The Windows 7 operating system uses an index to perform a quick search for the most frequently used files. By default, all the most common files on the computer are indexed. Indexing includes all folders that are in libraries (for example, everything that appears in the Documents library), email messages, and offline files. Program files and system files are not indexed because these files are rarely searched. If the system does not specify which folders to index, then all disks will be indexed, which will negatively affect the performance of the computer.
To customize the indexing options to suit your needs, open the . Start - Control Panel - .
This window shows that the disk is being indexed D. To change the parameters, press the button Change.
Now we leave the checkboxes on those folders that we access most often. Also in this folder you can select subfolders for indexing
Let's move on to the final step of the setup. We return to the main window, and press the button Additionally
In this window, select the tab File types to set what type of files will be indexed and to add your file extension for indexing
Here you uncheck those extensions that you do not need. In field Add a new extension to the list, enter your file extension. Click Add And OK. We return to the window Additionally- and press the button Rebuild
Click OK and wait for the end of the index rebuild. If you do not want to use indexing, just uncheck the disks in the window Indexed Locations
The Windows 10 search feature in the Start menu, taskbar is pretty good. It allows us to quickly find applications, admin tools, files and folders. Indexing runs in the background without impacting your PC's performance. Starting with Windows 10 version 1903, you can enable a new setting for search indexing called "Advanced Mode".
You need to look at how search works in Windows 10 to understand how advanced mode differs from the default search mode that Microsoft calls classic.
Classic search indexes specific locations in the operating system, such as libraries or items placed on the desktop. Users can add or remove locations from the search; Indexing is nothing more than adding filenames and folder contents to a database to speed up searches. The built-in search can still find files in non-indexed locations, but it takes longer.
Microsoft has created a new type of search index. When advanced mode is enabled, it creates a persistent database for all files and folders stored on your drives. This allows Windows to search your folders and files across all drives, rather than limiting searches to your default documents, pictures, videos, and desktop.
Advanced mode, indexes all folders and files on your PC. All disks, including libraries, will be added to the database for accelerated search. You can set up exclusions for specific folders.
Here's how to enable advanced indexing mode in Windows 10.
Step 1: Open the app "Options" by pressing the keyboard shortcut Win + I. Go to section "Search" → "Search in Windows".
Step 2: To enable advanced indexing mode in a section "Find my files" select "Advanced (recommended)".
Advanced search is activated immediately. This will start a one-time indexing process, it will take about 15 minutes for the search to start returning these additional files in the results. If you have many files, this may take longer. Once indexing is complete, you will be able to find all your files using search, almost instantly.
Windows search will index all hard drives, folders, and files on the system, except for the folders listed in "Excluded Folders" on the same settings page. To exclude a folder from search, add it to the Excluded Folders list.
Step 1: Open the app "Options". Go to section "Search" → "Search in Windows".
Step 2: To turn off advanced indexing mode in a section "Find my files" select "Classic style", this will disable Advanced Search Mode and return the classic behavior.
It's time to talk about the proper use of SSDs in Windows 10. According to Microsoft, using an SSD on the "top ten" does not require any settings or preliminary preparation of the system for installing such a digital data carrier, and changing the operating system settings on your own can only harm the drive based on flash memory.
But, despite all the assurances of the Windows 10 developer, you should still pay attention to some points, and also study what the “ten” does to ensure maximum performance and save the SSD resource.
With the release of Windows 10, guides appeared on the web on how to properly configure the system to optimize solid state drives. But in fact, all of them were copies of similar instructions for the “seven” and “eight”, because in the latest OS, many actions are performed automatically by the system when an SSD is connected to the PC (disabling defragmentation, the paging file).
Initially, Microsoft configured the "top ten" in such a way that when a solid-state storage medium was detected, it was already ready for use, without the need to make any changes to the OS configuration. It is known from official sources that the list of settings when using flash-based drives includes:
Remembering the instructions for setting up other versions of Windows, you can note that file indexing and caching are not disabled, as is system protection (restore points are created regularly, reducing the working life of the device). With folders for temporary files, the same thing - there is not even a suggestion to transfer them to the hard drive. Let's consider all this in order, starting with defragmentation.
