New Update WinFindr version 1.2 - File and registry search app for Windows

[jv16]

WinFindr is a standalone, freeware data searching tool for Windows. You can search for files, folders, registry keys and registry entries using multiple search terms at the same time.

This is how it looks like:

Key features include:

1. Search for files, folders, registry keys and registry entries, all at the same time.
2. Supports searching with normal search words, file masks and regular expressions.
3. Supports searching with multiple search terms at the same time.
4. Also supports negative search terms, which allows you to skip any data.
5. Save the found results in TXT, CSV or HTML file format.
6. Very fast, especially when searching with multiple search terms at the same time.
7. Supports Windows Dark Mode.
8. Supports command line parameters.
9. Comes with these translations builtin: Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Czech, Danish, English, Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
10. Has a portable version and a Windows Command Prompt version.
11. WinFindr is freeware, lightweight and easy to use. No bells and whistles, no nonsense.

The new version 1.2 comes with a massive search speed improvement up to 2100%. I did a benchmark test, comparing its search speed against the competition. You can see the results here: WinFindr

For more information, screenshots and download, you can see more from the app's official website at: https://winfindr.com/

 

[jv16]

By the way, I also wrote a blog post about my journey (read: obsession) how I got the app's search speed optimized. In the benchmark test, the search speed came down from 210 seconds to just 10 seconds. It's here: How 1970’s tech made WinFindr 2100% faster - jv16 PowerTools Blog

 

[upnorth]

1. Has a portable version and a Windows Command Prompt version.
2. WinFindr is freeware, lightweight and easy to use. No bells and whistles, no nonsense.

Thanks, and might just take it for a spin this weekend. Always like portable options.

 

[jv16]

Thanks, and might just take it for a spin this weekend. Always like portable options.

Thank you! Feel free to reach out if you have any feedback about the app. Especially if there is anything I can do to make the app better for you.

 

[Ink]

Any plans for a Mac or Linux version?

 

[jv16]

Any plans for a Mac or Linux version?

I'm afraid I have no experience in developing anything for Mac or Linux, and right now, I'm so swamped with work I can barely keep up with the Windows development.

 

[simmerskool]

fwiw, went to DL WinFindr and it was blocked by DeepInstinct as a PUA, looks like it might have also been blocked or questioned by SmartScreen.

 

[codswollip]

Compare/contrast with Registrar Registry Manager Home, my long time "go to".

Thanks!

 

[jv16]

fwiw, went to DL WinFindr and it was blocked by DeepInstinct as a PUA, looks like it might have also been blocked or questioned by SmartScreen.

These false positives unfortunately tend to happen with new software being released and with some anti-malware products. They usually fix this quickly. We use VirusTotal before any release to make sure all is good (VirusTotal).

On that note, we have still been unable to release the Windows Command Prompt version of WinFindr. It has been ready for weeks, but multiple anti-malware products incorrectly detect it as malicious, so we have not been able to release it.

 

[upnorth]

These false positives unfortunately tend to happen with new software being released and with some anti-malware products. They usually fix this quickly. We use VirusTotal before any release to make sure all is good (VirusTotal).

On that note, we have still been unable to release the Windows Command Prompt version of WinFindr. It has been ready for weeks, but multiple anti-malware products incorrectly detect it as malicious, so we have not been able to release it.

From a developer point of view I fully understand you. My own initial tests showed zero problem as I could find no malicious connections or behaviour. Smartscreen ( default setting ) in Edge also didn't flag/warn anything.

Spoiler

WinFindr

Freeware app to search for files and registry data in Windows PC.

winfindr.com

Good SEO on that site. One small note on a internal test you did. Ultrasearch actually does come as a portable version ( one have to scroll down a bit, and yes the single executable file works as intended outside the archive ).

Spoiler

I'm pretty impressed on the GUI on Winfindr, and how easy it was to use. The language translation was dead easy to switch. Loved the extra dark mode option. But the send or " collect " the search result was a tiny bit confusing as I didn't automatic understood I had to right click on the result for that option to appear.

Portable versions tested a bit rough/harsh on a ransomware infected system.

Pretty close. I'm still gonna consider Winfindr as an extra option. Looking forward to more updates/progress and thanks for the share.

