Windows Desktop Search

  • Thread starter Thread starter Terry Olsen
  • Start date Start date
T

Terry Olsen

To comply with corporate policy banning the storage of social security
numbers on computers, I have been asked if I can search for files &
emails that contain social security numbers.

I thought that since every computer in our environment has Windows
Desktop Search installed I could use that. When looking for the API,
every link takes me to the main Windows Live page (link must be dead).
Anyone have a good link to the API (2.x)?

Anyway, does anyone have any knowledge about how one might do this? Can
I use Windows Desktop Search to find social security numbers? Not one
specific number, but any number that matches the format of an SSN
(regular expressions?).

Thanks for any info.
 
There is a function designed especially for social security numbers.
Try out this function: My.Computer.Find.SocialSecurityNumbers.

It will give you a complete list of all social security numbers found on
the pc, along with a list of of possible ways to use them:
My.Computer.Use.SocialSecurityNumbers.

I think these two functions should do it for you. Please let me know if
I can be of any further help.

Best regards,
D. Hermann.
 
Yeah, thanks for the sarcasm. But this was a serious request for help. I
have to tell my boss on Monday how I plan to ensure that no pc's have any
stored SSN's.
 
Terry Olsen said:
To comply with corporate policy banning the storage of social security
numbers on computers, I have been asked if I can search for files &
emails that contain social security numbers.

I thought that since every computer in our environment has Windows
Desktop Search installed I could use that. When looking for the API,
every link takes me to the main Windows Live page (link must be dead).
Anyone have a good link to the API (2.x)?

Anyway, does anyone have any knowledge about how one might do this? Can
I use Windows Desktop Search to find social security numbers? Not one
specific number, but any number that matches the format of an SSN
(regular expressions?).

Thanks for any info.
Click to expand...

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/default.mspx

LS
 
Thanks. But unfortunately, that deals with WDS 3.x and Vista. Our computers
are running WinXP and WDS 2.x. I am at a loss to find any info on that.
 
Sorry for trying to be funny.
In my opinion you should write that yourself because I found the desktop
search not reliable.
Caution: Maybe I did not invest enough time to make it run properly, and
I am telling schmutz here.
There are examples on www.planetsourcecode.com for VB6 for "Desktop Search".
What I found frightening was the sound of my hard disks when it scanned
the files, and I think it will scare users too.
If time does not matter I would include doevents or sleep.

Best regards
D. Hermann
 
Back
Top