How to Disable File Indexing on Windows XP

Although Windows XP runs well on its own, you can speed it up by changing a number of its settings. Some of them control the desktop's appearance by changing shadows, shading and other visual effects. Others control different processes running in the background while you work. One of these is file indexing. Although it makes file searching more efficient, it also hogs system resources. Here's how to turn it off.

Instructions

1. Consider how frequently you use the XP search feature to find documents. Disabling file indexing slows this process down, so if you use it a lot you might be better off leaving it enabled.

2. Open "My Computer" by double-clicking its desktop icon. If you can't find this shortcut, look for it in the Start Menu. The icon usually looks like an image of a computer monitor.

3. Right-click the C drive's icon and select "Properties" from the pop-up menu that appears.

4. Uncheck the box next to where it reads "Allow Indexing Service to Index This Disk for Fast File Searching." This disables file indexing completely.

5. Choose to apply these changes to "C: Subfolders and Files." When you've done this, click "OK."

6. Restart your machine to clear the system memory and see how it runs.

Tips & Warnings

• Follow these same steps to disable file indexing in Windows Vista. Simply uncheck the "Index This Drive for Faster Searching" box and apply the changes to disable the service.

• Say "OK" to any security requests Windows makes. If you can't disable the service from your account, ask the system administrator for clearance.