Windows 搜索(Windows Search)功能使在 Windows PC 上查找文件和文件夹的任务非常快(Windows)，但有时该功能可能无法按预期工作。许多人认为，这主要发生在Windows开始索引文件时。这是真的吗？那么，什么是Windows 11/10中的索引以及它如何影响搜索(Search)功能？
什么是Windows Windows 11/10搜索索引(Seach Indexing)
在Windows 操作系统(Windows OS)中，查看 PC 上的文件、电子邮件消息和其他内容并对其信息（例如其中的单词和元数据）进行编目的过程称为索引(Indexing)。对存储在 PC 上的内容编制索引(Indexing)可帮助您通过查看术语索引更快地获得结果。最初，当索引(Indexing)过程运行时，该过程可能需要几个小时才能完成。此后(Thereafter)，它会在您的 PC 后台静默运行，并简单地重新索引更新的数据。让我们看看以下几个方面：
- 索引如何影响Windows 10中的搜索(Search)？
- 可索引的文件类型
- 有多少文件信息被索引？
- 索引使用了多少空间？
- 索引信息存储在哪里？
- 为什么索引总是在 PC 上运行？
1]索引如何影响(How)Windows 11/10中的搜索(Search)
就像一本书的索引一样，制作精良的数字索引可以通过扫描常见的属性来帮助快速将用户引导到他正在寻找的信息。此外，它将在几秒钟内返回最有效的结果。在没有Indexing的情况下，该过程可能需要几分钟才能完成相同的操作。因此(Thus)，索引(Indexing)加快了搜索结果！
另一方面，Microsoft Store中的许多应用程序也依赖索引为您的文件和其他内容提供最新的搜索结果。禁用Microsoft Store的索引可能会导致应用程序运行缓慢或根本无法运行。这取决于这些应用程序对索引(Indexing)功能的依赖程度。
选择不索引文件的内容可以减小索引的大小。但是，它可能会使查找文件的过程更加困难。
相关(Related)： SearchIndexer.exe 正在阻止此设备停止
2]可以索引的文件类型(Types)
除了带有名称的文件外，还可以索引以某些二进制格式（例如DOC或PDF ）显示的某些属性或元数据的文件。(PDF)“高级索引选项(Advanced Indexing Options)”的“文件类型(File Types)”选项卡可用于在搜索中包括或排除某些文件类型及其内容和属性。要了解它是如何完成的，请参阅我们关于Windows Search Indexer 和 Indexing Tips & Tricks(Windows Search Indexer and Indexing Tips & Tricks)的帖子。
此外，您选择安装到 PC 上的应用程序可以将自己的信息添加到索引中以加快搜索速度。默认情况下， Outlook(Outlook)等服务会将同步到计算机的所有电子邮件添加到索引中。它使用相同的索引在应用程序内进行搜索。
默认情况下，文件的所有属性（包括文件名和完整文件路径）都已编入索引。
3]有多少(How)文件信息被索引？
您可以通过两种方式决定可以索引多少文件 -
对于前者，索引不会查看文件的内容。它只允许按文件名搜索。
4]索引使用了多少空间？(How)
如果有很多小文件，索引过程可能会占用可用空间。索引大小将与文件大小成比例地显着增加。
在通常情况下，索引将小于索引文件大小的 10%。例如，如果您有 1GB 的文本文件，这些文件的索引将小于 100 MB。
5]索引信息存储在哪里？(Where)
通过索引(Indexing)收集的所有信息或数据都本地存储在您的 PC 上的以下位置：
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search
如果需要，您可以更改 Windows 搜索索引的位置。
任何信息都不会发送到Microsoft或您的计算机之外。但是，您选择在 PC 上安装的应用程序可以访问您 PC 索引中的数据。因此，从外部安装某些东西时必须小心。最好的办法是确保来源是受信任的。
Windows.edb是Windows Search服务的数据库文件，它为文件、电子邮件和其他内容提供内容索引、属性缓存和搜索结果。
6] 为什么索引总是在 PC 上运行？
索引的目的是不断跟踪对文件所做的更改并使用最新信息更新自身。因此，它可以打开最近更改的文件，识别对其所做的更改（如果有）并使用最新信息更新索引。但有时，据报告搜索索引器会消耗高磁盘或 CPU 使用率。
提示：如果(TIP)Windows 搜索索引器不工作(Windows Search Indexer is not working)，请参阅这篇文章。
What is Search Indexing and how does it affect searching in Windows 11
The Windows Search function makes the task of finding files and folders on your Windows PC incredibly fast but sometimes the function may fail to work as desired. Many believe, this occurs mainly when Windows starts indexing files. Is it true? So, what is indexing in Windows 11/10 and how does it affect Search function?
