Indexing Broken in Windows 11 (Painfully Slow At Best)

Anonymous
2021-12-05T01:10:52+00:00

Hello

I have upgraded to Windows 11 Pro on two different laptops, and both have the same issue with indexing. It is painfully slow and then usually resets itself after a couple of weeks.

Both PCs are high-end laptops with Core i9 mobile CPUs (1 x 6 core and the other 8 core). Both run 2 x NVMe 1TB drives. Both have 64GB RAM.

Both run MS Office and I use Outlook for email connected to same IMAP accounts on both. My docs, pics, music and work-related files are all stored on OneDrive and accessed from both PCs (OneDrive is set to keep local copies on both PCs for fast access).

Windows is being asked to index around 250,000 files and 80,000 emails and calendar appts. Windows 10 used to accomplish this task in 6-8 hours max.

Windows 11 takes nearly two days just to index the emails. It can take up to three weeks to index the lot and then some folders simply refuse to be indexed. Then, after a couple more weeks it will eventually lose the lot and indexing has to start from scratch again (on both PCs)

I have tried:

Disabling backoff via registry so indexing never pauses

Only adding one location at a time to let it slowly build up (e.g., add only Outlook and when that finishes add a folder)

Rebuilding the index

Storing the index in different location

Search and Indexing Trouble-shooter

Nothing fixes the issue

Any help appreciated.

Cheers

Mick

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

142 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2022-06-27T19:19:39+00:00

    LOL. I chose to keep everything in cloud OneDrive and not locally. I've since discovered that:

    1. If I do not index anything locally
      and
    2. Just so happen to run a local search

    it starts to sync/download my OneDrive. My SSD isn't large enough to support an entire sync of my OneDrive.

    Same if you disable Windows Search service.

    This is such bs 😂. I guess I'm going to have to index everything again and wait until the weekend when my 450K items eventually index....and from there watch (and hear) my laptop on never-ending index (new song idea for Limahl) every time I reboot it.

    Seriously, How do we catch Microsoft's eye with this?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2022-06-27T17:53:41+00:00

    I have the same issues, I have been trying everything I can find on line. I have a brand new computer with solid state hard drive and 32 gigs of ram, it should fly through this.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2022-06-27T10:03:29+00:00

    I simply delete the entire top level folder, it comes back and repopulates. I did this today again.

    My search is working, its painful but way better than the alternative.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2022-06-27T07:39:13+00:00

    Thank you my friend. I'll give it a whirl. I'd previously deleted that registry key, but recreated it with noting underneath. I see it's repopulated itself. I wonder what will happen if I don't recreate it? Will it recreate itself and then also repopulate itself?

    For now, I've just removed everything from being indexed (can't remove the start menu by the looks of it) as it's something I rarely need, esp. with all being saved in OneDrive where I can run an online search.

    Love to have it working as it should be though!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2022-06-26T19:05:27+00:00

    Yup. Add me to the list. Win 11 pro.

    I've done everything suggested in all the threads since the OP. Problem always returns. My original install was a clear new install as well (i.e. not a Win 10 to Win 11 upgrade).

    My laptop is capable too. An i5 gen 8, 8GB RAM and NVMe SSD. Plenty of disk space and I don't use much resource at all in my day-to-day doings.

    I'm on about my fifth delete and rebuild index in the forlorn hope that fifth time's a charm.

    I've even tried disabling the indexing altogether (stop and disable) but I started to notice some odd behaviour in OneDrive which has since disappeared the moment I reenabled Windows Search and indexing.

    For now, I'm just going to have to put up with roaring fans and a hot laptop.

    But I'm all up for trying to catch someone's attention with this! Happy to help in any way.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments