Desktop search engines are used to search for the content on the users own computer and they almost work with the same principle as the web based search engines. There is an inbuilt search tool in every operating system but it  is of only some help it only looks for the files and folders on the computer. Whereas the desktop search engines will help you to find email archives, documents, web browser history and various other files and content on the computer. They actually build the index database such that when searching for a particular content in gigabytes of data will be easy and fast. They will index the content of the web page, application and the documents that you open such that finding the same content once again will be easy. Here in are some of the popular Desktop search engines that help you to search your computer easily.

1) Google Desktop:

Most of us might have used the Google web search and we know that using Google search engine on web is easy. Google Desktop is just as easy as the Google web search. Using Google Desktop you can find e-mails, images, viewed web pages, files and folders easily on your computer. After installing this application it will start indexing all the files on the computer and it will continuously indexes the files that you open which includes the web pages, e-mails, etc., on the computer. Google desktop features a sidebar in the windows version which holds many other gadgets like Email, Photos, and Google Talk. Using the Quick find bar that is present in the sidebar one can find the required content on the computer quickly.

2) Copernic Desktop:

Copernic Desktop is the most widely used desktop search tool and it runs on Microsoft Windows platform. A free version of this application is available using this you can search everything on your computer. However this application do not support network searching and Outlook search. Like all the Desktop search tools it also creates an file index on the first start and updates the index as you open, change, edit or delete the file on the computer. Copernic desktop also looks into the metadata of the file like the information about the author, title, keywords in a file it constantly updates when the computer is in idle mode.

3) Tropes Zoom:

This is the one of the kind semantic based desktop search engine. It not only searches for the content on the computer but also suggest the user to group similar files. Such that search is not only done only by using the given words but also by using the semantic equivalents. Tropes Zoom has got a Zoom Semantic search engine and an integrated web crawler which will collect the web content as you browse. The report writer helps you to maintain all the records of the searches that you have performed on the computer using this application.

4) Windows Search:

As the name suggests that this product is from Windows and it works on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Once this application is installed on the computer it will start indexing of the files on the computer to display search results quickly. This application performs search based on the given word and also looks into the metadata and content of the files which user has opened. Windows Search also supports filters such that you can narrow down the search to specific file types it has filters for the common file type and you can also load any other filters in this application. The user interface is just like the windows and this is a part of the Windows Vista and you can also save the search results as a Virtual Folder.

5) X1 Professional Client:

It is formerly know as the Yahoo Desktop Search, by using this desktop application you can easily search for the content on your computer and shared network. After you have installed this software for the first time it will index all files and folders on the computer and shared network. Xi Professional Client has support for all the major file types and with the help of plugins you can extend the functions of this application. X1 Professional Client works only on the windows computers.

6) Likasoft Archivarius 3000:

Likasoft Archivarius 3000 allows you to search for the content on your computer quickly and easily. It quickly searches the text in the documents, emails and other external storage sources just like the web search engines. It will also search for the given word even inside the documents and display the search results accordingly. Using this application you can also search inside the archives like the ZIP, RAR and others archive files. Using this application you can find  specific words even inside e-mail messages stored on your computer . Likasoft Archivarius 3000 also supports network such so you can find a file or folder on local network.