Fix for Slow File Explorer Search

[BobH]

An article I found states the search function in File Explorer is slowed down due to Bing and Cortana. It advises that this can be fixed by editing the registry to disable Bing search and Cortana Consent. I don't use Bing or Cortana (knowingly or consciously); so disabling them should not affect me.

Does anyone know if this a 'safe' modification? If it is not advisable, is there another way to speed up the File Explorer search function?

[ChrisGreaves]

Does anyone know if this a 'safe' modification? If it is not advisable, is there another way to speed up the File Explorer search function?

Hi Bob. I can't comment on whether or not this is safe.
I do notice that what to you and I are useless "add-ons" like OneNote, Bing, iexplore and so on have an annoying habit of appearing in CCleaner lists as things-to-be-closed-before-I-can-continue. Who or what IS using them?

If speed of search is critical to you, I still suggest Everything.exe.
Everything is so blindingly fast because the developer has designed a search the way Microsoft should have defined a search.
That is, IMHO Microsoft File Explorer is inherently slow by design, not necessarily because of its add-ons.

Cheers, Chris

[HansV]

Apart from Chris's recommendation: yes, it's safe to add those two registry entries.
They don't disable Bing or Cortana entirely, by the way. They just ensure that Windows Search doesn't use them.

[BobH]

Thank you, both.

Chris, I do use Everything but often forget it when I'm already in File Explorer and think of searching for a file or folder. The little grey cells are becoming less pliable, non?

I made the recommended changes and perceived no appreciable increase in search speed.

[ChrisGreaves]

Chris, I do use Everything but often forget it when I'm already in File Explorer and think of searching for a file or folder. The little grey cells are becoming less pliable, non?

"The little grey cells " remind me again of what they are ...

OK. Fire up Everything,exe and use it like a desktop.

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Stop using Windows Explorer.
My search string above is "ext:doc \greaves\training\everything\tutorial", but you might use just "t: ext:xls;xla" or "WhatFAQ.doc" (if you have a lot of those).

Or if you prefer, post here a typical search example (in English) for you and I will try to set up the appropriate search string.

Unlike Explorer, Everything remembers how you like to work, and has a slew of features such as Bookmarks and Filters which you or I can activate by customized shortcut keys.

Cheers, Chris

[BobH]

Chris, is there a way to cause Everything to display files in a tree structure like File Explorer does?

Everything quesitons 2023-07-25_12h09_13.png

[ChrisGreaves]

Chris, is there a way to cause Everything to display files in a tree structure like File Explorer does?

YES!

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Folders Sidebar / Treeview

The folders sidebar allows the user:
Browse the indexed folder structure.
Quickly limit the search results to a specific folder (and subfolders).


But please note that Everything.exe is not Explorer.exe; it is a different design, and is designed to execute hundreds of times faster than Explorer, and so while it is an excellent replacement for Explorer, tying it down to BE Explorer would be like having that man with the red flag walking in front of your horseless carriage.

This treeview feature is in 1.5a, the alpha version. This alpha version has been around for over two years, and so is probably more stable and bug-free than anything from Microsoft.

There are bugs reported regularly, but they tend to be minor bugs in newly-released features; a settling-in process.
Cheers, Chris

[BobH]

Thanks, Chris.

Sometimes I need to see if things are where they are supposed to be (or I think they are) and the pathname process is a bit cumbersome for that. I agree with you that the tool should not normally be set up to mimic File Explorer.

I wasn't aware that I didn't have the 1.5 version. I've corrected that.

Cheers.

[ChrisGreaves]

... and the pathname process is a bit cumbersome for that.

Don't sweat "the pathname" process. I generally start by typing a short mask and then just append bits to it until a path name appears (in the Everything Result List), then if I need to use the pathname, I just copy/paste it via Everything and keep going.

Below is an image of a set of Bookmarks I use to start focused searches. Each bookmark has a shortcut-key so if I am working within a project such as a Training manual for Everything, I have no need to type or add a path.

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My impression is that Everything requires a different way of thinking from Explorer, but it is well worth it. The designer of Everything seems to have an attitude of "What is the user going to need to do next ..."

Cheers, Chris

[BobH]

Thanks for the tips.

I agree that Everything works differently from - and in my view much better than - File Explorer. I think File Explorer is stuck in the era of moving from DOS to Windows and hasn't been re-engineered for the way people work today.

