Indexing, on or off?

I have heard that turning off indexing in win 7 will increase your speed greatly. Well how necessary is it?
And when i tried turning it off, it gave me some errors saying it cant find certain files on the system which i simply ignored, is that normal?
I ended up leaving it on though.

 

ON.

/thread.

 

Turn it ON always. It won't boost the performance of your PC or slowdown your PC. Some people/software just got nothing to do and tell people to turn it off for better system performance which I find it's not true at all.

 

so, by turning it ON got wat advantage?

 

You can use Search Function. LOL.
You just need to type something you want after you click the "Start" button, Windows will automatic find it for you.

 

Don't forget that the search index only looks at a few locations on your system...go to Indexing Options and you will see that it searches "Users" and a couple of other places.

I used to HATE index AND superfetch in Vista and I turned them off. In Win 7 it is a whole 'nother ball game.

ON!

R

 

If you don't use search, then off.

If you happen to use search, then on.

Simple enough.

 

On, for sure.

If it is off and you turn it on, you will see a performance decrease, but ONLY while it creates the initial index. It may take a while to do that and you will see a LOT of disk activity. But this is a one time thing. After it has created the index you will never notice it doing anything again. It only needs to update the index when files are added, changed or deleted. And those updates are lightning quick.

You MIGHT notice it if you were to import hundreds of documents in one fell swoop. But that would be the only time.

Gary

 

Turn it off, search in startmenu still works, its just not as fast, but dont use the useless startmenu to search for anything than programs, get "Everything" at www.voidtools.com

One of the greatest softwares ive ever had

Everything you search for appears INSTANTLY.. Bind it to a hotkey and youre set

 

Superfetch of Vista and 7 works better than Prefetch of Windows XP.
Indexing Search is not heavy, turning it off doesn't boost your performance. LOL.

 

i happen to formulate it differently:

if you don't use search, USE SEARCH. it's one of the biggest usability features of after-xp os'. it's there to help you and make your life great. instead of turning it off, how about learning what it is and how it can help, instead. advancing to >2010, and not sticking to the 2001 way of thinking.


i know, changing habits is hard


that's like "my old car didn't have an air conditioner, so i turn it off in the new car. new features are there to get explored. not to be turned off.

turn off an os feature, and put a 3rd party to do the same. very good solution for.. uhm.. nothing.

 

Except the 3rd party program is better

 

which it isn't. which you would know if you studied windows search.

 

That's nonsense, as usual. Indexing has no noticeable effect on performance.

Wow, you mean this program does everything that Windows Search already does out of the box? Man, that's great!

So, can you explain again why anybody in his right mind would buy and install a program that simply duplicates (at best; I have my doubts...) functionality that is already built into Windows?

 

it searches everything. windows search by default doesn't, it only searches user relevant files.

so you can't search for fltlib.dll which is in c:\windows\system32

which is soooooo important for users to be able to. who ever needs to access that file normally knows it's place. who ever knows he has to search for such files just adds the whole c:\ to the search index.

but he feels cool as he tweaked his system and installed something own. it's like when you put colour stripes onto your bicycle. now it's faster, you know. i made them on it. and it's more pretty, too, as I've chosen them. and i'm cool, as i've done all this..

 

Of course, if you want Windows Search to do the same, you need to click on Indexing Options in Control Panel, which is really hard to do, I know; and not cool, either...

P.S.: I know you know all that, Dave, I am just saying this for the benefit of innocent bystanders. Oh, and I entirely agree with you that Windows Search is one of the most under-rated features in Windows Vista and 7. It probably doesn't matter if all you do with your computer is fiddle around with warez, and play games. But if you actually do work on your computer, it's worth its weight in gold. On my machine, I have instant access to all of my work documents and emails, worth a total of about 150,000 indexed items. If I want to find that email I received from sender X about subject Y about two years ago, Windows Search will hand it to me instantly.

 

Sorry but your example is a glaring example of the GIANT step backward that Win7 search made. I have been playing around the past few days with some drivers and DLL combinations. I needed to find where a particular DLL was stored. In Vista the advanced search GUI made that pretty easy. In Win7 the GUI is ridiculously convoluted to accomplish the same thing. In addition searching for files by a date range used to be pretty simple and obvious under WinXP, not with Vista or Win 7. Now I need to remember some archaic command line syntax to do so. What the hell is this Linux?

Nope I have to say search is the only real flaw I see in Win7. If it is this difficult for someone who has used Windows since version 1.0, pity the poor user who only uses it for office use and needs to search by more than just a file name or content in the MyDocuments folders.

To be clear I am NOT making the case for turning off indexing. I am making a case for an improved search GUI. No more, no less.

