A local terminal search system is provided, which includes a search request processing unit, a search/index unit, a filtering unit, and a complex-structured file preprocessing unit. The search request processing unit receives search request information and converts search result information into prescribed document format and provides it to a search interface program. The search/index unit searches a local terminal using a search keyword in the search request information to generate search result information and indexes information stored in the terminal. The filtering unit collects information of files stored in the terminal for filtering and determines if a file corresponding to the collected information is a complex-structured file which requires more than a prescribed threshold time for filtering and filters the file if it is not a complex-structured file. If it is a complex-structured file, the file preprocessing unit extracts or generates information required for filtering to generate preprocessed information segments.