Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings  

    Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings

    Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings

    How to Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Performance & Maintenance
    13 May 2021
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings in Windows 10


    Indexing the contents of your PC helps you get faster results when you're searching it for files and other things. Learn how it works.

    Indexing is the process of looking at files, email messages, and other content on your PC and cataloging their information, such as the words and metadata in them. When you search your PC after indexing, it looks at an index of terms to find results faster.

    When you first run indexing, it can take up to a couple hours to complete. After that, indexing will run in the background as needed on your PC as you use it, only re-indexing updated data.

    Starting at least with Windows 10 build 18965, you can turn on or off having the search indexer respect device power mode settings. This will affect the indexer performance.

    The Windows performance power slider enables you to quickly and intelligently trade performance of your system for longer battery life. As you switch between the four power modes to trade performance for battery life (or vice versa), Windows power settings are engaged behind the scenes. You are able to customize the default slider mode for both AC and DC, and can also configure the power settings, and processor power management (PPM) options, that are engaged for each slider mode.

    If you turn on Respect Device Power Mode Settings, the indexer will stop searching and updating the database with new information in the background or throttle it down during certain times. For instance, when the device is in power saving mode, low power mode, or gaming mode. Or when the processor usage peaks 80 percent, or disk usage goes up above 70 percent.

    This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off having the search indexer respect the device power mode settings for indexer performance for all users in Windows 10.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to turn on or off having the search indexer respect the device power mode settings.


    If you disabled Search Indexing, then the Respect Device Power Mode Settings setting will automatically be disabled as well.



    Contents

    • Option One: Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings in Settings
    • Option Two: Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings using a REG file






    OPTION ONE

    Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings in Settings


    1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Search icon.

    2 Click/tap on Searching Windows on the left side, and turn on or off (default) Respect Device Power Mode Settings for what you want under Indexer Performance on the right side. (see screenshot below)

    3 When finished, you can close Settings if you like.

    Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings-indexer_performance_respect_device_power_mode_settings.jpg






    OPTION TWO

    Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings using a REG file


    The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search\Gather\Windows\SystemIndex

    RespectPowerModes DWORD

    0 = Off
    1 = On


    1 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

    2 Navigate to the registry key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search\Gather\Windows\SystemIndex

    Turn On or Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings-systemindex.png

    3 Change the owner of the SystemIndex key to be Administrators.

    4 Change the permissions of the SystemIndex key to "Allow" Administrators "Full Control".

    5 You can now close Registry Editor if you like.

    6 Do step 7 (on) or step 8 (off) below for what you would like to do.


    7 To Turn On Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 9 below.

    Turn_ON_RespectPowerModes_for_search_indexer_performance.reg

    Download


    8 To Turn Off Search Indexer Respect Device Power Mode Settings

    This is the default setting.

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 9 below.

    Turn_OFF_RespectPowerModes_for_search_indexer_performance.reg

    Download

    9 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    10 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    11 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    12 Restart the computer to apply.

    13 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn






  1. Posts : 12
    Windows 10 home
       #1

    reg file cannot be modified in 1903 - permission issue


    Hi,

    Massive thank you for all your work!
    The reg file can no longer be imported by Admin user in version 1903 - user rights for the SystemIndex key are limited to read and enumerate
    Managed to import it by creating a task to run as System. Action set to regedit.exe /s path of .reg file.
    Please note the task fails silently without the /s switch
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,662
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Thank you @Cyanna, and welcome to Ten Forums.

    I have now updated Option Two to workaround the new owner and permissions restrictions.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 18,044
    Win 10 Pro 64-bit v1909 - Build 18363 Custom ISO Install
       #3

    Hello @Brink ,

    I have discovered that if you have ALREADY Disabled Search Indexing using the following Tutorial . . .

    > How to Enable or Disable Search Indexing in Windows

    . . . that when you goto Settings => Search => Searching Windows it will automatically Close the Settings App, therefore, this Tutorial will ONLY work on a system where the Search Indexer is STILL Enabled / Turned On.

    I don't know if you want to add a note to the above Tutorial?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,662
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Hello @Paul Black. Thank you. Warning added to top of tutorial for this.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 18,044
    Win 10 Pro 64-bit v1909 - Build 18363 Custom ISO Install
       #5

    Brink said:
    Hello @Paul Black. Thank you. Warning added to top of tutorial for this.
    You are VERY welcome.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #6

    Hi Shawn, I'm somewhat struggling to find any sort of definition of what trade-offs for search are applied at different power levels, and thus how to determine the merit of using this.

    It would be most helpful if there was a reference that could be linked that provides some metrics for the different power levels.

    This linked tutorial doesn't explain that alas:
    Change Power Mode Level in Windows 10

    This gives a hint in one case - my experience of search indexing backing off is at much lower levels than suggested:
    How to prevent search indexer from affecting performance on Windows 10 • Pureinfotech

    The indexer will stop searching and updating the database with new information in the background or throttle it down during certain times. For instance, when the device is in power saving mode, low power mode, or gaming mode. Or when the processor usage peaks 80 percent, or disk usage goes up above 70 percent.
    Your sentence
    When you first run indexing, it can take up to a couple hours to complete. After that, indexing will run in the background on your PC as you use it, only re-indexing updated data.
    implies this is, by default, an uninterruptible and continuous load for that period. My experience is that indexing backs off (stops) with just a little user activity.

    Perhaps this needs amendment?

    MS's intent seems to be to try to provide users with ways of mitigating the impact of indexing- a fear still hanging over Windows users from the days of XP, I suspect.

    On a correctly functioning system I've never found search indexing to have an undue impact, and wouldn't find this necessary.

    I'm left with the impression this is a means of controlling something I've never experienced as being a problem...

    You are able to customize the default slider mode for both AC and DC, and can also configure the power settings, and PPM options,
    - PPM=?

    Thanks.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 68,662
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thank you @dalchina. I've updated the info at the top of the tutorial to hopefully cover all of this.
      My Computers


 

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