Getting  Along With Your Computer Column Archive

Turn Off Indexing To Improve Performance

By Cate Eales
Appeared May 14, 2009 on castanet.net

How often do you use the Search function built in to Windows? If you just said, "WHAT Search function?" then I bet you can speed up your computer a little!


Improve XP and Vista performance by turning off Indexing
One of the first things I check on a customer's computer that is running slow is how much RAM the computer has. The next place I look, especially if there isn't much RAM, is at Indexing.

Windows XP and Vista want to keep track of all the files on your computer all the time, in case you need to search for one. Indexing just helps Windows retrieve a file faster when you have to use Window to search for it. By "search" I don't mean use Google or some other search engine to look for something on the Internet. I mean using the built-in Windows search function to find a file on your computer.

(click to enlarge graphic)

If you don't do that very often (or if you didn't even know Windows had a built in search function), or you are using Copernic or Google Desktop Search, then you can safely turn off Indexing, and improve your computer's performance.

You will still be able to use the search function in Windows; it will just take a little longer to find things. Your ability "to Google" will not be affected.

To turn off indexing in XP:

It will take Windows a few minutes to make the change, and you will see a progress bar as this happens. If you receive a message that says a file can't be accessed, simply say "Yes to all" and Windows will skip everything that is in use. That's not going to be a problem for you.

(click to enlarge graphic)

While you're in there, you can uncheck the box for "Compress drive to save disk space." There are many good, extremely technical explanations of why it's not a good idea to leave that checked, for instance in this forum. But the simplest explanation is this one: "Compressing files to save space is a little like emptying the ash trays to save weight in the automobile." I'd love to tell you who said that, but the post is Anonymous.

If you have more than one hard drive in your computer, you can repeat those steps for each drive, or you might want to just disable the service.

To disable the indexing service in XP:

The same general principle applies to Vista, but the instructions are a little different. You can turn Indexing off completely, and disable the service in Vista as in XP, but you can also turn it off selectively. So if you often search your Documents, but rarely search anything else, you can tell Indexing just to index your Documents.

Again, you can still use the built in search whenever you want it, but you might find it a little slower. What you gain is that all the rest of the time, everything is a little bit faster, and your hard drive isn't thrashing.

To turn off indexing totally or selectively in Vista:

To disable the indexing service in Vista:

Turning off Indexing will help speed up a slow computer...a little bit. There are common causes for computer sluggishness, as discussed here, here, and here. Assuming you have a malware-free computer with an optimized startup routine, the single thing you can do to have the most impact is install more RAM. See this column about why RAM is our friend!
 

Do you need help with your computer?  With your scanner/printer/camera/music player?  Do you have a virus or a spyware problem?  Do you need more RAM?  Do you need a backup plan? Do you have a new computer and now you're wondering how to get the files from the old one over to the new one? I'm here to help you and your computer get along! To ask a question, make a comment or suggestion, or schedule a visit, email cate@rlis.com. You can read previous columns here.  If you'd like to subscribe to this column by email, please visit this link.  It's easy, and free. If you'd prefer the RSS Feed, click here.

Links
Copernic http://www.copernic.com/
Google Desktop Search http://desktop.google.com/
Tom's Hardware Forums http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/19900-45-does-compress-drive-save-disk-space-help
Why Computers Are Slow - Part 1 http://rlis.com/columns/column156.htm
Why Computers Are Slow - Part 2 http://rlis.com/columns/column157.htm
Why Computers Are Slow - Part 3 http://rlis.com/columns/column158.htm
What is RAM and do I need more of it? http://rlis.com/columns/column171.htm
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives http://rlis.com/column.htm
Get Cate's column by email http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=20618
RSS Feed: http://rlis.com/rlis.xml

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Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric, and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions, helping individuals and small businesses with virus, spyware and malware eradication; personal computer training and management; digital image management; music transfer; and website design, hosting and management. Email Cate at cate@rlis.com with your comments, suggestions, or questions. To browse the column archives, visit the Real Life Internet Solutions website at www.rlis.com.

© Cate Eales 2009 – All Rights Reserved
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