The entire search architecture in Windows Vista has evolved compared to Windows XP. Microsoft has applauded the new search capabilities of the operating system as a big step forward in enabling end users to access their information with little effort. And the Search Folders are but one aspect of the enhancements delivered by the operating system. However, one of the biggest downside of Search Folders is that the resources are not sharable even in the least.

"The thing about Search Folders is that while they're pretty handy for an individual, they're not readily shareable. If you actually open a Search Folder in notepad and look at the XML innards, you'll see that Windows Vista automatically scopes the Search Folder to the user profile on the local PC. This prevents me from, say, creating one and sending it to my team," revealed Nick White, Microsoft Program Manager.

And this is where Windows Vista SearchMelt comes in. Microsoft describes SearchMelt as a Windows Vista search + XML + sharing functionality. Essentially, SearchMelt will enable a user to transform Windows Vista Search Folders in order to make them generic and sharable.

As is the case with the actual Vista Search Folders, size is not an issue with SearchMelts since the files generally weigh only a couple of kilobytes. Still, they might prove to be a valuable resource in an environment where users collaborate on common projects across a network.

"Windows Vista does not save Search Folders in a way that is instantly shareable. Normally, when you create a Search Folder, that search is "hard-coded," or scoped, to your PC. So, you need to take an additional step to make them generic so they can be shared with friends, family, customers, anyone," White explained the reason behind SearchMelt.

After you have downloaded SearchMelt, all you have to do is place the application in the Saved Searches folder and drag and drop the Search Folder onto SearchMelt.