Patent ID: 7797295

Claim:
A method: receiving, through user input, identification of at least one of: an unhosted file; or a folder that contains said unhosted file; wherein the unhosted file resides on a storage device for which there is currently no active web server through which the unhosted file may be accessed; in response to receiving said identification, creating a word set representing information about said unhosted file; and based on said word set, generating a search index entry for said unhosted file, wherein said search index is associated with a public search engine and identifies said storage device as the location of the unhosted file; while the unhosted file is currently on the storage device for which there is currently no active web server through which the unhosted file may be accessed, the public search engine receiving an indication that a searcher has selected a link to said unhosted file from search results provided by the public search engine; wherein said link to said unhosted file enables the public search engine to locate the unhosted file on said storage device in response to a user selection of said link, in the search results, to said unhosted file; wherein said search results include one or more links to one or more hosted files; and wherein said one or more links to said one or more hosted files enable locating said one or more hosted files through web servers that are hosting said one or more hosted files; in response to receiving said indication, the public search engine determining whether the unhosted file is currently accessible from said storage device; in response to determining that the unhosted file is currently accessible from said storage device, the public search engine causing a copy of the unhosted file to be served from said storage device to the searcher; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.