Windows Desktop Search - Visual Basic .NET

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.

*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***

Sep 21 '07 #1

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1987

Dieter Hermann

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.

Sep 21 '07 #2

Terry Olsen

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.

"Dieter Hermann" <d.*******@gmail.comwrote in message
news:em*************@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

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.

Sep 22 '07 #3

Lloyd Sheen

"Terry Olsen" <to******@hotmail.comwrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

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.

*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...h/default.mspx

LS

Sep 22 '07 #4

Terry Olsen

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.

"Lloyd Sheen" <a@b.cwrote in message
news:uQ*************@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>
"Terry Olsen" <to******@hotmail.comwrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>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.

*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...h/default.mspx

LS

Sep 22 '07 #5

Dieter Hermann

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

Sep 22 '07 #6

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