DataFinder searches for data files in the search areas you specify. Search areas are file system folders that are on your local computer or on the network.

The DataFinder searches for data files in the search areas you specify. Search areas are file system folders that are on your local computer or on the network. To open the DataFinder configuration dialog box, right-click the DataFinder symbol on the task bar and select Configure. Click the Search Areas tab in the DataFinder configuration dialog box to specify the search areas.
Note In Windows 7, you must select Show hidden icons from the taskbar to display the DataFinder symbol.

For the DataFinder to search for data in the search areas, the indexer must first index the data. DataPlugins enable the DataFinder to index many different file formats and to browse in these files. Click the DataPlugins tab in the DataFinder configuration dialog box to specify which filename extensions the DataFinder recognizes when searching for data.

You can search for data on the desktop DataFinder "My DataFinder" and on a DataFinder server. Use "My DataFinder" to run a search with the desktop DataFinder on your computer or on the network. The DataFinder index is on your computer. You cannot delete or export the MyDataFinder DataFinder and you cannot create an additional desktop DataFinder. You can specify which search areas this DataFinder uses for a search.

In addition to your desktop DataFinder, you also can use any number of DataFinder servers that are usually on other computers on your network. A DataFinder server is a DataFinder from the DataFinder Server Edition. The DataFinder Server Edition enables you to configure a DataFinder and to make the DataFinder available to multiple users on the network. In the DataFinder Server Edition configuration you can assign rights to clients.

You can also use federations to combine several DataFinder servers. This means that you can receive data on the central federation server from many DataFinder servers from different locations.