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Getting StartedIntroduction | Start | Using | Gadgets | Search results | Preferences Introduction - How Google Desktop worksYou have lots of information on your computer and you see a lot more on the web. With Google Desktop, you can quickly and easily find all this stuff right when you need it, including your files, emails and web pages that you have seen. When you look at a web page, read an email or edit a file, Desktop indexes that item and copies its contents into your local cache, where all this information will be instantly searchable, including older versions of files and web pages. This page will help you get started using Google Desktop. You can also visit our Google Desktop Features page for additional information. Starting Google DesktopDo I need to do anything after installing Google Desktop for it to work? No, you do not have to do anything. Once you have installed Desktop, it automatically starts indexing items that were already on your computer. It also indexes new items in real time as you see them. For example, it will find a web page immediately after you view it or an email right after you read it (if you do not see the Desktop tab on your browser, restart the browser). How long does the initial indexing take? Can I use my computer during indexing? Depending on how much data your computer contains, Desktop can take up to several hours to index all your existing information. This one-time indexing is designed to peacefully co-exist with your normal work, so you can keep on using your Mac while the indexing takes place. What if there are items that I do not want Google Desktop to index? You can tell Google Desktop not to index certain items simply by adding them to Spotlight's privacy list. You can also have Desktop remove specific files, folders and URLs from its cache. Using Google DesktopHow do I search my computer with Google Desktop? You do desktop searches in the same way that you do Google web searches: simply enter your search terms into a query box. You can get to a desktop search query box in either of two ways:
New! Using Google GadgetsWhat are Google Gadgets? Google Gadgets are small programmes that you can add to your Dashboard. You can choose from hundreds of gadgets created by Google and users around the world. How do I use Google Gadgets? To use Google Gadgets, just double-click the Google Gadgets application, choose a gadget and click Add. Dashboard will open and your gadget will appear. Viewing Search ResultsQuick Search Box Results
Just press Return to open the selected result or use the arrow keys to select another result, then press Return. Or, use the mouse to click on any result. What if I want to see more results for these search terms? Click on the line that reads "See all desktop results" What if I want to search the web for these terms? Click the line at the bottom that reads "Search web". Browser Search Results Page
A small icon to the left of each result identifies the result's type: email, web page, application, folder, document and so on. When you click on a result's title, you will go to the current version of that result.
What if I want to see an old version of a file or web page? Just click on the item's Show cached link on the results page to see all versions of the item that Desktop has in its cache. This is particularly useful when you accidentally delete a file! What if I only want to see one type of result - only emails, web pages, media files and so on? Near the top of your results page is a line that lists how many items Desktop found of each result type. Click on a result type and you will get a page showing only results of that type; click emails, for instance, and you will get a list of only email results. Modifying Preferences
Go to System Preferences → Spotlight → Privacy and add the files and folders that you do not want indexed. What if I do not want Google Desktop to show deleted documents? Go to System Preferences → Google Desktop → Search Results and clear the "Display results for deleted documents" box. What if I want Google Desktop to temporarily stop indexing and remembering what I look at? Go to System Preferences → Google Desktop → Indexing and clear the "Enable Google Desktop indexing" box. What if I stopped Google Desktop from indexing and I want it to start indexing again? Go to System Preferences → Google Desktop → Indexing and tick the "Enable Google Desktop indexing" box. |
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The first Quick Search Box results are applications (if any) that match your search terms. This lets you use Desktop as an application launcher.
In a web browser, your Desktop search results page lists all the items in your index that match your search terms. By default, it lists your most recent items first; you can click Sort by relevance near the top of the page to change the order of results.
What if I have files and folders that I do not want Google Desktop to index?