Rebuilding the Index problem.

Eddo51 · 12 Mar 2019

I have a directory with lots of files and it sorts very slowly, so I rebuilt my index via "Indexing Options" hoping to get some performance improvements. Didn't work out the way I hoped. My context menu in File Manager is very slow when I choose NEW to create a new folder or file. Some other things slowed down too. Can someone tell me what I need to do to correct the problem and maybe why some things slowed down?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

dalchina · 13 Mar 2019

My context menu in File Manager is very slow when I choose NEW to create a new folder or file.

Hi, that most likely has nothing to do with any existing context menu entries, but is a well-publicised bug some are experiencing.

Like many people, you don't say which build of Win 10 you are using (I wish this was a requirement of this forum to do so) - I assume 1809.

You seem to have other - different problems:

I have a directory with lots of files and it sorts very slowly,

- please explain - do you mean if you click a column header to reorganise the order?
- when you search for something in it?
- something else..

Some other things slowed down too.

Can't comment.

Have a look at your task manager- is there evidence of excessive resource use?
When idle e.g. 3 mins after logging on and launching nothing bu the task manager, is CPU use < 3% and others 0?
Have you modified paging settings?
How much free space do you have on C: ?

I rebuilt my index via "Indexing Options" hoping to get some performance improvements.

Only relevant to search indexing, and not normally needed.

Eddo51 · 13 Mar 2019

I am running 10 v1809, build17763.379.

The directory I'm talking about is the Downloads dir under my user name. Properties showed 2293 files and 245 folders (I cleaned it up and now it's no problem). Anyway,,, when I clicked on a column header, a bar in the address line moves slowly across the screen showing the progress of the sort. It was pitifully slow. I guess I was wrong to assume that reindexing would speed up the sort.

The context menu options were never a problem before. It started after I reindexed. I'd really like to fix this quirk.

The task manager shows utilization at 6% and memory at about 47% of 8GB. Doesn't seem too high to me. However the process count at 195 and that seems like a big number but I have no experience with other computers to see what their task manager shows. I'm always dumping applications I don't use anymore.

I use to disk search tools that I like very much. One of them is Everything.exe by Voidtools and the other is Fileseek by Binary Fortress. Both are great! Would you suggest I turn off Windows Indexing? I never use Windows Search.

Thanks for your comments and time.

dalchina · 14 Mar 2019

Anyway,,, when I clicked on a column header, a bar in the address line moves slowly across the screen showing the progress of the sort.

Thank you for your reply.

Assuming that's a green bar, what that usually indicates is progress of a non-indexed search - i.e. slow.
But that should be nothing to do with
a. Windows search indexing
b. clicking a column header to sort things vertically

Please do a couple of elementary checks:
a. check your disk - e.g. Hard Disk Sentinel (SSDs too) trial - great report on its GUI
b. if ok, from an admin command or Powershell prompt run
chkdsk C: /scan
and report the summary result

(Assuming your folder is on C: ).

Please post a screenshot of file explorer when this problem is evident (bar) showing what you've clicked to trigger it, together with your task manager organised by CPU use high to low in the same screenshot.
To post a screenshot please use the Insert Image icon above your post.

Winows search when your disk is ok and everything is fine imposes no overheads. It is used to support Settings search (slow without it) for example. Even indexing backs off on slight user activity.

The type of 3rd party tools you mention are fairly familiar and useful- I use Locate32 (lower resource use and good GUI options). They don't do content indexing, unlike Windows search, which can be convenient when using file explorer.

It started after I reindexed.

Noted, can't think how this relates to symptom though.
Can you confirm your Downloads folder is in your Indexing Options?

Try removing just that, then let the index update, then retry organising your Downloads folder and advise performance.

Eddo51 · 15 Mar 2019

I should tell you that I ran
1) DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /scanhealth 2) sfc /scannow
and both ran clean. I can follow your suggestions tomorrow after work.

Downloads was in my indexed locations. I did unckeck the ...\ed\Downloads\ directory from my indexed locations. Rather than reindex, I'll just let indexing take care of itself as you suggested. (I'm not sure why this pasted image is so small. Hope you can make it legible.)

Eddo51 · 15 Mar 2019

Rebuilding the Index problem.-capture-dalchina1.jpg

Rebuilding the Index problem.-capture-dalchina2.jpg

I hope you don't want the 2 Windows open side by side. I did 1 at a time. I'm not sure how to capture each side by side.
Hey! The problem went away when I stopped indexing downloads. I just sorted the directory again (about 15 minutes after stopping it from being index) and the problem does appear to be resolved. I wonder why. I'll test it again tomorrow just to be sure.

I will leave indexing on. I read this. "Many of the built-in apps on your PC use the index in some way. File Explorer, Photos, and Groove all use it to access and track changes to your files. Microsoft Edge uses it to provide browser history results in the address bar. Outlook uses it to search your email. Cortana uses it to provide faster search results from across your PC."

dalchina · 16 Mar 2019

Hi, still worth doing this:
Please do a couple of elementary checks:
a. check your disk - e.g. Hard Disk Sentinel (SSDs too) trial - great report on its GUI
b. if ok, from an admin command or Powershell prompt run
chkdsk C: /scan
and report the summary result (Assuming your folder is on C: ).

- DISM and SFC only deal with system files- not data, and not disk or file system integrity.

So if there were such a problem, it could have an impact. Certainly file system problems can trip up indexing- but that may not be what you're seeing here.

If those are clear.. and turning to your Downloads folder and column sorting...

The problem went away when I stopped indexing downloads. I just sorted the directory again (about 15 minutes after stopping it from being index) and the problem does appear to be resolved. I wonder why. I'll test it again tomorrow just to be sure.

I note you've a lot of of pdf files in Downloads. Are these text based or image based, and is their context being indexed? As you have Acrobat installed, you will have an appropriate ifilter for content indexing.

It might be interesting to include Downloads in indexing, but disable pdf indexing, then try organising Downloads by clicking on a column header. - i.e. identify what it is in Downloads that is related to the problem.

This is what I was thinking of - 1 screenshot:

Rebuilding the Index problem.-snap-2019-03-16-07.27.15.png

Eddo51 · 28 Mar 2019

I ran Hard Disk Sentinel. It reports my Hard Drive is perfect. My context menu in File Manager is very slow when I choose NEW to create a new folder or file. Is there a solution to this issue?

dalchina · 29 Mar 2019

That's an 1809 problem which affects some users. MS has fixed it in the Insider builds. Question often asked.

For New Folder try CTRL SHIFT N - which is fast- for now.

Plenty more to work thru in my previous post.

Suraj Kallat · 27 Aug 2020

Hi, I want to rebuit indexing so that my outlook 2016 mails can be indexed for search again. Earlier the indexing of mails was was working fine, today i wanted add another file to indexing option due to which i somehow lost the ms office folder (microsoft office file name with blue icon) which used to be in the indexing options. When i clicked modify to regain this from C:folder location where the taget location of ms office is, iam unable to see this file of ms office with blue icon inside this modify option. I thought it got deleted, later went and checked the normal way by as per the target location of ms office (/program data/
roots/office/) i could see it there with icon. How can we find this using modify option drop box? Without this MS office file in search category i think we cannot index the emails which is my requirement.

Rebuilding the Index problem.

Rebuilding the Index problem.

Answers to Dalchina

Microsoft Outlook file is missing in Indexing options