Windows indexing: best to disable?

[eidairaman1]

Just kill it and be free

 

[Mussels]

You think a Windows service indexing the CONTENTS of files being a security problem is nonsense? Where did you get your certification for security SOP criteria?

If you cant trust windows, don't use it.

The end.

 

[lexluthermiester]

If you cant trust windows, don't use it.

The end.

That's one school of thought. Some might call it a defeatist perspective. I subscribe to the school of thought that strives to use Windows in the most secure way possible. This means disabling fluff and nonsense that doesn't matter, customizing the Windows configuration to exclude runtimes that are either not needed, needlessly use system resources or present problems to user security.

Telling someone who does not trust microsoft/Windows to simply not use it is disingenuous at best, especially when such an idea means excluding things that can not be done on other OS platforms. No, just no.

Helping people make Windows work for them instead of against them is the correct answer.

 

[Mussels]

That's one school of thought. Some might call it a defeatist perspective. I subscribe to the school of thought that strives to use Windows in the most secure way possible. This means disabling fluff and nonsense that doesn't matter, customizing the Windows configuration to exclude runtimes that are either not needed, needlessly use system resources or present problems to user security.

Telling someone who does not trust microsoft/Windows to simply not use it is disingenuous at best, especially when such an idea means excluding things that can not be done on other OS platforms. No, just no.

Helping people make Windows work for them instead of against them is the correct answer.

Yeah but advising other people without that level of paranoia to follow what you do, is only going to cause them issues and complications for no gain.
You do you, but you shouldn't be advising people to follow in that level of 'security' - especially in this case when it's got nothing at all to do with the thread topic

 

[lexluthermiester]

Yeah but advising other people without that level of paranoia to follow what you do, is only going to cause them issues and complications for no gain.
You do you, but you shouldn't be advising people to follow in that level of 'security' - especially in this case when it's got nothing at all to do with the thread topic

Since when has being focused on safe computing considered paranoia? Also, I think you're losing context here. We're not talking about radical changes. The OP asked if there was any point to the Index on Windows. Many have offered reasons for and against. In reality, the Index service doesn't just make an index of files, but also some of their contents. Such activities are not only useless for most users but also a very clear personal/professional security problem which could easily be exploited. As such, my advice is to disable the service or delete it. This will not break Windows or even slow it down. Quite the contrary, because that service is not running, it will not be using system resources and disk space. This change will, in fact, improve performance.

 

[R0H1T]

I've never used indexing in 15+ years of it being a hassle, even after I switched from HDD to NAND bases storage some 8+ years back! Never missed it

 

[phanbuey]

i keep it off... all my files are backed up so they're all organized in a repo, I really only use the quick launch to type and kick off apps, and you don't need indexer for that.

Not to mention, it can glitch out and just constantly index which is a decent performance hit.

 

[rafik2019]

I usually remove/disable stuff from installation iso, services, windows update, defender etc. because its useless for me, all that crap just sit in memory.
Use MSMG Toolking and NTLite(I use both for installation media).
Ah and dont use windows11 its cancer, get windows 10 LTSC.

 

[Bill_Bright]

You think a Windows service indexing the CONTENTS of files being a security problem is nonsense?

No. That is not what I said.

What is nonsense is your comment. And as @Mussels correctly suggested, it is you, due to your clear disdain for anything Microsoft, and your self-proclaimed insistence that you are smarter than all those PhDs and computer scientists at Microsoft, constantly spreading such FUD all the time - typically with unsupported, nonsensical or even made up claims - that does more harm than good!

A perfect example is this:

Such activities are not only useless for most users but also a very clear personal/professional security problem which could easily be exploited.

Pure hogwash!!!! Once again you do NOT speak for most users!!!! Stop pretending you do! And it does not even matter if most use it or not. "Some" may find the ability to find a file just by searching on a specific word among potentially 100s or 1000s of documents, perhaps going back years, to be very useful, time saving and beneficial.

"Personal/professional security problem"? More hogwash!!! Show us one article from a reliable source that suggests Indexing poses a security risk.

"Easily be exploited"? Total fabricated nonsensical FUD! Where's your evidence? Show us one article, just one that shows a user's "personal or professional security" was compromised because they did not disable Indexing.

All the data indexed is not only already on the user's computer, it is stored in the clear, and is already organized in a coherent manner - that is in the full context of the document's subject. How is that more secure? Show us corroborating evidence that indicates the indexed information is stored in a less secure manner, or is more easily available, exploitable, and useful to a bad guy.

 

[lexluthermiester]

No. That is not what I said.

That is exactly what you said and everyone can see it.

all those PhDs and computer scientists at Microsoft

Who have a bias in favor of what's best for the microsoft way of doing things, which is frequently not in favor of what's best for the average user.

constantly spreading such FUD all the time - typically with unsupported, nonsensical or even made up claims - that does more harm than good!

More personal jabs. Struck another nerve have I?

Pure hogwash!!!! Once again you do NOT speak for most users!!!! Stop pretending you do!

I have more credibility than you do. But ok, you keep thinking whatever you want to think.

And it does not even matter if most use it or not.

So then, why would it matter if it's disabled or not?

"Some" may find the ability to find a file just by searching on a specific word among potentially 100s or 1000s of documents, perhaps going back years, to be very useful, time saving and beneficial.

Everyone can do this WITHOUT the index. Might take a bit longer, but then again, how often does the average user conduct a search like that?

"Personal/professional security problem"? More hogwash!!! Show us one article from a reliable source that suggests Indexing poses a security risk.

"Easily be exploited"? Total fabricated nonsensical FUD! Where's your evidence? Show us one article, just one that shows a user's "personal or professional security" was compromised because they did not disable Indexing.

The problem is easy to see. The onus is on YOU to prove it is NOT a potential security issue or attack vector.