SSD defragmentation in the top ten is disabled, but some optimization option is activated instead. Having learned about this, many users immediately turn off this function, some study the mechanism of its functioning. And, as it turns out, the implementation of TRIM block cleaning is a useful feature for solid-state digital data carriers.
SSD defragmentation in Windows 10 is carried out only when shadow copying is enabled (system protection is active) once a month, but for such drives its essence is not much different from defragmenting files on the HDD. In some cases, the lack of defragmentation of the file is useful (for example, with a subsequent increase in its size).
Many users who have read the old article on configuring Windows 10 to work with SSD argue that SuperFetch, caching and file indexing should be disabled. These tips take place for life, their implementation will lead to a loss of productivity and ease of use at the computer.
Next, we will consider all options for optimizing the operation of a solid-state drive in the "top ten", noting that in order to obtain speed advantages during its operation, at least 15% of the space must be free on the disk. And this is very important.
If there is insufficient RAM for comfortable work and performance of certain tasks, it is advisable to use a paging file.
This fact is also supported by the fact that the mechanism of its operation implies the minimum number of accesses to the pagefile.sys file for writing, regardless of the amount of installed and free RAM. The number of read operations exceeds the number of write accesses by approximately 40 times.
With the paging file disabled, even with 8 GB or more of RAM, some "heavy" applications refuse to start (for example, Adobe Premier) or crash regularly. You may have to pay this price for an increase in SSD resource.
Another controversial feature is the deactivation of the possibility of switching the computer to hibernation mode. It is also used to quickly start Windows 10. To do this, a hiberfil.sys file is created on the system volume. The "ten" writes the contents of the RAM (in the case of hibernation) or the files necessary for a quick start of the system into it. The file size takes up as much space as the RAM installed on the computer, and the amount of data written to it does not exceed the current size of the RAM in use.
If for a computer, deactivating the function of putting the system into hibernation mode is not critical, then for laptop owners this will result in an accelerated discharge of the battery and the need to wait for the device to turn on. The process can be delayed with a large number of programs placed in startup, especially on old devices. In the case of a PC, waiting for it to fully boot is relevant if you want to extend the life of an expensive SSD.
It is also possible to reduce the volume of hiberfil.sys by disabling hibernation without disabling fast boot.
With the "File History" function enabled and the automatic formation of system rollback points before performing operations affecting the system (installing / uninstalling software), the physical resource of the SSD is reduced. In this regard, it is recommended to disable the history of files and the creation of restore points. But such a careful attitude to the drive can result in data loss or the need to reset the system in case of a serious failure and the inability to roll back to the previous state.
When using a Korean SSD from Samsung, this can be done through the proprietary Samsung Magician application. Backing up in the background can degrade the performance of the SSD when performing many other tasks in the case of working with the media's file system. Therefore, data backup should be performed when the computer is idle.
Intel, in conjunction with Microsoft, categorically does not recommend disabling the protection function of the operating system. With it, you can quickly return the computer to a working state without loss or with minimal loss of user data.
Another option to reduce the wear and tear of a solid state drive is to transfer temporary files and user data to partitions physically located on the hard drive. Thus, repeatedly overwriting work files and regularly changing them (for example, those stored on the desktop or in My Documents) will slightly reduce the number of writes to the SSD.
Usually, solid state drives are used as system drives, so storing a multimedia library or image catalog on them is not advisable (this does not apply to games). Indeed, in the process of optimization, many of the files for which the read speed is not of great importance are affected, their blocks are repeatedly moved.
There are more problems with using or disabling these features than with others. Various manufacturers place on their resources conflicting data relative to each other. Which of them to believe is up to the user to decide, but you should definitely familiarize yourself with the recommendations of leading SSD developers.
