What's a good way -- which means a good utility, I guess -- to search
for files on my own computer? I can't understand how the whole
Internet can be searched in 1.8 seconds for something, but searching
my computer takes endless minutes. The windows built-in search (I have
an XP system) is slow. It claims to offer indexing, but won't tell me
how to do that, and probably won't work well anyway. There must be a
good, fast program. I spend half my time looking for files, right now.

I found an article from pcworld.com answers your question
specifically.
 
It offers tips and tricks to speed up your file searches. More
importantly, it lists two software programs that offer instantaneous
file searches.

The two programs are:

DtSearch Desktop 6
$167 street
DtSearch
800/483-4637
www.dtsearch.com

PC Data Finder 5.5
$40 list
SilverLakeTech.com
973/259-9300
www.silverlaketech.com

Please see the article for more details
http://www.pcworld.com/resource/printable/article/0,aid,49926,00.asp

Well, thanks, indeed, to sfernald.ga. The article you mentioned is
certainly an answer to that question, and a very useful one.

(Well, I'm not hoping for much from tips and tricks for built-in
searches..which is why I posted the question to begin with. I've used
the "saved-search" technique with my Windows 98 operating system, and
while it "worked"--sort of--it completely lacked features that would
make it actually helpful: i.e., you can't keep saved searches
available in any list or menu page, etc....And it's slow.)

More encouraging are the two programs: DtSearch is certainly pricey
and for that money I'm hoping it does all of the above plus bring me
coffee, but at least they offer a full-featured download for 30 days,
free, so you can find out...which I will probably test.

I'll look into PC Data Finder too, though the article from pcworld.com
seems to indicate that this program is very limited.

I'm hoping there may be other responses, of course, but in the
meantime, THANKS for this, which provides a very valuable answer, to
sfernald-ga.

I found one utility (a freebie) at nonags.com called 'Fast Directory
Finder'.  It's apparently the only one contributed to their site which
is suitable for WinXP.  You can find it here:

http://www.nonags.com/nonags/index.html

Look under: 'Download Catagories' > 'File' > 'File Searching'

I've never used it, so I can't vouch for it; the description says
"Fast Directory Finder indexes your local/network hard drives'
directories and gives you the ability to find any directory in a split
second. FDF requires MDAC, so, if you haven't already installed it,
you will need it."

If you aren't familiar with nonags.... you'll find a gazillion
utilities there for anything/everything you need to do with or to a
computer.... all guaranteed to be free of viruses and spyware.  Most
are free for the taking and no registration.  Click on the link at the
top of the description to download it (the lower link is for members
only).

To notaclu-ga: Thanks! That looks worth checking out.
bbb-ga

I am running XP Pro with IIS 5.0 and Index server on my PC.  I told
Index server what to catalog and then I setup a search web page (my
own personal Intranet) and I can find files by name and content with
lightening speed.

If you don't have 2000 or XP Pro try SoftPit:
http://www.softpit.com/tech.asp

If you need bigger search capability with a lot of speed, upgrade to
xp pro and use Index Server...