Is Windows Search Too Slow? Here Are 8 Tricks to Speed It Up

Windows Search is meant to be a fast and easy way to locate files. If you can find your lost files before it can, here's how to speed it up.

Windows Search makes finding your files and apps easy, a feat that would be difficult to do manually. However, sometimes Windows Search takes a long time to find anything. This is one of the most common issues reported by users who upgrade to Windows 11.

If you're experiencing the same issue, take heart; the issue can be easily fixed. In this article, we will discuss several fixes to assist you in speeding up Windows Search.

1. Shut Down or Restart Your PC

Before you begin troubleshooting, you should give your computer a fresh start.​​​ This ensures that the problem isn't temporary glitch causing the Windows Search to slow down to a crawl. After giving your computer a restart, try to search for the file again.

2. Rule Out a File-Specific Issue

Sometimes, Windows Search takes a long time to find a specific file or a specific type of file. Before moving forward with other fixes, it's essential to ensure that's not the case here.

Try searching for other files or different file types to determine if the tool behaves the same way. If the problem is universal across all files and file types, it's time to work on major fixes.

3. Give Windows Explorer a Fresh Start

Windows Explorer is the Windows user's primary means of navigating through files and folders. Since Windows Explorer also provides the taskbar GUI, an issue with Windows Explorer can also slow down Windows Search. Therefore, a fresh start has a good chance of resolving the problem.

To do that, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Start button and open Task Manager.
2. Locate Windows Explorer in the list of running processes.
3. Right-click on Windows Explorer and select Restart.
   

Test the Windows Search again after you restart Windows Explorer. If it still takes hours to fetch results, then move on to the next step.

4. Test the SearchHost.exe Process

The SearchHost.exe process is responsible for making Windows Search work. When you run a search in the Windows Search tool, the SearchHost process fires up and does its job. When you leave it, it automatically suspends itself to save resources.

As such, if there's a delay when booting up or shutting down the SearchHost service, it causes a laggy Windows Search. Follow these steps to test the service's behavior:

1. Go to Task Manager by right-clicking on the Windows Start button.
2. Go to the Details tab.
3. Find the SearchHost.exe process.
4. Ensure the Task Manager is positioned to the extreme left, so it remains visible when the Windows Search is opened.
5. By keeping an eye on the service, open the Windows Search tool.
   

If there is a delay in the service, right-click on the process and click End task. In the confirmation box, click End process.

When you return to Windows Search, the service will self-initiate, which has a good chance of resolving the problem. However, if the service runs and suspends usually, you'll need to try something else.

5. Restart the Windows Search Service

Restarting the Windows Search service can give it a fresh start. Consequently, if there are any critical issues with the service itself, restarting it can help iron out any bugs.

Follow these steps to restart the Windows Search services:

1. Type "Services" into the Windows Search box.
2. Open the Services app.
3. On the right side of the screen, locate the Windows Search box.
4. Then right-click it and select Restart.
   

If restarting the Windows Search Service didn't resolve the issue, it's time to tweak Windows Search settings.

6. Tweak the Windows Search Settings

It may be possible to fix this problem with a few minor tweaks to Windows Search's settings, and there is no harm in trying. Follow the below steps to tweak the Windows Search settings:

1. Go to Settings by right-clicking on the Windows Start button.
2. In the left-sidebar, select Privacy and security.
3. On the right-hand side, locate and click on Searching Windows.
4. Turn off the toggle next to Respect power settings when indexing.
5. Change Find my files settings from Classic to Enhanced.
   

Check if the Windows Search tool is performing faster after you make these tweaks. If not, try the next steps.

7. Use the Help of a Windows Troubleshooter

After all the fixes have failed, it's time to use the Windows built-in troubleshooter, namely, Search and Indexing, to help solve issues with Windows Search. Follow the steps below to run it:

1. Go to Settings by right-clicking the Windows Start button.
2. In the left-sidebar, click System.
3. In the right-hand pane, click Troubleshoot.
4. Go to Other troubleshooters.
5. Locate Search and Indexing troubleshooter.
6. Click on the Run button next to it.
   
7. Check the box for Search or indexing is slow, as well as other boxes if you're experiencing multiple problems.
   
8. In the following window, click Next.

That's all. Follow the troubleshooting instructions on the screen and see if the Windows Search speeds up fetching results once the troubleshooting process ends. If not, continue to implement the last fix.

8. Modify the Indexing Options or Rebuild the Search Index

When the troubleshooter fails to improve the performance of the Windows Search tool, you should modify Indexing Options and rebuild the Search Index as a last resort. Performing this fix will ensure no issues in the Search Index library slowing down Windows Search.

Follow the below steps to modify Indexing Options:

1. Right-click on the Windows Start button and select Settings.
2. In the left-sidebar, select Privacy and security.
3. On the right-hand side, locate and click on Searching Windows.
4. Under Related settings, click on Advanced indexing options.
5. Click on Modify in the Indexing Options window.
   
6. Uncheck those indexed locations where you seldom use Windows Search to locate data.
7. Click OK when you are done.
   

If lowering the indexing pressure doesn't result in faster Windows Search performance, you should rebuild the Search Index. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. As discussed above, follow steps one through four to access the Indexing Options window.
2. In the Indexing Options window, click Advanced.
3. In the Troubleshooting section, click Rebuild.
   

The process can take a while, depending on how much data you already have indexed and how much you plan to index this time. However, minimize the process window to continue working on your computer.

Fetch Results More Quickly From Windows Search

With the fixes covered in the article, Windows Search should be able to fetch results more quickly. While the fixes above will speed up the process, you should also ensure that your system is up to date. An outdated system can also slow down Windows features. Watch that closely!

It's not worth abandoning Windows 11 for Windows 10 due to a slow Windows Search tool. With amazing features such as Snap Layouts, Widgets, Easy Disk Management, and similar, Windows 11 is an excellent choice.