All the data indexed is not only already on the user's computer, it is stored in the clear, and is already organized in a coherent manner - that is in the full context of the document's subject. How is that more secure?

Given what an "Index" is, how do you not understand how a catalog of both files AND their contents is not a security problem and a tempting target for an attacker? They would otherwise have to search manually and they wouldn't know what they're looking for. But a populated index has everything they might need.

Show us corroborating evidence that indicates the indexed information is stored in a less secure manner, or is more easily available, exploitable, and useful to a bad guy.

No thanks. I don't need to do what common sense covers by default.

Oh, and just in case you missed it, I did say the following earlier..

Unless you need it, yes, disable it.

Which directly implies that I acknowledge that some users do use and need it. There are a number of use case scenario's for the proper utilization of the index. The average user does not need it. Most gamers do not need it. It can be easily and safely disabled. Case closed, end of discussion.

 

[95Viper]

DIscuss the topic... not each other.
Stop the constant bickering.
Discuss the topic civilly.

 

[Mussels]

I usually remove/disable stuff from installation iso, services, windows update, defender etc. because its useless for me, all that crap just sit in memory.
Use MSMG Toolking and NTLite(I use both for installation media).
Ah and dont use windows11 its cancer, get windows 10 LTSC.

The last sentence just reduces your credibility, 11 is a great OS for people who just let it do its thing. It works, and has a LOT of features lacking in 10 (I just went back to 10 to test some performance issues with icue and LGS, and god it was horrible. So many things 11 has changed and improved that you just don't notice until you go back)

While it can break things, i definitely used to run debloated XP and win7 back in the day.
If you're willing to put in the effort to strip those things out and re-do it every time you get an OS update, you can definitely save a lot of RAM and disk space... my custom-made XP ISO ran at 90MB of RAM usage.


When cutting 3.5GB of memory usage from not using bloated apps gained me an entire 1FPS to my 99% average, i feel like debloating the OS itself will make even less difference, sadly.

 

[Frick]

The Good Old Days when you had to turn off everything not required to run the computer to have enough memory for Diablo 2 to load.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Whole lot of bickering over turning off indexing
Clearly search still works with indexing off so not sure what the core issue is, ssd's even sata are fast and don't need it period

 

[lexluthermiester]

So many things 11 has changed and improved that you just don't notice until you go back

This!

my custom-made XP ISO ran at 90MB of RAM usage

That's impressive!

 

[ExcuseMeWtf]

If you cant trust windows, don't use it.

The end.

Let me know how that works out next time you learn about critical vulnerability discovered in any Windows component

 

[LFaWolf]

I wondered about that too, if malware can access whatever file(s) are holding the index of contents of files it might be easier to find out what files are interesting and maybe see the contents of said files just by hacking the indexing service or the indexing files themselves.

If malware got hold of your index database, you are already done. Most malware nowadays don’t care about the contents of your files, but more interested in encrypting them and asking you for ransom - hence the name ransomware.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I wondered about that too, if malware can access whatever file(s) are holding the index of contents of files it might be easier to find out what files are interesting and maybe see the contents of said files just by hacking the indexing service or the indexing files themselves.

Why would they waste their time? Bad guys are lazy opportunist.

If malware got hold of your index database, you are already done.

Exactly.

If a bad guy already managed to get past your router, your firewall, your antimalware solution, why waste their time with an Index database? They already have direct access to everything on your disk - including your contacts, browser history and a whole lot more than they can glean from the Index database. If they already have gained that level of access, you have already been totally compromised and you have a much more serious issue to deal with than than Indexing.

Don't fall for the FUD.

 

[plastiscɧ]

Good and valid arguments on all sides; pro and contra indexing.

MS has, however, when I read through the faq, its own reading that combines all the contra arguments in itself.

or would like to combine....

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/search-indexing-in-windows-10-faq-<<<<< source

If you use it I would suggest, tip on its fingers and adjust it. i guess that helps instead of thinking: "All for good, go on..!"
Make it YOUR tool not their (in case of open telemetry, maybe).

 

[80251]

I don't know if I like the idea of an MS OS indexing my files and their contents.

 

[LFaWolf]

I don't know if I like the idea of an MS OS indexing my files and their contents.

Then go ahead and turn it off, and ask the mod to lock this thread. There is no need to convince you otherwise.

 

[Mussels]

Let me know how that works out next time you learn about critical vulnerability discovered in any Windows component

Oh sure, disabling telemetry or indexing will absolutely fix that.

I don't know if I like the idea of an MS OS indexing my files and their contents.

Then dont use an MS OS.
Or any antivirus.
Or ever open those files.

That level of paranoia is not helpful.

Either you're doing something that needs to be secure - in which case it needs to be on an airgapped, offline PC - or you're just wasting time on paranoia.

 

[80251]

Secure Linux is the safer alternative to any windoze OS. I'd trust practically any *ix OS to index my file content, but MS? The whole idea is laughable. If it wasn't for gaming, I wouldn't have an MS OS on any of my boxes.

 

[Solaris17]

I'd trust practically any *ix OS to index my file content, but MS? The whole idea is laughable.

Where is the index information stored?​

All data gathered from indexing is stored locally on your PC. None of it is sent to any other computer or to Microsoft. However, apps you install on your PC may be able to read the data in the index, so be careful with what you install and make sure you trust the source.

Search indexing in Windows - Microsoft Support

Learn more about how indexing affects searches in Windows.

support.microsoft.com

wack, I can install apps on linux that read log files and can scan my FS all the time. Time to boycott suse, redhat, canonical because %reasons%.


I think this has gone on long enough now. Im sure the OP has enough information to do whatever he wants at this point, and everyone else appears to be too bored to give a damn what the needs were to being with.