QFS is provided AS IS. So, as you may have read many other times, there's no guarranty on data lost, computer malfunction, etc..

However, as you can read in [2. What is QFS?], QFS does very few things and does not interoperate with other programs (only with the OS), so it's very dificult to QFS to damage anything anyway.

QFS is a tiny program that fast searches on the "Favorites" directory or/and bookmark file for a string in the name (or in the URL) of your Internet's shortcut files.

I've done it because the fact that, althought maintaining a structured and kindly sorted favorites folder, it's lots faster to search for a favorite than navigating the long structured favorites tree.

If you have hundreds of favorites, and usually use it most, try QFS! It's a highly worth download!

Unzip and run. No installation required.

QFS (v2.0.0 and above) creates a few registry keys (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Quick Favorites Search) just for storing your preferences
You can delete that keys manually (with your favorite registry editor) or with "\r" from the QFS search text box
Previous versions doesn't create configuration files nor registry keys, so no uninstallation is required

You must have VB6.0 runtime libraries. (msvbvm60.dll)

When QFS is first loaded, you ought to set your program preferences by pressing Alt+P, clicking preferences button or typing a "\p" in the text box. Then the preferences screen is shown:

You may see that your Favorites path is autodetected, as well as your CurrentUser Navigator bookmarks file. As Navigator can be configured to work with many users, you can overwrite the filename and path of bookmarks file. If so, then QFS uses what you have typed. In order to re-autodetect your bookmark file, just delete that field and relaunch QFS.

Some of that preferences can also be set by typing the following strings in the main screen text box:

There's also three special strings that you can enter in the main screen text box that are:
· "\enable_debug" : QFS will append a .LOG file in your application folder, and store information about QFS actions
· "\disable_debug" : QFS stop logging
· "\p" : Show preferences screen
· "\r" : QFS will remove all registry keys and close. Use it to uninstall QFS

When searching by name, QFS will search for any file whose name contains that string. Note that the file must contain, and not begin with or end with the searched string. So, for the case of searching the string "new" both newfavorite and inthenewmiddle will match the query.

When searching by URL, QFS will do the same process, but using the URL that is pointed by each Favorite. Note that, if using Internet Explorer's Favorites, this kind of search is lots slower than searching by name, because QFS HAVE TO access every Favorite in your folders, in order to get the URL. There's no change of speed if using Netscape or Opera bookmark's.

For last, searching both of them simultaneously will return all values than have the searched string in Favorites name OR in Favorites URL. Because QFS is still searching in URL, with Internet Explorer's Favorites this is the slowest search method.

Moreover, you can define an alternate path for Favorites' search, or/and alternate bookmark's file. Use it, i.e. if you have some shared favorites or bookmarks in server's resources, but note that this is slower than having it locally. The diference in speed depends on the speed of the network and is usually slower if you are searching on shared Favorites than in shared bookmark's file. Any of them can be active or inactive while stored in preferences, in order to use it as you wish without having to retype it everytime

When QFS finish its search (QFS searches by name more than 1,000 items per second in a Pentium 200) When QFS is finished searching, it shows the results on a sorted dropdown combo. If you are sorting by name, the combo shows first the Favorite name, and is sorted this way:

When the file you are searching is selected, hitting "Enter" launches it in the browser. You can also hit "+" to copy the Favorite's URL to clipboard, or "-" to launch the URL without closing combo and losing search results (i.e. you want to launch more URLs that fit the search). If not desired results are found, you can hit "Esc" to return to main screen

Hitting "Esc" from main screen will exit QFS

All bugs reported to the date have been fixed

Some of that bugs were:
· When searching by name, but sorting by URL, combo is not well builded
· Query access to registry in NT workstation failed. All access granted just for query purposes
· If favorites have been imported, [sometimes] lines end with LF instead of CR+LF. Searching by URL fails in that cases
· If quitting while minimized, registry stores width=0, so you manually MUST to delete that key
· Where sorting by name, combo is shown with URL first instead of name first

in version 4.1: QFS is now Opera compatible

in version 4.0: you can now copy URL to clipboard from combo and/or launch browser without losing search results. QFS is now Netscape compatible, and allows to define alternate Favorites and Bookmark files (ie: for commom shared resources in server) and [dis]activate any of them

in version 3.0: preferences screen added, with some new functions. You can now select your search and sort method, do something when Favorite is launched, and minimize to tray. You can now record a log of your QFS session

in version 2.0: now you can search by name, by URL o both. Some registry keys added for preferences

in version 1.4: Sorting is now done by QuickSort algorithm

in version 1.2: Faster directory access

in version 1.0: first release

QFS is absolut freeware, now and ever.
But if you like and use QFS, please, feedback me! It will take you a minute.

QFS homepage is : QFS HomePage

You can find me at : mailto:kikerl@excite.com

This file is distributed without images in all QFS distributions. To see them, you must surf QFS home page