Strange Delay in the Search Index Service

[thehappyman]

Well, maybe somebody can provide some "Elucidation" (meaning "shedding some light") on this strange delay that I am noticing with the Windows Search Indexing Service.

I would never have noticed this except for the Windows Search Index gadget available at Windows Live Gallery.
I think this is a really great useful gadget - It shows you if the Index Service is currently running - it also shows you exactly how many items have been indexed so far, and it also lets you turn the Windows Search Service on or off whenever you want.

Well, the Windows Indexing Service never starts running right away after starting Windows (the gadget tells you this) - there is always about a 3 minute delay after booting until the service really starts to run. So I did some double checking - ran "Services" from "Administrative Tools" in the Control Panel, found the Search Service, selected it, right clicked on it, selected properties, then "Startup Type", and made sure it was Automatic and not a "Delayed Automatic".

So I had thought the Windows Search service would start right away after booting into Windows. But it doesn't, on my rig at least. It ALWAYS takes about 3 minutes for the Search Service to actually start.

Very strange - I've looked around on the internet for more info on this but have found zip

So whats going on ???? Somebody must have an idea.

 

[ie9]

I think that it's just related to how long it takes your machine to boot up. Faster machines will go through the boot up then slower and thus might be able to search faster.

By boot up, I don't mean power button to desktop only. There are also background services that have to run and probably take priority over the search index.

Just my thoughts

 

[thehappyman]

I think that it's just related to how long it takes your machine to boot up. Faster machines will go through the boot up then slower and thus might be able to search faster.

By boot up, I don't mean power button to desktop only. There are also background services that have to run and probably take priority over the search index.

Just my thoughts

Hi ie9 - No, the 3 minute delay I am refering to occurs after the Desktop has stabilized and ALL programs have been loaded. The boot up with my SSD is only about 30 seconds.
But thanks for the comment.

 

[thehappyman]

Just as an FYI - I moved the Search Index Files off my OS SSD Drive to another SSD system drive (one that rarely gets written to). I also have files set to Index file "Properties Only" and "Not their Contents". I also have all four of my internal drives included in the indexing.

So far the Indexer has indexed 282,000 "file items" and the Indexer File Directory is up to 900 MB, almost 1 GB. Yes, the searching is Fast and very encompassing.

 

[Ztruker]

That sounds like an intentional delay so it does not interfere with your boot and initial use of the system. I can't find anything that says this but it makes sense. One of the big complaints about indexing in XP was it's impact on usability, especially right after booting.

 

[logicearth]

It is designed in such a way so as not to iinterfear with the system. It runs on a low priority thread and only ever runs when the resources are free enough for it to run. Now is there a reason you need the indexer to be active as soon as the system is turned on? Otherwise, it is working as designed.