Gary

 

interestingly, while i see your point, i can't agree on it.

non-geeks should never have need to search for system files. when they do have the need to do something like that, they got informed about it from a geek, who knows where the file is, or how to search for it quickly.

and you, being such a geek, you know perfectly well c:\dir mydllname /s


BUT

the worst of all about your point: i typed fltlib.dll into my win7 startmenu and IT GOT ACTUALLY LISTED!! nicely put as an "Application" (well... not really great ), and pointing to the file in c:\windows\system32..

when i click on "more results" at the bottom of the startmenu, i then get to the search window, where i can chose "computer" which scans the whole disk, and finds all files.

it's a bit different than it was before, yes, but it works without a flaw, and quite quick.


edit: there: click on computer. it searches for all files, then.

 

That made no sense at all, I dont use search because...I dont need to search stuff, why would i force myself to SEARCH stuff if im not searching for something?

*force's himself to search random items on his PC for no particular reason other than its 2010*

As for me, I have it off

and Superfetch (I dont see a difference in program speed opening with or without, its the same, maybe its my PC. the time it took at launch and the insecent hard drive activity for 3 minute did bother me tho)

and system restore (Never needed to use it, I keep my PC safe, the only time i did use it was 4 years ago, maybe 3 and upon restore, i didnt have 100% performance.)

and Selfdefrag (I like to do that myself)

and Pagefile (It removed a few stutters I had in a couple of games, I never had a low memory warning yet, so im fine)

2010 may it be, I always test with and without and if without gives me a performance boost ill sure go without (whether YOU see a performance decrease on YOUR system is none of my concern ^^)

Windows is made for many different people with many different needs, and some of those advances in technologies are a burden to my constant search of performance.
Ill do gladly without a system restore backup turning itself on when im doing something on my pc *but it only happens when your not doing something important* i hear you say, well when im not doing something important on my PC, its turned off, and it wont happen then..

Edit: this machine has never been reformatted once since its first install, and its still running at original speed.

 

Bro, i use 'Everything' for system files too, its not only finding stuff, its insane quick access, and it IS better than Windows Search.. Its faster and easier to get an overlook over everything.. Please stop humping windows features just because its windows when theres 3rd party solutions thats better, and you know it.

Besides Windows Search doesnt index everything, "everything" does.. Its just pure better and that is as good as a fact.

 

well, shows lack of trying it out. if you try it out, and learn to use it, you start to see it's gains. open explorer and browse to a file? how booring and slow.
same as launching random apps, startmenu search is great for that.

it's not that you need to use it, but you need to TRY it. then, you most likely will find it useful (as mostly everyone who actively tried it) and won't disable it.

except of course

if you don't have actually data on your computer, but just games. if you use your pc to do some form of work, manage some form of information locally, then you can use search. and you will like it.

castration of a system sure helps performance..

again, castration sure helps performance..

again..

again..

again..

there is no determinable performance decrease on any machine worth playing games on.

yeah, the search for the placebo effect to have done something good to your system that makes zero sence. if you want to get performance, invest into the right HW. leave the software as is.

well, if it's not important for you to handle anything if you have a ed up system, and have to reinstall, then your pc is not worthy. mine is.

impressive because you seriously castrated it for no gain. mine are at original speeds, too. without any of your placebo pills.

but i know that you know better, and i know that you know that you've done the best for your system, and i know how good you feel about it. feel good about the placebo of tweaking. for years, people tuned their cars and bikes to show off how cool they are. now they do it with pcs. or phones. the next hype will come. tweaking is always something "wow i'm so good". people have to prove they know better all the time.

i wait till you grew up.

 

hahaha. i have instant access to all applications including system applications and settings with windows search. i find all my files in an instant based on something somewhere IN the file.

show me what else you need. windows search doesn't index everything to NOT POLLUTE YOUR SEARCH RESULTS. because normal people never want to search trough all dlls and everything when they type in "page" into the search (and i can tell you, mostly any dll would pop up as it accesses some page-functions that are string-referenced from another dll).

but follow your dream, stand to your strange software, and believe how it's best. if it makes you happy i'm happy to know how to handle a default os, and how to let it serve me perfectly well, instead of having to rely all the time on some foreign random stuff.

 

what placebo? before = stutter, after =no stutter. Dude you are not listening, I told you, I test with and without, and if I see a performance boot, I Turn it off. In all those case I had performance boosts.

Yet you come and tell me I didnt. read again: (whether YOU see a performance decrease on YOUR system is none of my concern ^^)

Are you just here for the sake of arguing?

Edit: Go look at my PC like you already have in the post you desktoip pic section. does it look like I just game? Music and audio as you obviously know involves a lot of files, yet I still dont need to use the search function for that as all my programs already implement locations.

