Complete Systems Design Information Technology Solutions

September 24, 2008

A client of mine wanted to replace a very slow computer even though it had a good processor, memory and hard drive because Windows Search was installed and making it extremely sluggish.

There are two places that you might install Windows Search on your computer – when searching for keywords in Outlook or through Microsoft Update. Both give you the option of installing or not showing that “update” again. While it may seem like a good idea as Windows Search can index items on your hard drive, e-mail etc for instant searches, it can also slow many computers to a crawl and be frustrating if it hasn’t indexed the area you want to search.  In Outlook when searching for words, it often tries to encourage you to use “instant search” which is a way of getting Windows Search installed on your computer. For most people I’d recommend avoiding instant search.  While Windows Search 4.0 doesn’t seem as bad as 3.0, it still can slow down even new computers, I’d avoid it.

To avoid installing it in Outlook, just say no. If you see the option of not notifying you of this option again – click yes so you won’t install it in the future.

In a Microsoft Update, if you choose custom, under applications, don’t select Windows Search – click on the plus next to it and don’t show this update again so you don’t accidentally install it in the future.