Locate32 is an open source file indexing and location utility. It is similar to those we found in Unix or Linux based platforms i.e. UpdateDb and Locate. The tool can be downloaded from
project's home. The 32 in the name Locate32 is only a convention and doesn't imply the limitation of its being available only for 32 bit file system. The 64 bit version is also available with the same name and can be downloaded from
project's home. The source code for Locate32 is written in C++ and is available for the
version 3.0.7.7010 and earlier.
Locate32 provides almost instant access by maintaining repositories of your drive/s directory structure and utilizing this info in search queries. The search responses are non blocking and keep changing while you type in your search keywords. At present a single thread is available for a search query to process.
The utility provides you a windows standard search dialogue like GUI and a command line utility with options to maintain multiple databases of directory structures. The GUI part (
Locate32.exe) can be customized through options as a task bar resident program.
The console based utility is Locate.exe and Updtdb32.exe. To use the console commands, use console windows and navigate to the location of Locate32.exe then type Locate -h or Updtdb32 -h to learn more about the set of commands and switches available in console mode. At any time you can provide the Locate32 containing directory path in windows path environment variable for instant access to console commands.
The Locate32 Utility consists of three major parts.
a) Database/s:
The database is maintained on flat file system and use to store the information about the directory structure of your computer, this database is then utilized by the Locate32 search engine.
The default database is files.dbs and its default location is at logged in user's Application Data\Locate32 folder. However this can be cofigured to a location of your own choice. You can also maintain multiple databases at a time and can switch in between them quite easily using GUI's file menu. The database file extension doesn't dictate the format of data storage.
You can add, update, remove, imort, export and perform many other operations on databases by using Options >> Settings menu item then choosing Databases tab page. To update the stored directory structure in a specific databases you can choose File >> Update Database >> and choosing your required database from the sub menu. For performing search using a specific database use File >> Find using database menu option. In the presented dialogue you can check mark on multiple databases to run a search against them.
Besides all the benifits of Locate32 over windows search; its major draw back comes in when a change in file system of your computer is occured (e.g. Addition, location updation, renaming and deletion of files on your computer). Since database is not synchronized with winodws file system, you need to manually update the Database. The utility which does this in GUI and console mode is updtdb32.exe.
b) DB updation application:
The updtdb32.exe is the Locate32's database updation engine. The same tool is utilized by both the GUI and by sending direct commands in console mode. On it's first run the Locate32 need to establish a database of the computer file system. This implies that the database is currently empty and you need to invoke updtdb32.exe by double clicking on it. Simillarly after adding, updating new databases you need to manually run updtdb32.exe for the changes to take effect.
c) DB search application:
The search can be performed from Locate32.exe a dialogue based GUI and from command line by using Locate.exe. The interface is very simillar to windows standard search dialogue. However once the database is updated the search response is far better then windows, almost instantly.
Like the windows search Locate32's search dialogue provide three tabs i.e. on first tab search can be performed by file name and location. On the second search result can be modified by specifying size and date ranges (e.g. from starting size to ending file size and from an interval of file new then or files older then criteria). The advance tab provides more options to modify the search results.
d) Import/Export settings tool:
Another tool with the name SetTool.exe is available for importing and exporting application wide settings using text files.
There is much to Locate32 then this short review. We recomnd this as a plus utility for your windows based computers. However with a few integration with windows file system this can be a must have utility for a PC running MS Windows platform.
