Windows Desktop Search (WDS) 3.0 lets you perform an instant search of your computer. WDS 3.0 helps you find and preview documents, e-mail messages, music files, photos, and other items on the computer.

 

The search engine in WDS 3.0 is a Microsoft Windows service that is also used by programs such as Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 and Microsoft Office OneNote 2007. You can use this search engine to index a program's content and to obtain instant results when you search in a particular program.

WDS 3.0 supports the following operating systems:
• 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• All x64-based versions of Windows XP
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1)
• All x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003

You cannot install WDS 3.0 on a computer that is running Windows Vista. WDS functionality is already built into Windows Vista.

WDS 3.0 provides fast indexing, improved performance, and improved file type support. The WDS 3.0 installation process automatically upgrades WDS 2.5 and later versions of WDS. If you have an earlier version than WDS 2.5 installed, use the Add or Remove Programs tool to remove the earlier version before you install WDS 3.0.