Search hasn’t changed much on Windows 11 compared to Windows 10. Search Indexing is a feature in Windows that allows your computer to search through every folder and file and give you a result based on a word or metadata. It is a quicker alternative to searching for an item manually. It works for most apps, such as File Explorer, Groove, and Photos. Web-based applications such as Microsoft Edge and Cortana also use the feature to their advantage.
Search Indexing scans all folders configured for indexing by Windows. Records all new, modified, and deleted files and updates the index accordingly. Therefore a computer with low specifications can put a lot of burden on your CPU, resulting in slower performance. So, if your computer is getting slower, you can try disabling Search Indexing and see the results. This risewindows article will show you how to configure Search Indexing for Windows 11 Search.
How to Configure Search Indexing on Windows 11?
Step 1. Firstly, open the Settings app by pressing
Step 2. When Windows Settings opens, select the
Step 3. Then, scroll down to the “Windows permissions” section. Under that, click on the
Step 4. Finally, choose
How to Enable or Disable Search Indexing on Windows 11?
Search Indexing enables by default on Windows 11. However, if you need it, you can help or disable it according to your needs. To turn on or off the search indexing on Windows 11, use the following steps:-
Step 1. First, open the Run dialog box by pressing
Step 2. Now, in the Run box, type the following and hit Enter from the keyboard to open the Services window:-
Step 3. Then, locate the “Windows Search” and double-click on it to open its Properties.
Step 4. So, if the “Windows Search” service is already running, you will see the “Stop” button is active. Otherwise, the “Start” button will be active to enable this service. According to your needs, you can stop or start this service.
Those who prefer to use a command prompt to stop or start services can execute the following commands in the elevated Command Prompt window:-
Disable Search Indexing:
sc stop “wsearch” && sc config “wsearch” start=disabled
Enable Search Indexing:
sc config “wsearch” start=delayed-auto && sc start “wsearch”
How to Change Indexing Options on Windows 11?
If you want to exclude a drive or folder from Search Indexing, you can change the Indexing Option in Windows 11. To do that, use the following steps:-
Step 1. As usual, click the
Step 2. Now, click “Indexing Options” in the available search results to open it.
Step 3. Then, click the
Step 4. After that, in the “Indexed Locations” window, you can check or uncheck the folders/drives according to your needs. Click the
It will remove the folders or drives you uncheck from “Search Indexing.”
How to Rebuild Search Indexing on Windows 11?
When Search Indexing is not working well or due to some reason, if you want to rebuild them, do the following steps:-
Step 1. First, click the
Step 2. Now, click “Indexing Options” in the available search results to open it.
Step 3. Then, click the
Step 4. After that, click the
Step 5. Finally, click “OK” on the “Rebuild Index” dialog.
Now Windows 11 will build the search indexing list from scratch.
That’s it for the article.
I hope you will understand this post quickly.
Good luck & stay healthy, guys.
Also, read How to Configure Search Settings and Permissions on Windows 11?
