Disable and Turn Off Windows Vista Search Indexer and Indexing Service
Windows Vista has greatly enhanced its search algorithm where the search process is now not only faster, but users can also easily search for almost all kind of files, documents, pictures, videos, emails and contacts in Outlook 2007, and even commands or application programs’ executables. To achieve the fast searching speed, indexing service plays a pivotal role. Windows Vista starts to crawl and index files on hard disks right after installed with a low priority background process. If you notice that your hard drive activity LED light is constantly flashing even if computer is idle, this is probably due to indexer at work.
This is supposedly the case – indexing at system idle period in order to minimize the performance penalty affected on normal usage. However, this may not be the case in Vista, as the search indexing related processes such as SearchProtocolHost, SearchFilterHost and SearchIndexer actively running even though computer is processing other more critical tasks or running important applications, effectively slow down overall computer performance by sucking up important CPU, memory and other system resources.
So to speed up Vista, users may want to turn off and disable the search indexer and indexing service. You can and should also disable the indexing of files if you’re using other desktop search utility such as Google Desktop Search and etc. If you don’t mind the slower searching speed when performing searches, the indexing has no meaningful use to you too. There are several ways to do this, as listed at the guide below.
Disable Windows Search Service
This method effectively stop and disable all search indexing processes, and is the recommended way.
- Click on Start button, then select Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Administrative Tools, and double click on Services applet. Alternatively, simply type “Services” (without quotes) in Start Search box.
- If User Account Control asks for permission, click Continue.
- Locate an service named Windows Search. Right click on Windows Search, and then select Properties on contextual menu.
- Click on Stop button to stop the indexing service immediately.
- On the Startup Type dropdown box, select Disabled.
- Click on OK button.
To re-enable the Windows Seearch, simply change back the Startup Type.
Disable Indexing on Drives
This method allows users to selectively disable indexing on certain drives which rarely used or searched. However, it may take a long time to apply new attributes to all files, folders and sub-folders to exclude them from indexing.
- Open Windows Explorer from Accessories.
- Right click on the drive (or drive letter) that you want to turn off the indexing.
- Select Properties on the contextual menu.
- Unselect (untick) the Index this drive for faster searching option.
- Click Apply or OK button.
To re-include the drive, simply select the option again.
Indexing Options Remove or Exclude Indexed Locations in Control Panel
This method does not turn off indexing service. Instead, it just excludes deselected folders from search index, or deselect folders from included list. The indexer processes may still run after you remove or exclude everything.
- Click on Start button.
- Click on Control Panel.
- Click on System and Maintenance.
- Click on Indexing Options.
- To remove an Included Location, simply click on Modify button, and then untick the checkbox for respective folders under the “Change selected locations” box. To remove indexing on Start Menu and/or Users folder, click on “Advanced” button at Indexing Options dialog or “Show all locations” in Indexed Locations dialog. UAC access request continue required. Click on Start Menu and Users once at “Summary of selected locations” box if you do not see the checkbox for them.
To re-enable, simply tick back the folders.
Related Articles
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Entries (RSS)
January 7th, 2009 21:35
Done & done, thank you for the quick run down!
December 27th, 2008 01:32
“Indexing Options Remove or Exclude Indexed Locations in Control Panel”
I’m running Vista Home Premium & I can’t find this area. Was something left out of the instructions.Mike
December 5th, 2008 03:36
hi,
thanks for your explanation. but for my vista, the Disabling Windows Search Service (1st option) can not be reached from Control Panel, or i couldn’t find it from your explanation. Instead, the menu you showed can be reached from Start>Programs>Administrative Tools>Services. I just want to remind it.
Thanks.
October 3rd, 2008 10:23
I’m on WinXP SP2 but having the same issues with this and two other files.
searchfilterhost.exe
searchprotocolhost.exe
searchindexer.exe
I checked Add/Remove and noticed Windows Search was installed. It probably came thru one of the updates. I had Task Manager (Processes) opened during uninstall. After it finished, the 3 files were gone. I haven’t seen it pop up in Processes so far and it’s been several days now. Hopefully that’s the last that I see of this issue.
Good Luck!
July 31st, 2008 13:20
Hey there Urby well i did what you said and i think the constant ticking is gone. I think it only makes noise if im using the computer constantly.
I’m not like one of those people who know everything about computers. So i’m hoping what i did really did the job cause im thinking it did but in the back of my mind im not sure.
Thanks.
July 28th, 2008 01:27
Hello Urby thanks for the message as i never really did check this site out until i got a message in email that someone replied back to me.
The thing that is posted above doesnt that stop the ticking and noise from the hard drive? If your way is better and actually stops the noise and ticking then why is it posted then?
Your way seems more easier and faster then what this site has posted.
Let me know as im confused since i did what its posted on the site and it still makes noise every so often and about it being bad for the hard drive that is the last thing i want for my hard drive to happen.
Thank you.
July 27th, 2008 11:09
the reason its still ticking in there is because u need to disable superfetch in services and DEP/NoExecute in the command prompt… both of these little bits suck tons of memory (superfetch especially: consider all except 32 MB of system memory for 4GB of physical memory in the computer)and it keeps the drive spinning even when idle… all these in combination slow the computer system and suck vital system resources.
That annoying spinning and ticking in your computer is sure to be bad for the hard drive, and it slows down games… so far my system has seen an improvement in game FPS on the highest settings (esp Crysis) and windows starts 30 – 40 seconds faster than before.
Specs
-Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz FSB 1333MHz L2 Cache 12MB 64 Bit 45 nm
-2 x EVGA GeForce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB
-4 x 2GB Patriot DDR3 1333 Memory
-Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatality Professional
-ATI TV Pro Tuner Card
-2 x 750 GB Seagate Barracuda HDD 32 MB Cache 7200 RPM 3.0Gb/s SATA
-EVGA 790i Tri-SLI Motherboard
May 18th, 2008 08:15
So I tried this and it doesnt work as the hard drive still is seeking. I let others try it and it still is seeking.
I guess only way to get rid of the search index is basically doing a clean install really.
February 26th, 2008 06:53
[...] let’s have a little experiment time. Disable and Turn Off Windows Vista Search Indexer and Indexing Service