Speed Up Windows 10/11 Search: Configure Indexing Options & Rebuild Index

Speed Up Windows 10/11 Search: Configure Indexing Options & Rebuild Index​

Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 20 minutes

Introduction​

Search speed in Windows can make a big difference to productivity. If Start menu searches or File Explorer searches are slow or returning incomplete results, the Windows Index might be misconfigured, missing locations, or corrupted. This tutorial shows you how to configure Indexing Options (which folders and file types get indexed), how to rebuild the index, and how to check the Windows Search service — so searching becomes faster and more reliable.

Prerequisites​

• A user account with Administrator rights (needed for some advanced options).
• Windows 10 (version 1809 and later) or Windows 11. UI locations in Settings differ slightly between versions — instructions for both are included.
• Allow 10–60 minutes depending on how large your indexed locations are (a full index rebuild on large drives may take longer; see notes below).

Step-by-step instructions​

1. Open Indexing Options (quick method)
   1. Press Windows key + R, type:
      control.exe srchadmin.dll
      and press Enter.
   2. Alternatively, type "Indexing Options" into Start (Windows 10/11) and select it.
2. Review current indexed locations
   1. In the Indexing Options window, you'll see "Indexing locations" and a count of indexed items.
   2. Click "Modify" to open the Indexed Locations dialog.
   3. Check/uncheck the drives and folders you want included.
      • Tip: Keep the index on local drives only. Avoid indexing network shares unless necessary (network indexing is slower and often not supported).
3. Choose the right indexing mode (Windows Settings)
   • Windows 10: Settings > Search > Searching Windows
   • Windows 11: Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows
     1. Under "Find My Files" choose:
        • Classic — indexes your user profile (faster and less resource-heavy).
        • Enhanced — indexes your entire PC (longer initial indexing, more disk/CPU usage).
     2. Pick Classic if you only need to search Documents, Desktop, Pictures, and Downloads; choose Enhanced if you need system-wide search (be mindful of disk activity).
4. Add or exclude specific folders (recommended)
   1. In Indexing Options > Modify, expand folders and check only what you need (e.g., C:\Users\YourName\Documents).
   2. To exclude a subfolder, uncheck it. Excluding large folders (e.g., node_modules, large photo/video libraries, virtual machines) reduces index size and speeds searches.
5. Configure file types and contents indexing
   1. In Indexing Options click "Advanced" (you may need to provide admin confirmation).
   2. Go to the "File Types" tab.
   3. Uncheck file types you don't search often (e.g., .log, .bak) to reduce index size.
   4. For important extensions, select them and choose:
      • "Index Properties only" (indexes filename, metadata) or
      • "Index Properties and File Contents" (search inside files — useful for .txt, .docx, .pdf if you search text frequently).
   5. Note: Indexing file contents increases index size and CPU/disk usage while building.
6. Rebuild the index (fix corruption or after big changes)
   1. In Indexing Options > Advanced > Troubleshooting, click "Rebuild".
   2. Confirm the rebuild. Windows will delete the current index and start building a new one.
   3. Monitor progress in the main Indexing Options window (number of items indexed).
      • Warning: Rebuild can take from minutes to many hours depending on the amount of data and whether you chose Enhanced mode. During rebuild you may notice high disk/CPU usage and slower search results until indexing completes.
7. Ensure Windows Search service is running (if Indexing Options is missing or indexing won't start)
   1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
   2. Find "Windows Search" (service name: WSearch).
   3. Right-click > Properties. Set Startup type to "Automatic (Delayed Start)" or "Automatic".
   4. Click Start if the service is stopped. Click OK.
      • Tip: Restarting the service can sometimes nudge indexing to resume: right-click > Restart.
8. Run the built-in Search & Indexing troubleshooter (if problems persist)
   1. Press Windows + R, type:
      msdt.exe /id SearchDiagnostic
      and press Enter.
   2. Follow the on-screen prompts to detect and fix search-related issues.

Tips, warnings, and troubleshooting notes​

• Performance vs. comprehensiveness: Enhanced indexing gives better coverage but can impact system responsiveness while building the index. If you have limited CPU/RAM or an SSD with limited write endurance, prefer Classic and add essential folders manually.
• Rebuild time: On modern systems with SSDs and a modest amount of files, rebuild is often completed in 10–30 minutes. Large photo/video libraries, code repositories, or VMs can push this to several hours. Plan accordingly.
• File types that require filters: For file contents to be searchable (e.g., PDF), you need the appropriate IFilter installed (most versions of Windows have a PDF iFilter via Microsoft Edge/Adobe Reader). If content isn't searchable, check the File Types tab and confirm "Index Properties and File Contents" is enabled.
• OneDrive and cloud files: Files stored only in the cloud (online-only placeholders) may not be indexed locally. To include them, make files available offline or configure OneDrive sync accordingly.
• Network drives: Windows Search does not index network drives by default. If you must search network shares, consider third-party indexing tools or enable server-side search/indexing on the NAS.
• Missing Indexing Options: If Indexing Options is not visible in Control Panel, use the Settings path above or ensure Windows Search service (WSearch) is enabled. You may also run the Search Diagnostic (msdt) or Check for updates — sometimes a Windows update can affect search components.
• Resource management: Start a rebuild when you’ll be away for a while (e.g., during lunch or overnight) to avoid disrupting your workflow.

Conclusion​

Reconfiguring Indexing Options and rebuilding the Windows Search index can dramatically improve search speed and accuracy in File Explorer and the Start menu. By selectively indexing only the locations and file types you need, ensuring the Windows Search service is running, and rebuilding when things go wrong, you’ll get faster, more relevant search results while minimizing system overhead.
Key Takeaways:

• Configure indexing locations to include only folders you search often for faster results.
• Use Classic mode for profile-only indexing or Enhanced for entire-PC indexing (at the cost of more resources).
• Adjust file-type indexing to balance searchability and index size (properties vs. file contents).
• Rebuild the index to fix corruption or after major changes — expect high disk CPU usage during rebuild.
• Ensure the Windows Search (WSearch) service is running; use the Search troubleshooter if needed.

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This tutorial was generated to help WindowsForum.com users get the most out of their Windows experience.