Compared to the new automatic indexing and search feature in Windows 7, searching in Windows XP takes what feels like forever to locate the files on your hard drive. With the new Windows Search app from Microsoft, on the other hand, it’s just as fast as in Windows 7.

One of the best parts with Windows 7 (and Vista) is arguably the greatly enhanced search capability. While a regular search in Windows XP often takes several minutes, it is lightning fast in Windows Vista and Windows 7. The reason is that the latest Windows version will index your hard drive in the background to serve you almost instant results when you type into the search field.

If you have a netbook or other computer running Windows XP, there is fortunately a solution. This is to install Microsoft’s free Windows Search 4. With this installed you can perform searches as fast on your netbook as on your brand new Windows 7 PC. Windows Search 4 is available for download here.

Once it’s finished downloading, run the self-explanatory installation program. When you’re done, exit to complete the installation. Windows Search is now embedded on the taskbar, right to the left of the clock. To use it, just enter any keyword in the search field and you will see the result in a new window.

If you want to change the settings in Windows Search, right-click the program icon at the bottom left. You can now choose to pause or restart indexing. You can also select options for Windows Search to do other more advanced stuff. Otherwise just lean back as your files are indexed and enjoy your new and improved search functionality.

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