In my case, I've installed a searchengine called Google Desktop that lets me quickly scour my hard drive for files, and a product by Xobni Corp. that does something similar for Outlook email, even though neither is approved by my IT department.
The Google Desktopsearch tool is as speedy and accurate as its far-famed online searchengine, though some people are alarmed by a persistent (and reeking of hogwash) rumor that it potentially compromises user privacy.