It amazes me sometimes that MS were willing to upset everyone's established learning curve when they implemented ribbons yet have been stuck in other areas.

[Leif]

...is there another way to speed up the File Explorer search function?

Hi Bob,

I can't see anyone has suggested this, but when you run a search, a 'Search options' button will appear. Click on it, and check that you haven't included the option to search within the 'File contents'.
    

x.jpg

[ChrisGreaves]

... but when you run a search, a 'Search options' button will appear. ...

Good one, Leif , and this prompted me to take a look-see.

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I found that my data partition T: is not indexed at all, which probably explains why my searches in Explorer are slow.
Why is my T: drive not indexed in Explorer? I don't know for sure, but it might be because this is an encrypted drive.
FWIW I was not able to locate (Win11) the setting to turn it on, but a later search shows that in another screen drive T IS checked on (below)

Untitled2.png

I am not sure where this leaves me, except to think that Windows File Explorer provides many ways in which "search" can be misunderstood and/or difficult to tweak.

I see that Explorer includes an option to search Contents, and that this can be turned on and off globally. Everything accomplishes this with a "Content:" modifier, which is local to the search, but can be made global with a Filter.
Cheers, Chris

[JoeP]

@Chris,

There is an Advanced option in the Control Panel applet to index encrypted files. I don't know if that affects an encrypted drive or not. Also, have you tried deleting and rebuilding the search index? That is often one of the first suggestions for attempting to resolve search issues.

Here's an article about search in Windows 11 - How to use search correctly on Windows 11.

[StuartR]

How have you encrypted T: ?

I use Veracrypt and I have to stop and restart the windows search service after mounting my data drive, otherwise the index doesn't work.

[BobH]

Great information. Thanks, Gentlemen!

[BobH]

@Chris
Is there any way to stop the splash screen that comes up when Everything is launched?

[ChrisGreaves]

@Chris
Is there any way to stop the splash screen that comes up when Everything is launched?

Hi Bob.
Splash screen
I've not seen one.
Can you post a PrtScr image?
Cheers, Chris

[BobH]

It's the screen that asks permission to allow Everything to make changes to your computer.

I tried to get a screenshot but was unsuccessful. I'll try again.

[HansV]

That is a Windows mechanism called User Account Control (UAC). It ensures that applications that access or manipulate Windows system files can only do so with your explicit consent. If you get an unexpected UAC prompt, you can deny access.
It is possible to disable UAC, but I would not recommend it. It is a useful safety mechanism, and you get used to it soon enough.

[ChrisGreaves]

It's the screen that asks permission to allow Everything to make changes to your computer.

As Hans said, it is UAC. Back in February this year I went through an awkward (for me and other users) phase of confusion with UAC, but have landed firmly on the side of the experts. Here on Eileen's Lounge my supeeriors{sic} have been telling me for years to run as a standard user, not as an Administrator but I, of course, got tired of all those UAC prompts and went my own way.
Nowadays I am set up as user Chris077 with no administrator privileges; I have a second account on this Win11 machine for a user called ChrisAdmin, but log in to that admin account only once per month or so.

Starting back in February I have installed Everything.exe under Win7, Win10, and now under Win11.

Bob, your "screen that asks permission to allow Everything ... " probably indicates that you are NOT running as an administrator, that you ARE running as a regular users (e.g. "Bob2023" or whatever), and that all is OK. Also that you are installing a piece of software on your so-called Personal Computer.

Imagine that you were a worker in a big office, or a young child in a family: You want to install some 3rd-party software (in this case Everything 1.5a) on the computer.
This UAC prompt comes up and you ask either a system administrator for the company to come to your desk, or your parent to come to your table, and they have to approve the installation. To do this you must avert your eyes while they key in their secret password, and then the installation goes ahead and the parental figure goes away. The installation completes, and Bob2023 can now use Everything.exe at will.
You should not see this UAC screen again until the next time you install Everything.exe (or install some other 3rd-party software) (or try to delete some folder or files that doesn't belong to Bob2023) (or ...)

In short, if this screen is popping up during installation of Everything 1.5a, then go ahead and give it your admin password. Excepting for the first time that Everything runs, you will see no splash screen when you run Everything. On the first run there will be a delay of up to a minute while Everything makes its initial index database.

I hope that this makes sense.
Cheers, Chris