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How to stop windows/microsoft from deleting and rebuilding my index-file without my permission?

Anonymous
2024-11-06T02:26:31+00:00

Hi,

I just noticed that my search is not working AGAIN.

For some reason every now and than my computer just starts indexing from scratch again.

I have 2 million files on my computer and it takes 5 days to index. I can't work without using the search.

This is seriously affecting my efficiency and my business.

First I thought the re-indexing was caused by a malfunctioning SDXC disc that was also part of the indexed files, but a month ago I excluded that from the search and for a month everything worked perfectly. Untill this morning when I realized search was not working because of re-indexing.... Is there anybody that can help me out? My serach index file is stored on my G drive.

What can I do to NEVER EVER allow microsoft without my permission delete and re-index my files.

Cheers Marc

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-11-16T06:39:27+00:00

    Hi Lugoo,

    Thanks for your explanation. I had done what you have asked before to speed up the indexing, however it still takes about a week.

    In this week I can't work normally on my computer because my work heavily relies on finding information very fast.

    So if this happens 4 times, I can't work efficiently for a month.... and it happens more than 4 times ....

    The question is, why didn't I have this before?

    It is now with WINDOWS 11 and previously I never had my computer automatically rebuilding the whole file.

    Whenever there were new files added to my computer it just added them to the index.

    For my business I really depend on quickly finding my files. The search option from windows is great.

    The only thing I can't have is that it just starts rebuilding from scratch whenever it likes to do so.

    I just see that there are some updates to run and I'm scared to restart my computer because if my index file is deleted again I will lose another week of work and therewith some important business projects.

    Maybe I should not rely on windows because it affects my business too much.

    If this can't be resolved within windows, could you advise me another search tool?

    I don't want to switch to MAC.

    Let me know.

    Thanks in advance !

    Cheers

    Marc

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-11-11T02:03:42+00:00

    Hello, Marc KOTJ,Welcome to Microsoft Community.

    Thanks for your feedback,I understand that you wish to completely disable the index rebuilding feature.

    Unfortunately, you cannot prevent automatic index rebuilding while using the indexing feature, as this process is fully automated.

    However, you can refer to the following steps to speed up the index rebuilding process, which can significantly alleviate the problems caused by index rebuilding.

    Enable or disable the indexer backoff feature to reduce indexation speed.

    Note: You must be logged in as an administrator to perform these operations.

    Method 1: Using Local Group Policy Editor

    1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type “gpedit.msc” and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
    2. In the left pane, navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.
    3. In the right pane, find "Search" and double-click the "Disable Indexer Backoff" policy to edit it.
    4. Choose step 5 (Enable) or step 6 (Disable) as needed.

       Step 5: Enable Indexer Backoff

       - Select (click) "Not Configured" or "Disabled," then click "OK," and proceed to step 7. The default setting is "Not Configured."

       Step 6: Disable Indexer Backoff

       - Select (click) "Enabled," then click "OK," and proceed to step 7.

    1. Once completed, you can close the "Local Group Policy Editor" as needed.

    Method 2: Use a Registry File to Enable or Disable Indexer Backoff

    You can copy the following registry key value, create a blank text file and save it, then change the file extension to .reg and double-click to import it.

    Registry setting to enable indexer backoff:

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]

    "DisableBackoff"=-

    If you want to cancel disabling the indexing feature, copy the following registry key value, similarly create a blank text file and save it, change the extension to .reg, and double-click to import:

    Registry setting to disable indexer backoff:

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]

    "DisableBackoff"=dword:00000001

    Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click here to view the article.

    https://support.microsoft.com/topic/855140ad-e318-2a13-2829-d428a2ab0692

    If my understanding is wrong, please point it out, so that I can assist you better.

    Lugoo Bei | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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