Microsoft is finally resolving an old problem that has already given a headache to many people. In an upgrade to Windows 10, the operating system’s file and content search and indexing system may be turned off if it is causing high HDD usage, leading to slowdowns and other performance issues.
The news came in build 18945 and is available to those who accepted to receive updates before most users on a testing basis and are still susceptible to failures or bugs – that is, members of the Insider program. The shutdown is a reimagining of the feature, considering what is happening on the computer at all times and prioritizing performance by ceasing to operate under certain conditions.
For example, Windows 10 indexing will be turned off whenever CPU usage exceeds 80% or HDD at 70%. It will also stop working if a notebook is unplugged or in battery saver or low power mode. Also, activating features such as Game Mode, which optimizes the hardware for running heavier titles, will also turn off the search.
According to Microsoft, the new functionality of the feature came from feedback from Insiders themselves. The company noticed that many users were disabling the search and started to display a questionnaire about the reasons for this. Excessive use of CPU and HDD, mainly on computers with a hard disk, was the most mentioned, as well as the low perceived value of this resource.
Work then, began, and, in July, Microsoft released a more intelligent functioning of the indexing system, which started to consider what was done on the computer. Now, it is also turned off on machines with SSD and from other types of actions of the operating system so that the constant reading of data does not generate wear and tear or take the place of more important operations.
The idea of the technology present in all versions of Windows 10 is to ensure that the user finds what he is looking for faster from the search. Hard disk data is constantly being read and indexed, not just data but also application features and available content options, with the operating system’s search bar being seen as a central point of the platform experience.
When announcing the novelty, Microsoft also reminded users that advanced settings can also optimize the operation of searches. It is possible, for example, to exclude certain directories from being read by the resource, as well as certain types of files, or stop its operation completely in order to save hardware for the tasks that really matter.
The new way indexing works should also be a focus of the current Insider update development cycle. As always, the idea is that the novelty will also reach end users, but this still does not have a date to happen.
Source: Microsoft