According to Microsoft, Prefetch and Superfetch work well on SSDs as well, with significant changes on Windows 10. Samsung says SSDs should not be used with Superfetch enabled.
As for clearing the cache buffer, here the information is also radically different even within the same SSD manufacturer without reliable information from one point of view or another. The cache buffer itself can be used, this will in no way affect the service life of the flash memory.
In Windows 10, the Instant Search Indexing Service performs more active indexing, but without it, the search icon, which is always in a prominent place, will be useless, and you will not be able to instantly launch a system tool or open a frequently used file. Is it worth it to slightly extend the life of the SSD to the detriment of convenience - decide for yourself.
As already mentioned, for high-performance operation of an SSD, it must have about 15% or more free space, which is due to the peculiarities of storing digital data on such media. Many SSD vendors provide proprietary utilities whose task is to reserve this ~15% space by creating a hidden volume.
The drive must be in AHCI mode. This can be checked in the Task Manager (invoked via Win → X).
It is strongly recommended to connect SSDs, regardless of their manufacturer, to a third generation high-speed SATA interface that does not use third-party controllers. It happens that the motherboard has a chipset for an Intel or AMD processor and additional ports on third-party controllers.
The SSD should be connected, of course, to the first. You can identify them both by marking on the motherboard, and using the instruction manual for the motherboard or laptop.
Periodically visit your digital media manufacturer's website or device support resource to check for the latest firmware. Software updates have a positive effect on hardware performance, and it's not just about SSDs.
As a summary, we can say the following: for beginners, Windows 10 is well configured in terms of minimizing unnecessary write operations. It doesn't make much sense to interfere with its settings, but experienced users can transfer temporary files to the hard drive and deactivate several functions (indexing, hibernation) to extend the life of the SSD at the expense of the convenience of working on the computer.
Hard Drive File Indexing is a special system service in Windows that speeds up the process of finding files on your computer's hard drives. It will be very useful for those who often look for any files and want to find them as quickly as possible. For example, it is very fast and convenient to search for Word documents. There are usually many of them. The names of indexed files are added to the database on the system disk, and when you enter a certain letter or word into the search, similar words or elements immediately appear in the search window.
Disabled file indexing on the hard drive often helps improve computer performance. First you need to figure out what indexing is, and in what cases it is really necessary to turn it off. To make the right decision, you need to pay attention to the type of processor and hard drive that your computer uses.
If the CPU is very fast (i5, i7), and the drive is normal, then it is better to leave indexing. A slow processor coupled with any type of hard drive means it's worth getting rid of. Any type of CPU and SSD standard hard drive also needs to disable indexing. It can be concluded that this option should be disabled for an SSD drive and a slow processor. Do not worry, because a computer without indexing will work properly, as before. All necessary files can be found in the same way as before. The only difference is that they will no longer be indexed.
In fact, users very rarely search for files using the built-in Windows search. Why is this utility needed if the vast majority of people use a maximum of 2-3 folders to store important files, which are usually located next to each other? As for the function of searching for a file by keywords, in the Windows 7 operating system it is implemented so poorly that it is very rarely possible to find something with its help. If you still use such a search, then you can leave some important folders with valuable information indexed. To avoid misunderstandings, it should be clarified that even with indexing disabled, Windows 7 will still find files. This has little to no effect on the operating system's ability to search for information using the search utility, because it is already poorly implemented.
There are several ways to disable indexing. If the user wants to leave the ability to search in some folders, then you can selectively disable file indexing for other directories. To do this, click the Start button and enter "indexing" in the search bar. The desired result for this query should be called Indexing Options.
Next, you will see a list of currently indexed folders. To make changes to this list, click the Modify button. By default, Windows 7 indexes Outlook, Internet Explorer's browser history, any offline files, the Start menu, and the user's personal directory, which contains Documents, My Pictures, and so on.
To remove these folders from indexing, you need to remove all the birds in front of them. For example, if a directory of photos is 50 GB of disk space, and all files in it use numbers as names, then the index for them should be disabled. Photos are usually sorted by event date and organized into subfolders. After disabling the indexing of the My Pictures catalog, you will experience an increase in the speed of Windows. Even if you add new photos to this folder, the operating system will no longer try to search for them.
