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Index - Enable or Disable

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Index - Enable or Disable
How to Enable or Disable Search Index in Vista
Published by Brink
06-10-2007

How to Enable or Disable Search Index in Vista

INFO: The Index keeps track of the files on your computer and stores information about the files, including the file name, date modified, and properties like author, tags, and rating. The index is used to make searching for files much faster. Instead of looking through your entire hard disk for a file name or file property, Vista scans the index, which allows most results to appear in a small fraction of the time that a search without the index would take.

NOTE: To add or remove items to be indexed, see: How to Use the Indexing Options in Vista

WHY DISABLE: The Index runs slowly in the background constantly trying to keeping itself updated and current from the changes you make to the files you have listed in the index. If you do a lot of changes, your search results will not always be accurate until the index has caught up. This can cause the hard drive to run a lot, especially the first week or so after installing Vista. If you do not do a lot of searches or need very accurate search results, then disable the index to allow Vista to default to using the full non-index search. The searches will take a bit longer, but no more constant hard drive running and accurate searches.

RELATED LINKS:
1. How to Open and Change Search Options in Vista

2. How to Use the Indexing Options in Vista

3. How to Fix the Start Error For Windows Search Service to Enable the Index in Vista

4. How to Add or Remove the Internet Explorer 7 Search Box in Vista

5. How to Use Advanced Search Options in Vista

6. How to Create a Search Desktop Shortcut on Vista

7. How to Use the Find Window to Find Text on a Page

8. How to Restore the Search Context Menu Item after Installing the Vista SP1

9. How to Restore the Start Menu Search Button after Installing the Vista SP1

10. How to Use the Advanced Query Language to Improve Windows Search Results


EXAMPLE: Index Enabled and Disabled
Options_Enabled.jpgIndex_Greyed_Out.jpg


OPTION ONE:
How to Disable or Enable the Service for the Index :
NOTE: This will enable or disable the index for Vista completely. It will not affect the regular non-indexed search feature in Vista.
1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type services and press Enter.
3. Click Continue button for UAC prompt.
4. Scroll down and right click on Windows Search. (See screenshot below)

Services.jpg

5. Click Properties. (See screenshot below)

6. To Disable the Index :
A) Click the Stop button.
B) Next to Startup type:, click the drop down menu arrow and click Disable.
C) Click Apply.

7. To Enable the Index :
A) Next to Startup type:, click the drop down menu arrow and click Automatic.
B) Click Apply.
C) Click Start button.
NOTE: If the Windows Search service will not start, then leave it set to Automatic and see:
How to Fix the Start Error For Windows Search Service to Enable the Index in Vista

8. Click OK.

Service Properties.jpg

9. Close regedit.


OPTION TWO:
How to Enable or Disable Index for a Drive :
NOTE: This will only enable or disable the Index for the drive you selected.
1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Click on Computer.
3. Right click the indexed hard drive and click Properties. (See screenshot below)

4. To Disable the Index - Uncheck Index this drive for faster searching.

5. To Enable the Index -Check Index this drive for faster searching.
NOTE: Step 7 in the OPTION ONE section above will need to be set to enabled for this to work to.

Drive Properties.jpg

6. Click Apply.
7. Click Apply changes to drive, subfolders, and files. (See screenshot below)

Confirm.jpg

8. Click OK.
9. Click Continue for Access Denied window. (See screenshot below)

Access Denied.jpg

10. Click the Ignore All button for the Error Applying Attributes window. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Vista does not like any attempt to mess with the boot files. This is why you get this error and should select ignore all to skip changing these files.

Ignore all.jpg

11. This may take a while to finish depending on the size of your hard drive, so sit back, kick the feet up and relax a bit.
12. When finished, click OK to close drive properties window. (See screenshot below step 5)


That's it,
Shawn
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Old 06-23-2007  
Asky
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Re: Indexing Service (Search)

Thanks Man !
Kinda disliked the Indexing feature , Google Desktop is btter IMO



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Old 06-23-2007  
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Re: Indexing Service (Search)

Asky,

Your welcome. I always found the Indexer to be a system hog IMO.

Shawn

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Old 02-22-2008  
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Re: Index - Enable or Disable

Shawn,

Many thanks for the the guide it worked well. just got a brand new laptop today with vista prem. left work early on the pretext that we had a leak in the house. guess i will be playing till the wee hours.

David
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Old 02-22-2008  
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Re: Index - Enable or Disable

Your welcome David, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Enjoy the laptop,

Shawn

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Please post feedback to help others.
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Old 03-12-2008  
ggbib
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Re: Index - Enable or Disable

wee hours? heh. I'll be digging through these tutorials forever.

Just the format for these tutorials are nice, and they work.

Thank you once more Vista Forums.
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Old 03-12-2008  
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Re: Index - Enable or Disable

LOL Jerry. I'm glad that you like them. If you notice anything that needs improvement in them, just drop me a PM.

Shawn

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Old 03-24-2008  
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Re: Index - Enable or Disable

I was looking araound in the services and I found a service with the name NMIndexingService. I was wondering if that also had to do with Windows Indexing.

Having very choppy or laggy gameplay in Vista? Check out my tutorial to fix it (only for NVIDIA GForce Users): http://www.vistax64.com/gaming/13843...lay-vista.html
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Old 03-24-2008  
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Re: Index - Enable or Disable

Hi CrazyDude,

NMIndexingService (Nero Media Indexing Service) is a background task installed by Nero 7 and which is part of the Nero Scout utility which comes bundled with Nero 7.

You can read about the file here:

What is NMIndexingService.exe? NMIndexingService.exe Task Manager Process Information

Hope this helps you,
Shawn

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Old 3 Weeks Ago  
sofaking
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Re: Index - Enable or Disable

I've also turned off indexing in Vista. been having problems with it for a while. over 1,000 errors per day with it...
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