Honestly you have to understand. MY pc is not YOUR pc, my needs are not YOUR needs. I understand why you need search, understand why I dont.

 

you're on windows 7, not? and have an i7. and you have stutterings due to the page file?

this is a BUG, a massive one. there are no stutterings when running on xp on a p3, your system has some big issues which you hided away by disabling everything.


if those tweaks where not placebos, your system has bugs. in any normal case, on any normal performing (not superhighend) system, ANY of those tweaks results in NO performance change.

i can accept that it fixed your symtoms of your problems. but you have some real big problem here, that is independent on the tweaks you applied. which is much more serious.

 

/sigh I didnt come here to argue (especially not about the bugs that comes with windows as this debate could be endless)

so peace out fellow music maker, im out ><

 

typical. head down running away if one points that you might have some issues that you didn't know how to solve, and instead put some geek lipstick around that sort of fixed it.

i'm pointing out that a win7 installation on an i7, that results in stuttering in any form, does have to have HUGE issues. if 8 threads can't somehow make the system smooth, you have a problem. a big one.

but just run away from your problems, and praise your leet tweaking skills.

or grow up and learn. and ask for help to really fix your stuff.


btw: indexing does NOT consume ANY resources unless you actually HAVE something worth searching for. because only then, it will index THAT, just after you saved it. else, it's idle.

 

Yeah well i too doubt that indexing would ever slow down a good system, and im sure its fine and that, but im just saying that "Everything" is better than it.. Ive tried by default when i search for a certain file, then my startmenu becomes a mess because of results, and i cant really rely on it actually searching everywhere.. With "Everything" it searches absolutely every where and you can easily add exceptions, like the Windows directory if thats what you want. You can also fast sort after date modifed, size, and see when the file i located and quickly open that path..

Everyone ive told about Everything love it, and use it.

and yes you can add exceptions for filetypes, folders (like i said) and everything.. Its so configuable that you sitting there with Windows Search and saying it is better, its just plain idiotic.. I understand you like stuff to just be as default as possible, and the fact that another program made is better than what microsoft made is just impossible. Ive tried Windows Search, you havent tried "Everything". (Damn that is a bad name)

 

none of the listed features of everything are not available on windows search. windows search just start by only indexing what normal users need (searching outside of your user folders should never be a need for a normal user. tell me one reason and i give you a counter argument on what's wrong with that user. one example: having custom folder design instead of using the default places, or remap them, or failure to add the folders to the index)


everything has no feature that windows search doesn't have. it just defaults to everything, which is a bad default. windows search defaults to "what users care", which is a good default. but it's entierly customizable in both cases.

so, again, you replace an existing working solution by another existing working solution. both have the same functionality, and just a different name. (edit: and yeah, everything is a bad name when you talk about searches, too much missunderstandings due to multiple ordinary uses of that name )

 

Dude, you might be right, i dont know, but what i know is that i dont wanna sit thru the troubles customizing all those settings, its much easier to kill the indexing process and use a program that does atleast the same.. atleast..

and speaking of 'normal' users (idiot users) they barely know what search is.. atleast to my experience, my friends and even fellow nerd friends dont use it and going thru the trouble of setting the thing up to their needs.... i dont think so.. but yes, sure microsoft just care the most about what normal users want and so on..

Its funny, because my friend from belgium whos as much of a pc dude as us, and he said exactly the same things as you when we discussed the same thing, but after he used Everything for a while, he really admits that he likes it better.

 

the trouble of setting things up is no trouble if you can read. or, adapt to the default and never have a need to mess with settings. i have all my files neatly in libraries (spread over the net, most on the home server), and i get instant search results of all my files over my whole network.

you can't get that with everything, and once you moved away from "i have only one system and i want to mess with it how ever i can" to "i have a home network and i want it to work fluently with all machines", you realise how much everything sucks, and windows search delivers.


by default, it finds all the files you have in the places that are there for your files.
by default, it finds all the programs and tools that you know and love.
by default, it does that even over the network on some foreign share.
by default, it finds all your mails containing stuff you might want.
by default, it finds the webpages you browsed relevant to the topic.

what else does a normal (not idiot) user need?

this is what i'm still waiting for? what do you want that is not one or two additional clicks away from the default, at max?

 

Oh well, i dont do any of those things and i know nobody who does.. You apparently do, and sure, stick to Search if that suits ya, im not trying to get you to use another program as i couldnt care less.

 

explain me, what else a normal user uses search for if not for any of those points?

