Windows 10: Add or Remove Search Index Locations in Windows 10

How to: Add or Remove Search Index Locations in Windows 10

How to Add or Remove Locations for Search Index in Windows 10


By default, Windows will use the file properties, and file contents you want indexed.

The index uses the Windows Search service and runs as the Searchindexer.exe process in the background. The index will automatically rebuild and update for changes made to the included locations since the last index rebuild to increase search result accuracy. By default, the indexing speed is reduced due to user activity. If the computer is running idle, then the indexing speed will go back to full speed to finish indexing faster.

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove locations to be included in the search index in Windows 10.

If you select removable media (ex: USB flash drive) to be included in the index, it will only be included while the removable media is connected. If you disconnect the removable media, it will automatically be included in the index the next time it is reconnected.

The index will not include search results from any drive or partition with the A and B drive letter, even if you add their location to the index. This is because the A and B drive letters are reserved for floppy drives. Since a floppy drive is considered to be a removable device, it will not be indexed. Even if this is a hard drive you assigned with the A or B drive letter, it will still be treated the same.



Here's How:

1. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the Indexing Options icon, and close the Control Panel.

2. Click/tap on the Modify button. (see screenshot below)

*note You can see a list of your currently added locations under Included Locations.

These are the default locations in the screenshot below.



3. Check (add) or uncheck (remove) the locations you want to be indexed, and click/tap on OK when finished. (see screenshots below)

*note Unchecking subfolders will add them to excluded folders for the search indexer.

*note If you are signed in as an administrator, then you could also click/tap on the Show all locations button to see all available locations.



4. If the index doesn't automatically start rebuilding, then you should manually rebuild the index to update it. (see screenshots below)



5. You can now close Indexing Options if you like.


That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Add or Remove Excluded Folders for Search Indexer in Windows 10
• How to Search in File Explorer in Windows 10
• How to Change Search Options in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Modifying Indexed Locations in Windows
• How to Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options in Windows
• How to Enable or Disable Search Indexing in Windows
• How to Create an Indexing Options Shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Reset and Rebuild Search Index in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Indexer Backoff in Windows
• How to Add or Remove File Types for Search Index in Windows 10
• How to Change Storage Location of Search Index in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Indexing Contents and Properties of Files on a Drive in Windows
• How to Create a Search Shortcut in Windows 10
• Disable Adding Locations on Removable Drives to Index and Libraries in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Indexing when on Battery Power in Windows
• How to Turn On or Off Enhanced Mode for Search Indexer in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings in Windows 10

:)

 

how to seaches in selected drives win10

To Search only a single location or drive, open it in File Explorer and type into the Search box at top right.

To set your PC for the locations you want included or excluded from Search when you type in the taskbar or Start button Search Box, type Indexing in Start Search, open Indexing Options, click Modify, then add or remove any drives you want or don't want searched.
It should show all drives that are attached.

Give it a few days to re-index then if it is still missing some, go back and choose Advanced Options, then Rebuild Index to have it re-index all locations.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

 

Cortana not finding documents unless they are in C:\users

I just stumbled upon this so you might have found the answer or reverted to windows 7 by now, but.. I found this solution while trying to solve the same problem:

How to add new Cortana search file locations on Windows 10

basically for me the D drive (which is where my onedrive is located too) was deselected for search indexing (indexing options).

Hopefully this works for you.

 

Hello Gator, *Smile

These are for the folders that store the desktop backgrounds for your themes in the Themes folders like below.

%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\Beauty of\DesktopBackground

You should be able to click on the "Show all locations" button at the bottom, select a "DesktopBackground" folder in the bottom section, and then be able to uncheck it in the top section.

 

Thanks, Brink. When I do that, nothing shows up in the top pane. I've dug around in the file tree in the top pane but couldn't find the directory in the Indexing app where these things are located.

 

Odd. Do you see anything like below?

 

The second pic shows what I see when I click on any of the DesktopBackground folders. I get nothing like what your pictures look like. Nothing else happens. If it's not affecting anything, I am happy to leave it. But all those folders just didn't look right.





.

 

You might see if rebuilding the index may help since they don't show you a path in the top section when selected in the bottom.

 

i cant change the search options because when in open the control panel im not seeing any icon to change the search settings

 

When you open the Control Panel, make sure it's in "Icons" view. The link in step 1 can show you how to if needed. You should then see the "Indexing Options" icon available.

 

same problem here
solution is to enable hidden files in file explorer first
than you will be able to select or unselect folder

*Arrow Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives in Windows 10 Customization Tutorials