XP Search Assistant Rewritten

XP Search Assistant Rewritten

Rover searching for Microsoft Agent in XP Search Assistant Rewritten.
Name	XP Search Assistant Rewritten
Developer(s)	Konnor88
Initial release	November 28th, 2025 (8 days ago)
Latest version	Build 253 Public Beta 2
Latest version release date	November 28th, 2025 (5 days ago)
Written in	VB.NET
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
License	Proprietary
Website	https://tmafe.com/xp-search-rewritten

XP Search Assistant Rewritten is a freeware desktop assistant and search program that serves as a recreation of the original Windows XP Search Assistant that uses Microsoft Agent technology. It was released for testing on November 28th, 2025.

Development

The first alpha was prepared for release on November 27th, 2025 following a long period of development. During the development period, the name of the program was still undetermined, meaning the program displayed multiple name strings in different places, such as RoverSearch (the internal name), XP Search Companion Rewritten, and XP Search Rewritten before finally settling on XP Search Assistant Rewritten in the first public beta made available on November 28th, 2025.

Public Beta 1 introduced Courtney and Earl to the program, added a character select window, offered GUI enhancements (such as a hover/click state for the Go arrow), and updated the internal FCS engine, which uses the .FCS file format to simulate the behavior of Microsoft Agent on systems without Microsoft Agent.

Public Beta 2 was released on December 1st, introducing the Sam Reader that can spawn a "ROFL Copter", a Runtime check window, improvements to the GUIs across all forms, the introduction of "XP Mode", a new mode that simulates the original Windows XP window in modern versions of Windows. Additionally, if a user enters a file path into the address bar, the program will transform into a file explorer that allows the user to navigate directories and open files. It also adds custom voicelines for some Microsoft Agent characters, currently Blob and Bonzi.

Usage

As its name suggests, XP Search Assistant Rewritten is a rewritten version of the original search assistant from Windows XP. It allows the user to search for files by entering all or part of a file name, a word/phrase in the file (if it is a TXT file), what folder to look in, and what file extension types to look for. Like the original, the user can select many different characters apart from Rover.

The program comes with more features as well, which are the two mini-games in the program (Whack-a-Icon and Remember-the-Icon), and also an animation explorer, which allows the user to play animations from the character as well as have the character say anything.

Gallery

Public Beta 1

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  Rover searching for AgentSvr.exe.
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  Settings menu as of Public Beta 1.
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  Animation Explorer menu as of Public Beta 1.
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  Character select as of Public Beta 1 featuring Genie.
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  Whack-the-icon game as of Public Beta 1.
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  Remember-the-icon game as of Public Beta 1.
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  The program running in FCS mode as of Public Beta 1.

Public Beta 2

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  Default window as of Public Beta 2.
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  File explorer mode as of Public Beta 2.
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  Luna theme running on Windows 11 as of Public Beta 2.
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  The runtime checker as of Public Beta 2.
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  Remember the icon as of Public Beta 2.
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  Animation explorer as of Public Beta 2.
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  Sam Reader with Peedy loaded and a "ROFL Copter" spawning in Public Beta 2.

Trivia

• This is one of the few Microsoft Agent programs to be developed with a modern framework, being developed with .NET 4.5.2.
  • As a result, this program requires Windows Vista Service Pack 2 or later.
  • The only other program to be developed with .NET Framework 4.5.2 is BonziBUDDY Rewritten prior to Beta 0.9.1.
• This program introduces .FCS files, a fallback file format for computers without Microsoft Agent installed.