Microsoft updates Desktop Search Toolbar

Search tool gets update

16 May 2005 17:06 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Microsoft has today updated its MSN Search Toolbar with Windows Desktop Search adding a number of enhancements, including the ability to preview documents on users' hard drives.

The final version of the MSN Search Toolbar requires Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

"By offering the most integrated desktop search capabilities for Windows, now people can search their PC as fast as they can search the Web," said Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president for the MSN Information Services & Merchant Platform division at Microsoft.

The MSN Search Toolbar, available for free download at http://desktop.msn.com, enables people to conveniently search their desktops from within familiar applications they use every day -- including Microsoft Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office Outlook.

Microsoft is hoping that its ability to search and retrieve over 200 file types including PDF files will be the killer element to the application. Additionally a preview pane will provide summaries for each search result, allowing people to preview the contents of their PC directly from the desktop search view and drag and drop files into other applications

The software will also include a Pop-up Blocker to stop unwanted adverts

Microsoft also promised Tabbed Browsing however would not set a date as to when this would be available.

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Software, PC software, Utilities Software, Microsoft