.

Ah, my bad! Seems I missed the part 'maintained in RAM' when reading the info on the website. Now, that makes perfectly sense
So I went for the light version and installed it.

Thanks to everybody for the help!

The lite version also store its database in RAM.
And it has a big disadvantage, it can't be used from the command line tool es.exe
and also not from any other software using the Everything SDK.
The only reason for using the lite version are companies which don't allow the normal version.

[petey]

Maintaining a database localized in RAM is far faster and resource friendlier than constantly scratching your disk's MFT for raw reads with every keystroke.

I am unaware of any alternatives to Everything that does as you specified.

Ah, my bad! Seems I missed the part 'maintained in RAM' when reading the info on the website. Now, that makes perfectly sense
So I went for the light version and installed it.

Thanks to everybody for the help!

The lite version also store its database in RAM.
And it has a big disadvantage, it can't be used from the command line tool es.exe
and also not from any other software using the Everything SDK.
The only reason for using the lite version are companies which don't allow the normal version.

I have read that it is for companies. But I also read that it is a bit 'lighter' on the system (CPU, maybe RAM) because of the missing features.
"
Removed ETP/FTP Server.
Removed HTTP Server.
Removed IPC.
The Command line interface / ES will not work with the Lite version.
The SDK will not work with the Lite version.
Windows accessibility features and screen readers will not work with the Lite version.
"
I would say that I am a 'normal' private user, and do not need one of these features, afaik. Although, I do not know what "Windows accessibility features and screen readers" mean. The tool works fine standalone and with DOpus, and I am the sysadmin (UAC disabled), so I do not need to run the Everything service.
... or did I miss another fact besides the RAM DB?

Thanks.

[horst.epp]

CPU is never a problem if the index is done once and the client runs in the background.
RAM usage is mainly based on the number of files and indexing options.
I don't see why the Lite version doesn't help here in any way.

Btw. using Windows with disabled UAC and all the time as Administrator
is not a good idea.