Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

English support forum

Moderators: white, Hacker, petermad, Stefan2

Post Reply
Digika
Junior Member
Junior Member
Posts: 40
Joined: 2019-05-26, 14:46 UTC

Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *Digika »

I was thinking about disabling WS service completely but I would like to gather some info first if TC uses it in any way. I did quick grep of the logs but havent found anything of relevance.
Spoiler
(obviously I do not just account for TC, I plan to investigate how Visual Studio uses it but that's besides the ropic).
User avatar
Horst.Epp
Power Member
Power Member
Posts: 6449
Joined: 2003-02-06, 17:36 UTC
Location: Germany

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *Horst.Epp »

Currently TC doesn't use Windows search at all.
There is no benefit to disable the search indexer on actual hardware.
I find Windows content search very usefull and have an entry in the search results to open them with TC.
Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 (OS Build 22631.3374)
TC 11.03 x64 / x86
Everything 1.5.0.1371a (x64), Everything Toolbar 1.3.2, Listary Pro 6.3.0.69
QAP 11.6.3.2 x64
Digika
Junior Member
Junior Member
Posts: 40
Joined: 2019-05-26, 14:46 UTC

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *Digika »

Horst.Epp wrote: 2019-05-26, 14:57 UTC Currently TC doesn't use Windows search at all.
Source? Reference?
There is no benefit to disable the search indexer on actual hardware.
I find Windows content search very usefull and have an entry in the search results to open them with TC.
I'm not asking for advice on unrelated subject
User avatar
tuska
Power Member
Power Member
Posts: 3740
Joined: 2007-05-21, 12:17 UTC

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *tuska »

Digika wrote: 2019-05-26, 19:37 UTC
Horst.Epp wrote: 2019-05-26, 14:57 UTC Currently TC doesn't use Windows search at all.
Source? Reference?
It's a fact.
You won't find a hint in either the TC Help (F1) or the History.txt that TC uses the Windows index-based search.

A short search in the forum would have brought you quite fast to this discussion and information from the author:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=44873

In addition, I think you can trust a long-time Power Member (Horst.Epp) so much that you get the right information here.
User avatar
Horst.Epp
Power Member
Power Member
Posts: 6449
Joined: 2003-02-06, 17:36 UTC
Location: Germany

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *Horst.Epp »

Digika wrote: 2019-05-26, 19:37 UTC
Horst.Epp wrote: 2019-05-26, 14:57 UTC Currently TC doesn't use Windows search at all.
Source? Reference?
There is no benefit to disable the search indexer on actual hardware.
I find Windows content search very usefull and have an entry in the search results to open them with TC.
I'm not asking for advice on unrelated subject
So you are not searching for real answers.
Then see if anyone can help you, I guess not.
Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 (OS Build 22631.3374)
TC 11.03 x64 / x86
Everything 1.5.0.1371a (x64), Everything Toolbar 1.3.2, Listary Pro 6.3.0.69
QAP 11.6.3.2 x64
User avatar
ghisler(Author)
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 48021
Joined: 2003-02-04, 09:46 UTC
Location: Switzerland
Contact:

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *ghisler(Author) »

I can confirm that TC doesn't use the Windows search index. I found it too lacking so I'm using "Everything" instead (if installed).
Author of Total Commander
https://www.ghisler.com
Digika
Junior Member
Junior Member
Posts: 40
Joined: 2019-05-26, 14:46 UTC

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *Digika »

ghisler(Author) wrote: 2019-05-27, 13:36 UTC I found it too lacking [...]
Any examples of what was lacking in comparison to Everything?
User avatar
tuska
Power Member
Power Member
Posts: 3740
Joined: 2007-05-21, 12:17 UTC

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *tuska »

Digika wrote: 2019-05-27, 18:23 UTC Any examples of what was lacking in comparison to Everything?
Have you ever tried to find a file with Everything?
A comparison makes you sure: The file will be found immediately(!) with Everything (Everything Service enabled).

An important point concerning a search [for a file] with Windows Explorer (WSearch Service enabled -> Windows Search)
was mentioned and explained in detail by Dalai in the above linked topic.

In practice I get the following hint when searching for a file with Windows Explorer: "Content of the folder is listed...".
Until this hint disappears after some time and I get the file listed, I found it with Everything long(!) ago
and would have found it also with a search in TC (without Everything integration) before.


