How to Rebuild the Index in Windows 7 and Windows 8
InformationThe Index keeps track of the files on your computer and stores information about the files, including the file name, date modified, and properties like author, tags, and rating. The index is used to make searching for files in Windows much faster. Instead of looking through your entire hard disk for a file name or file property, Windows scans the index, which allows most results to appear in a small fraction of the time that a search without the index would take.
If the index cannot find a file in it's seach results that you know exists or not exists in an indexed location, then this will show you how to manually rebuild and update the index to have accurate search results from changes to the included locations since the last rebuild or update.
NoteThe index will often run (indexing) automatically in the background to rebuild and update for changes made to the included index locations since the last index rebuild to increase search result accuracy.
By defaut, the indexing speed is reduced due to user activity. If the computer is running idle, then the indexing speed will be at full speed instead to finish indexing faster.
WarningRebuilding the index can take several hours, and searches might be incomplete until the index is fully rebuilt.
Here's How:
1. Open the Control Panel (icons view) in Windows 7 or Windows 8, and click/tap on Indexing Options icon.That's it,
2. Click/tap on the Advanced button. (See screenshot below)
3. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.
4. Click/tap on the Rebuild button. (See screenshot below)
5. Click/tap on OK. (See screenshot below)
6. After a moment, you will notice the index being rebuilt. Click/tap on Close. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: When the index is finished being rebuilt, you will see Indexing complete.
Shawn
Related Tutorials
- How to Change Location Where the Index is Stored in Windows 7 and Windows 8
- How to Pause Indexing in Windows 7 and Windows 8
- How to Add or Remove Index Locations in Windows 7 and Windows 8
- How to Add or Remove a File Type from the Index in Windows 7 and Windows 8
- How to Change or Restore the Default Windows 7 Search Options
- How to Search in Windows 7
- How to Create a Search Shortcut in Windows 7
- How to Create a Indexing Options Shortcut in Windows 7
- How to Create a Search and Indexing Troubleshoot Shortcut in Windows 7
- How to Enable or Disable the Search Index in Vista and Windows 7
- How to Have More Accurate Search Results in Windows 7 and Vista
- How to Enable or Disable Search "Indexer Backoff" in Windows 7