(i asked that above and jsut got 'everything', which is a very.. non-detailed answer)

and your "im not trying to get you to use another program as i couldnt care less." is ridiculous. you're the one "using another program"

i'm the one just using the os itself how it's designed, as i understand my os, and not have to replace existing features by the same ones. i couldn't care less i just hate how people state untrue things, like the windows search not being suitable. it's more users don't want to learn stuff.

 

A normal user searches for documents lol

 

which was the first of my points (and the mail point, too, and the web point.. as all of those are "documents/information" for a user)

see this again: "by default, it finds all the files you have in the places that are there for your files."
stated differently, it finds your documents


and what do you use it for that can't be delivered out of the box by the windows search? still waiting for that eye-opening example

 

Just in case some of you didn't understand my first post...

ON.

/thread again.

 

heh, if only that forum could work that way

well, people would claim censuring their freedom of speech, then.. they have a right to give bad advises

 

Well, now im just gonna ask you, because i dont know and im to lazy to enable the service and configure the thing my self, but can you for instance search for all items in a folder without going to the folder (like from the "winkey + F" window)

For instance:

If he doesnt use it, then why? Its a matter of preference

 

not disabling it means, the moment he learns to appreciate the feature, he can use it directly at full speed. as it doesn't hurt while he doesn't use it, it might help once he starts using it.


how do you get the folder path? by typing? for such paths that would take a while.

i can a) type the path in the startmenu, enter to open, and search in there

or b) type the path into the startmenu followed by my search terms. looks like it puts out the results i wanted (in my case, outsync.msi in the downloadsfolder).. and it highlighted the path in the search result indicating it was looking for it, indeed, yes.

but when the path is copy pasted, simply pasting it into the startmenu and pressing enter brings you to the folder anyways quickly enough.

i don't have much to search on my laptop right now, and my other systems are still all down waiting for replacement mainboards..

 

voilà. both from the startmenu

 

I personally leave it on, even though I don't use the Windows search feature much, it does work extremely fast if you have everything indexed.

 

ah well, Search looks good indeed, better than i remember (been using Everything for ever lol).. I now kinda use it to navigate around my pc .. Does the job for me.

 

Leave it on.

The only performance impact you can get is if files are scanned for the first time - leave your computer on overnight once and that's sorted.

 

hehe that's what i use my startmenu for. just after the installation, it's my "commandline interface" for the whole os navigation. it's an impressive beast. takes some getting used to, but so did everything it's first time (woah, that pun is great ).

instead of exploring strange different software, each os release (and sp, and such), i explore what the new os/update gives me, where it evolved. i even use the new taskbar, which i hated for over a year of betatesting once getting used to it, it's great.

and i tell EVERYONE who gets a new os. be it xp back then, vista some short time ago, or win7 now (and same for office) i tell EVERYONE to use it in it's default stage at least 1 month. and THEN consider falling back to old habits. most old habits by then are lost, and people then like all the innovations that are there in the new place.

thats why disabling anything is bad. if the system doesn't deliver in it's default state, it's a problem. if it's a hw problem (like stuttering in games), or if it's a software problem like not having a good search. this is the forum to post and ask questions, then.
but just randomly disabling stuff is just randomly bad

 

The two of them are eventually gonna get tired.........

It's always the same people in a knock down drag out battle between the "default rules" feature camp and the "default sux" feature camp. I honestly don't care because nobody reads these things.

 

I turned off indexing for one main reason (and someone correct me if I'm wrong and this is a myth)... degradation of the hard-drive. Wouldn't indexing cause quicker degradation of the hard-drive, especially in the long run (I plan on keeping my laptop for a long while and the hard-drive is usually the first to go).

 

I guess casual thinking will say using something will make it degrade. But there isn't any research to back it up.

The often cited Google study tried to correlate usage with harddrive lifespan, to no avail.

 

I just left mine off, because I don't have very many files on my computer anyway, and search still seems to work just fine. It doesn't seem to matter much.

Actually, I never seem to need search, since I know exactly what files I have on my lappy, and where everything is, so I might just get rid of search entirely. Up to you, OP.

 

HDD degredation... ehm... while it should exist, I don't think anybody has ever managed to wear out a harddrive yet.

(with wearing out I mean used so it no longer correctly saves/gives back data - this excludes mechanical/electrical failures - which also aren't common)

 

some do. and hopefully, they get some in-depth information they didn't have before.



hdd degradation? i thought ssd write limit is a big enough panic? now hdd degradation, too?

just in case: updating an index is maybe some 1kb write on the hdd. compared to the file save of several mb, this is a non-issue. not that hdd degradation exists actually to any measurable extend in the first place.


another day, another person disabling random feature based on some false belief. it won't ever stop

 

Are you telling that even though I never use the search and have my own ways of operating I should keep it on? What for?