What is Seach Indexing in Windows 11/10
In Windows OS, the process of looking at files, email messages, other content on your PC and cataloging their information, such as the words and metadata in them is termed Indexing. Indexing the contents stored on your PC helps you get results faster by looking at an index of terms. Initially, when the Indexing process runs, the process can take up to a couple of hours to complete. Thereafter, it silently runs in the background of your PC and simply re-indexes updated data. Let us take a look at the following aspects:
- How does indexing affect Search in Windows 10?
- Types of files that can be indexed
- How much of a file’s information is indexed?
- How much space is used by the index?
- Where is the index information stored?
- Why does indexing always run on a PC?
1] How does indexing affect Search in Windows 11/10
Much like an index of a book, a well-made digital index can help quickly direct the user to the information he is looking for by scanning for common properties. Besides, it will return with the most valid results in seconds. In the absence of Indexing, the process could take minutes, for the same operation to complete. Thus, Indexing speeds up the search results!
On the other hand, many apps in the Microsoft Store too, depending on the index to provide up-to-date search results for your files and other content. Disabling indexing for Microsoft Store may result in the apps running either slowly or not working at all. It depends on how heavily these apps rely on the Indexing feature.
Choosing not to index the contents of files can reduce the size of the index. However, it may make the process of finding files harder.
Related: SearchIndexer.exe is preventing this device from being stopped
2] Types of files that can be indexed
In addition to files bearing names, files showing some properties or metadata present in some binary format such as DOC or PDF can be indexed. The ‘File Types‘ tab of ‘Advanced Indexing Options‘ can be used to include or exclude certain file types from search and their contents and properties. To see how it is done, see our post on Windows Search Indexer and Indexing Tips & Tricks.
Also, apps you choose to install to your PC can add their own information to the index to speed up searching. Services such as Outlook adds all emails synced to a machine to the index by default. It uses the same index for searching within the app.
All the properties of your files including file names and full file paths are indexed, by default.
3] How much of a file’s information is indexed?
There are two ways via which you can decide how much of a file can be indexed –
- Properties only
- Properties and content
For the former, indexing will not look at the contents of the file. It will just allow searching by file name.
4] How much space is used by the index?
The indexing process can take up available space if there are lots of files that are small in size. The index size will increase dramatically in proportion to the size of the files.
Under a usual scenario, the index will be less than 10% of the size of the indexed files. For example, if you have 1GB of text files, the index for those files will be less than 100 MB.
5] Where is the index information stored?
All the information or data gathered via Indexing is stored locally on your PC at the following location:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search
If required you can change the location of the Windows Search Index.
None of the information is sent to Microsoft or outside your computer. However, apps you choose to install on your PC can have access to the data in your PC’s index. It is, therefore, necessary to be careful while installing something from outside. The best is to make sure that the source is a trusted one.
Windows.edb is the database file of the Windows Search service, which provides content indexing, property caching, and search results for files, e-mail, and other content.
6] Why does always indexing run on a PC?
The purpose of indexing is to constantly track changes made to the files and update itself with the latest information. As such, it can open recently changed files, identify the changes made to it, if any and update the index with the latest information. But at times, the Search Indexer is reported to consume High Disk or CPU usage.
TIP: See this post if the Windows Search Indexer is not working.
