How to Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options in Windows


By default, Windows will use the index when searching to give you faster search results. The search index only includes your selected locations. These locations can be filtered for what file types (extensions), file properties, and file contents you want indexed.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable advanced indexing options in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable advanced indexing options.



Contents

  • Option One: To Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options in Local Group Policy Editor
  • Option Two: To Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options using a REG file



EXAMPLE: Advanced Indexing Options enabled and disabled
Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options in Windows-advanced_indexing_options-disabled.png Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options in Windows-advanced_indexing_options-enabled.jpg





OPTION ONE

To Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options in Local Group Policy Editor


The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two below.


1 Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2 In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search

Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options in Windows-advanced_indexing_options_gpedit-1.jpg

3 In the right pane of Search in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Prevent the display of advanced indexing options for Windows Search in the Control Panel policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4 Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


5 To Enable Advanced Indexing Options

A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Not Configured is the default setting.



6 To Disable Advanced Indexing Options

A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options in Windows-advanced_indexing_options_gpedit-2.png


7 When finished, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.






OPTION TWO

To Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options 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\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search

PreventUsingAdvancedIndexingOptions DWORD

(delete) = Enable
1 = Disable


1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


2 To Enable Advanced Indexing Options

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_advanced_indexing_options.reg

Download


3 To Disable Advanced Indexing Options

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_advanced_indexing_options.reg

Download


4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

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

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

7 If you like, you can now delete the downloaded .reg file.


That's it,
Shawn


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