Hello! Confinement times are coming back. Therefore, the time you spend in front of the computer is increasing. In addition, you are likely to access social networks that you did not use before. This makes it necessary for you to select a username. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? However, many times our selection can be busy. So today we’ll show you a simple but useful program. It is Sherlock, a free software that will make this search easier. In fact, its function is to track the main social networking sites and check if a username is already busy. Just like that! Stay with us to see how to install Sherlock on Windows 10.
Prerequisite
This program requires Python. Therefore, it is necessary to install this programming language. Please follow the steps described in this tutorial.
Downloading Sherlock for Windows 10.
As mentioned, this is a free and open source tool. To download it, just go to the project’s GitHub page. Note that you must select the file in ZIP format.
Installing Sherlock on Windows 10
After downloading the file, it is necessary to move it to a convenient location. For example, the Desktop. Once there, please unzip it. Below, please run a CMD with administrator privileges.
Now what we will do is install the necessary requirements for Sherlock. With this in mind, move to the previously unzipped folder. To do this, use the following command:
cd C:\Users\coolr\Desktop\sherlock-master
Of course, the command will vary according to the exact path of your compressed folder.
Now it is time to download the necessary requirements. With this intention, run the following command:
pip3 install –r requirements.txt
This process will take a few minutes. After this, we are ready to test the tool.
Checking a username in the main social networks.
We are now ready to test the software. The first thing you have to do is move to the Sherlock folder. Please follow the method described above:
cd sherlock
Now, we will check the availability of a username. With this in mind, just use the following syntax:
python sherlock.py username
In our case, it would look like this:
In this way, the search on the main social networks will begin. Depending on the username, this search may take a long time. Similarly, some pages take a long time to respond. Therefore, it is possible to increase the speed of the search. To do this, simply add the following parameter:
python sherlock.py username --timeout 5
After a few moments, we will see if the username is available or used. As you can see, it is a simple but effective process. In effect, the system will display the name next to the corresponding social network. Consequently, it will not be available for that platform. Ultimately, we have seen how to install Sherlock on Windows 10. A very simple but complete tool. Bye!