Windows 10 Pro (x64) Version 1809 (OS Build 17763.529) | TC 9.22a x64/x86
☑ 'Everything'  | Everything - Version 1.4.1.941 (x64) | How to use TC <=> Everything
User avatar
ghisler(Author)
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 48021
Joined: 2003-02-04, 09:46 UTC
Location: Switzerland
Contact:

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *ghisler(Author) »

Also the Windows search service uses an index, which only covers part of the files (usually the user's documents), and needs to be updated in the background to stay current. Everything uses the NTFS master file table, so it is always up to date and finds literally everything on that disk.
Author of Total Commander
https://www.ghisler.com
User avatar
Horst.Epp
Power Member
Power Member
Posts: 6449
Joined: 2003-02-06, 17:36 UTC
Location: Germany

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *Horst.Epp »

ghisler(Author) wrote: 2019-05-30, 09:17 UTC Also the Windows search service uses an index, which only covers part of the files (usually the user's documents), and needs to be updated in the background to stay current. Everything uses the NTFS master file table, so it is always up to date and finds literally everything on that disk.
In the Windows version 1903 you now have an option to index the whole disk and make exceptions.
Much better than the previous one in which we had to add additional folders outside the normal ones.
Update in the background is almost uptodate for me.
Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 (OS Build 22631.3374)
TC 11.03 x64 / x86
Everything 1.5.0.1371a (x64), Everything Toolbar 1.3.2, Listary Pro 6.3.0.69
QAP 11.6.3.2 x64
User avatar
tuska
Power Member
Power Member
Posts: 3740
Joined: 2007-05-21, 12:17 UTC

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *tuska »

After updating Windows and have done a fine-tuning to the search settings in Windows Explorer, I am now
- after completed indexing of the search - with the search results for file- and content(!)-searches,
especially with regard to the speed with which search results are displayed in Windows Explorer very satisfied.

My above statement is relativized by this.
In my case the problem was in front of the PC :roll:


Windows 10 Pro (x64) Version 1903 (OS Build 18362.145)
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770 CPU @ 3.4OGHz, 16 GB RAM
TC 9.22a x64/x86 | Everything - Version 1.4.1.943 (x64)
hennie
New Member
New Member
Posts: 1
Joined: 2024-01-04, 22:21 UTC

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *hennie »

After looking for a 'google' on our company server, and testing software such as Everything (indexing filenames only) and AnyTxt (indexing filenames and content), by chance I bumped on the standard Windows Search facility. I have always avoided it as being slow. But after watching this video (https://getmethegeek.com/blog/2021-10-14-enable-super-fast-search-on-server/) I realised how both the server and my computer must be set-up. Then I realised that the default indexing was not set-up properly. Once I made windows make an index of my complete (and that is important, don't do partial indexes on some folders only) D:-drive where all my data resides, I got exceptional performance! It returns results (on file names and file content) within the blink of an eye on almost 1 TB of data consisting of over 350 K files! In my case I also found it useful to ensure the index file (about 6GB) is stored on my D-drive, so that I keep the C drive only for the OS and applications.
Now I am a long-time fan of TC (well over 20 years), so now I was keen to see if TC supported the search index that windows builds via the ALT-F7. This is how I bumped in this trail. Like Digika, I would indeed like to know what the downsides of Windows Search are; so far the performance blows me away at the expense of only 6 GB index file on a 1 TB drive.
Perhaps it is because it works properly in recent Windows releases? I don't know. The only thing I can think of is that it doesn't do OCR on scanned images; but for PDF this is easily solved by carrying out an OCR scan with Acrobat or Foxit; then Windows Search finds that content as well.
Also the indexing is done in a clever way: if you use the computer, it slows down saving CPU time for you.
@Christian: perhaps it is worth reconsidering that ALT-F7 can make use of the Windows Search Index?
@community: I hope this narrative is useful to setup the search functionality properly - every day I save at least half an hour looking for 'that' file:)
Take care - Hennie
User avatar
Horst.Epp
Power Member
Power Member
Posts: 6449
Joined: 2003-02-06, 17:36 UTC
Location: Germany

Re: Does TC uses Windows Search Index in any way to speed up search?

Post by *Horst.Epp »

2hennie
There is no need for any change in TC to use the Windows search index.
Using Everything integration is all you need.
Everything 1.5 supports searching the Windows index by using for example
ev:si:your_search
Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 (OS Build 22631.3374)
TC 11.03 x64 / x86
Everything 1.5.0.1371a (x64), Everything Toolbar 1.3.2, Listary Pro 6.3.0.69
QAP 11.6.3.2 x64
Post Reply