How to manage Windows 11 search indexing

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How to manage Windows 11 search indexing – Guide

Search indexing is a feature Windows 11, which allows the computer to search all folders and files and then provide a result based on a word or metadata. Although you can find a file or folder manually, it will take a long time if you have many files and folders on your computer. Using Windows search, you can quickly find an item from most apps, such as File Explorer, Groove, Photos, etc.

Indexing improves search functionality, but a computer with low specs can overload your CPU, resulting in slower performance. So if you notice your computer slowing down, disable Search Indexing and see the results.

Configure search indexing

First of all, we need to choose whether you want to index some files, like libraries, or files from the desktop or the entire PC. Therefore, for this, follow the steps indicated.

1. Open Settings from the Start menu or by Win + I.
2. Click Privacy & Security > Search windows.
3. Now click Find My Files.
4. Finally, choose Enhanced if you want to search your entire PC or Classic to search only Documents, Pictures, Music and the desktop.
5. You can even customize the location by clicking Customize Search Locations.

Configure indexing options and settings for Windows 11 search

We’re going to do a lot of different things to configure the Windows 11 Search Indexing Options and Settings. They are.

1. Enable or disable search indexing
2. Change indexing options
3. Disable indexing for a unit
4. Rebuild Search Index

Let’s talk about them in detail.

1]Enable or disable search indexing

Search indexing can be enabled on your system by default, although in some cases you may have to enable it manually. In this section, let’s see how to enable or disable search indexing.

Enable or disable search indexing services

There is a service called “Windows Search”, by changing it you can configure Search Indexing. So follow the steps provided to do the same.

1. Open Run by Win + R, type “services.msc” and click OK.
2. Double-click Windows Search to open its properties.
3. Now you can start or stop the service.

Enable or disable search indexing from command prompt

Start Command Prompt as an administrator.

Run the following command to disable search indexing.

sc stop “wsearch” && sc config “wsearch” start = disabled

Run the following command to enable search indexing

sc config “wsearch” start = delayed-auto && sc start “wsearch”

2]Change indexing options

If you do not want a drive or folder to be part of Search Indexing, you can change the Indexing Option to do this in Windows 11. So follow the steps provided to do the same.

1. Search for “Indexing Options” in the Start menu.
2. Click Modify.
3. You can now deselect the drive or folder you don’t want to apply Search Indexing and click OK.

This can be a great way to speed up up your search indexing.

3]Disable indexing for a unit

To disable indexing for a specific drive, follow the steps provided.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Right-click on the drive in question and select Properties.
3. Go to the General tab, uncheck Allow files on this drive to have context indexed in addition to file properties, and click OK.
4. You will be asked to confirm your action, then you will have to select one of the options provided, do it according to your choice and click OK.

4]Rebuild Search Index

Sometimes search indexing fails to respond due to some problem. This problem can be fixed by rebuilding the configuration. Follow the steps provided to rebuild the search index.

1. Search for “Indexing Options” in the Start menu.
2. Click Advanced.
3. Now click Rebuild. You will be asked to confirm your action, so click OK.

Wait a few minutes and your problem will be fixed.

Final note

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