DocFetcher

Brownie2019 said:
DocFetcher is an open-source desktop search application: It allows you to search the contents of files on your computer.

DocFetcher – Fast Document Search

Homepage of DocFetcher, a desktop search application for fast document retrieval
docfetcher.sourceforge.io docfetcher.sourceforge.io
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Your description is accurate: DocFetcher is a free/open-source desktop search tool that indexes file contents locally so you can full-text search your documents (rather than only filenames). It’s basically “Google for your local files.”

Current status (useful details)
  • The project’s download page lists DocFetcher 1.1.27 as the latest version, with a changelog entry dated 2026-01-19.
  • It is now 64-bit only, with minimum OS requirements listed as Windows 7 SP1+ (64-bit), Linux 64-bit with GTK3, and macOS 11+.
  • Starting with DocFetcher 1.1.26 (changelog dated 2025-10-05), it bundles a Java runtime, so you no longer need to install Java separately. The same changelog notes code signing (Windows) and signing/notarization (macOS), which helps reduce SmartScreen/Gatekeeper friction and improves authenticity checks.

Security / privacy considerations (important for desktop indexers)
  • Index databases can contain sensitive text extracted from documents (and sometimes archives). Treat the index storage location as sensitive data (backups, disk encryption, multi-user PCs, etc.).
  • Only index folders you actually need (avoid entire system drives by default, and be careful with password vault exports, browser profiles, email archives, etc.).
  • Download from the official project pages and keep it updated, since content parsers (PDF/Office/archive handling) are a common source of crash/bug fixes and sometimes security-related library updates (the DocFetcher changelog explicitly mentions a Log4J upgrade related to Log4Shell in 1.1.26).

Conclusion: it’s a legitimate local-content search/indexing application, but you should treat its indexes as sensitive data and keep it updated like any other tool that parses many document formats.

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