FileHawk's main point of differentiation over other search utilities is that it can catalog removable media like CD/DVD discs, external hard drives, or flash memory devices. This allows FileHawk to include these types of media in search results even if they're not persistently connected to the computer. Removable media is not searched by default, but you can tell FileHawk to include it by clicking a check mark before conducting the search. (Items found on removable media are denoted by special icons in the results pane.)
The ability to search offline media has obvious appeal, but there are some practical impediments to using the feature. For starters, it presupposes that you're willing to devote the time needed to create catalogs for all your removable media. Creating an individual catalog doesn't necessarily take a lot of time — we were able to create a catalog of a CD-ROM disc in less than 30 seconds — but doing so for more than a handful of discs can quickly become a major expenditure of effort with lots of disc swapping.
Moreover, when search results point you to a particular disc, being able to locate it among many others requires that you have them labeled (you can create your own description for media that you catalog, but FileHawk will also use the volume name to ID a disc) and physically organized, which may be too much to ask for the less fastidious among us.
Finally, FileHawk's catalogs are a snapshot in time, so when you update the contents of cataloged media you must delete the old catalog and create a new one (at least, you must do so if you want accurate, up-to-date results). This isn't an issue for write-once media like burned CD/DVDs, but it will be for something like a Flash drive or external hard drive, where contents might change regularly.
Customization
FileHawk offers few configuration options, so there aren't too many ways to modify the application's performance or behavior. It's not necessarily a bad thing — fewer options often means simpler operation, but power users that like to tweak settings will be somewhat disappointed.
For example, you can schedule FileHawk's index rebuild to take place at a particular time of day, but you can't adjust the reindexing frequency of individual file types (as you can with Copernic Desktop Search). FileHawk will automatically update the index as files change, and although you can check a box to ensure this doesn't occur while a system is "active," there's no way to prevent it at other inopportune times, such as when a system is running on battery power.
The Bottom Line
You can download a fully-functional copy of FileHawk (which runs on Windows XP or 2000) for a 30-day trial before deciding whether you want to part with the registration fee, which was approximately $26 at the time of this writing. (The official price is 19.95 Euros; your cost in U.S. dollars will vary based on the current exchange rate.)
Ultimately, although FileHawk has some interesting aspects, it also has enough shortcomings that we're hard pressed to be able to recommend paying almost $30 for it, especially since there are more powerful and sophisticated alternatives available for free. Those who have a specific need to catalog external media may find FileHawk worth a look, but we think most users will be better served by one of the established search tools.
Pros: Easy to use; can catalog and index removable media such as CD/DVD discs, external hard drives, and flash memory devices
Cons: Not free (especially given how many competing clients are free); simplistic interface; to search certain file types you must install separate plug-ins; doesn't index e-mail contents, contacts, or browser-related data