Btw, any upcoming plans on make this available in a 64bit version?

 

[simmerskool]

From a developer point of view I fully understand you. My own initial tests showed zero problem as I could find no malicious connections or behaviour. Smartscreen ( default setting ) in Edge also didn't flag/warn anything.

@upnorth, I mentioned that SmartScreen might have also blocked Winfindr because DeepInstinct reported the name of the blocked file as "the_typical_name_change_that SmartScreen_ employs when it blocks a download (which I forget how to spell)

 

[jv16]

Good SEO on that site. One small note on a internal test you did. Ultrasearch actually does come as a portable version ( one have to scroll down a bit, and yes the single executable file works as intended outside the archive ).

Thank you for pointing that out! I have now updated the comparison to reflect this.

I'm pretty impressed on the GUI on Winfindr, and how easy it was to use. The language translation was dead easy to switch. Loved the extra dark mode option. But the send or " collect " the search result was a tiny bit confusing as I didn't automatic understood I had to right click on the result for that option to appear.

There is also a hamburger menu on the top left corner of the app. Is there anything else I could do to make those options more visible?

Portable versions tested a bit rough/harsh on a ransomware infected system.

Pretty close. I'm still gonna consider Winfindr as an extra option. Looking forward to more updates/progress and thanks for the share.

Btw, any upcoming plans on make this available in a 64bit version?

Did you run WinFindr with the Right Click > Run As Administrator option, by any chance? If you didn't, it doesn't have access to all files on the system and that could explain why it didn't find as many files as the other app. The UI of WinFindr should contain a tip mentioning this.

Another thing that could cause a different number of results is that by default, WinFindr skips certain directories from the search, such as the recycle bin. These skipped directories are listed in the search UI (the first tab). Did you notice this?

I could compile a 64 bit version but are there any benefits for running this as 64 bits, though?

 

[upnorth]

There is also a hamburger menu on the top left corner of the app. Is there anything else I could do to make those options more visible?

Not sure as I had to test it more, and at the moment is also swamped too much elsewhere. If I re-test it soon again or anyone else, it's a good idea to start.

Did you run WinFindr with the Right Click > Run As Administrator option, by any chance? If you didn't, it doesn't have access to all files on the system and that could explain why it didn't find as many files as the other app. The UI of WinFindr should contain a tip mentioning this.

Another thing that could cause a different number of results is that by default, WinFindr skips certain directories from the search, such as the recycle bin. These skipped directories are listed in the search UI (the first tab). Did you notice this?

I actually did elevated it to Run as administrator, and yes it was in my mind about the default settings that skip some directories. But since the result was so close and after all a unusual type of test, I personal don't think it's a bad result for WinFindr, but rather the opposite. That it's not perfect spot on, might just be possible if one disable/remove some of those skipped directories. Good advice.

About the tip feature in WinFindr, I never saw one.

I could compile a 64 bit version but are there any benefits for running this as 64 bits, though?

More compatible and maybe gets even faster?

 

[jv16]

About the tip feature in WinFindr, I never saw one.

The tip will be visible if you don't run the program with admin rights. If you run it with Right Click > Run As Administrator, the tip is not shown.

More compatible and maybe gets even faster?

64 bit application would actually be less compatible, since all system can run 32 bit applications, but only 64 bit systems can run 64 bit application.

I have tested it in 64 bit mode and it's not faster. The main use case for 64 bit applications is when they require a lot of RAM, since 32 bit applications are limited to about 2 GB maximum RAM usage.

Perhaps I will start to distribute a 64 bit version, too, though. I don't personally see the point in that, but a few users have already asked for it, so I guess it makes sense to offer.

 

[simmerskool]

@upnorth, I mentioned that SmartScreen might have also blocked Winfindr because DeepInstinct reported the name of the blocked file as "the_typical_name_change_that SmartScreen_ employs when it blocks a download (which I forget how to spell)

@upnorth the winfindr download was renamed "conconfirmed...crdownload" and I know that SmartScreen uses crdownload to rename file, but perhaps Deepinstinct does the same, I assumed Di bumped into SmartScreen and did a full block was SS was thinking about it...