There is also a more radical way with which you can disable indexing of a disk with all its contents. This can be useful for an SSD that is being used as a backup device. It is always indexed by default, but that doesn't make any sense if the SSD isn't used in daily life.
To disable this option for the drive, you need to go to My Computer and right-click on the local drive (C, D, etc.), then select Properties. On the General tab, at the very bottom, you will see a checkbox called Allow Indexing Service or something like that (the inscription may differ depending on the operating system used).
If you uncheck the checkbox, a pop-up dialog box will appear asking the user if they want to apply the new settings to all files on the SSD, or only to those in the root directory. You need to choose the first option, otherwise Windows will stand its ground and continue to index all folders. Then all that remains is to click on the OK button and wait a few minutes for the new settings to take effect on your SSD. See the related video below.
Useful utility for instant file search in Windows, 3.5 years have passed, and " things are still there"- the regular search service still does not please users. The situation has not changed and the long-awaited release of the "dozens" with the personal assistant Cortana, who learned to search for information not only locally, on the hard drive, but also on the Internet. In this review, I am not boring, brief and in "pictures" I'll tell you about the principles of work and self-configuring a quick search by adding popular directories to an indexed database (index).
How search works in Windows 10
As in previous versions of the OS, the "top ten" uses a similar search mechanism. Index is a set of necessary information about files on a hard disk, stored in a folder as a group of files. C:\ProgramData\Microsoft. Various file properties (path, name, size, etc.) get into the index, and indexing occurs with any of your manipulations - adding, changing or deleting controlled objects. Default Windows indexes a limited number of folders (directories, locations), this list does not include incl. system files, program folders, network drives. Unfortunately, if you save downloaded movies or books not in the directories specially designated for this, then they are also "deleted from the list". Thus, all non-system logical drives are "deleted" from the index, on which personal files are generally stored: video, audio, photos, software distributions, documents, etc. For this reason, the regular search service is so slow, because the system first searches in "its" list of indexed (index) files. Moreover, by default, search outside the index is performed only by file names, ignoring archives (ZIP, RAR, CAB).
How to speed up search in Windows 10
I think you have already guessed what to do to speed up the search in the system: index the folders of daily use. The easiest way to implement this is to add them popup-by-package to libraries, through a right-click → in the drop-down menu, click on the item of the same name → select the desired library or create a new one (screenshot). You can combine folders from different locations into one library (Videos, Documents, Pictures, etc.) and then view and organize files as you would in a catalog. When integrating a folder into a library, its contents will be automatically indexed.
However, there is a method to add a location to the index without using libraries. But first, let's make hidden folders and files visible, which will be useful to us in the future.
So, open the Control Panel and find the applet (section)" Decoration and personalization" → clicking on a subsection " File Explorer Options" (screenshot), switch in the opened window to the tab " View" and activate the option " Show hidden files, folders and drives(screenshot below).
Having finished with a minute optimization, let's move on to the second method of setting indexing and service parameters Windows Search"under yourself".
Confirm all changes with the button " OK", give Windows time to index new areas. Now you can be sure that Cortana integrated into the service will work very, very quickly.
Who liked and helped the voiced solution to the issue and who voted for it on social networks (not necessary, but desirable!) - read the review on how to replace the search field with a compact icon and how to disable search (Cortana) in Windows 10 . By the way, turning off the personal assistant (web search) will speed up the search process even more.
Important!
In the case of k.-l. problems with the service Windows Search(search does not work in Windows 10), such as slowing down or displaying incomplete results, in the "Indexing Options" window, through the appropriate link, run the troubleshooter to perform diagnostics (penultimate screenshot).
Important!
An attentive and experienced computer user must have noticed that the outdated "Internet Explorer History" has disappeared from the locations included in the indexing.
Dmitriy dmitry_spb Evdokimov
