Privacy and Security Turn On or Off Enhanced Mode for Search Indexer in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off Enhanced mode for search indexer for all users in Windows 11.

Indexing the content of your PC helps you get faster results when your searching it for files, emails, or other local content.

The search index only includes your selected locations by default. These locations can be filtered for what file types (extensions), file properties, and file contents you want indexed.

You can choose to use Classic or Enhanced search indexing mode for where your PC will search for files.

• Classic = Search only your Documents, Pictures, and Music folders plus the desktop.
• Enhanced = Search your entire PC (may affect battery life and CPU consumption). PC must be plugged in for initial indexing.

Starting with Windows 11 build 26100.3915 (24H2), Finding your documents, photos, and settings across Windows 11 is easier on Copilot+ PCs with improved Windows Search, powered by semantic indexing models along with traditional lexical indexing. Whether it’s searching in File Explorer, in the Windows Search on your taskbar, or in Settings – just type what’s on your mind to find it on your Copilot+ PC. You no longer need to remember file names, exact words in file content, or settings names. Searching for settings like “change my theme” will work within the Settings app for now. Thanks to the power of the 40+ TOPS NPU onboard Copilot+ PCs, these search improvements work even when you’re not connected to the internet. For more info, see semantic search on Copilot+ PCs. Available on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, with support for AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs coming soon. Locating your photos stored and saved in the cloud is getting simpler on Copilot+ PCs You can use your own words in the search box at the upper-right corner of File Explorer like “summer picnics”. In addition to photos stored locally on your Copilot+ PC, photos from the cloud will now show up in the search results together. Exact matches for your keywords within the text of your cloud files will also show in the search results. You can try this experience out today with your personal OneDrive when signed in with your Microsoft account and connected to the internet. To learn more, see semantic search on Copilot+ PCs. Available on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, and AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs.

Starting with Windows 11 build 26120.3863 (Beta 24H2) and build 26200.5551 (Dev), as part of improving Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft is beginning to roll out the ability to type a setting you’re looking for in the Windows search box on your taskbar without needing to remember the exact setting name. For example, you can use your own words to find settings like “change my theme” or “about my PC”. You no longer need to remember the exact setting name you are looking for. Thanks to the power of the 40+ TOPS NPU onboard Copilot+ PCs, these search improvements work even when you’re not connected to the internet. You can learn more about semantic search on Copilot + PCs here.

Starting with Windows 11 build 26120.3872 (Beta 24H2) and build 26200.5562 (Dev), Windows Insiders in the European Economic Area can now find photos saved in the cloud with improved Windows Search to the Windows search box on the taskbar. Just use your own words to find photos stored and saved in the cloud by describing what they are about like “European castles” or “summer picnics” in the search box on your taskbar. In addition to photos stored locally on your Copilot+ PC, photos from the cloud will now show up in the search results together. In addition to searching for photos, exact matches for your keywords within the text of your cloud files will show in the search results. Improved Windows Search experiences in the Windows search box on the taskbar continue to gradually roll out to Windows Insiders on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, including finding photos saved in the cloud, so you may not see these experiences right away. Support for AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs is coming soon. See here for more details.

Reference:

You must be signed in as an administrator to turn on or off Enhanced mode for search indexer.

Search Indexer requires the Windows Search service to be enabled, running, and set to automatic.

Starting with Windows 11 build 26200.5641 (Dev 24H2), build 26120.4250 (Beta 24H2), and build 26100.4762 (RP 24H2), Microsoft is reorganizing Windows Search settings under Settings > Privacy & security under a “Search permissions” settings page and a “Searching Windows” settings page. Microsoft is beginning to roll out a change that brings those two settings pages together so you can easily access to all the Windows Search settings under a single settings page via Settings > Privacy & security > Search. The page is refreshed with a new modern visual for you to clearly browse the settings and control your experiences inside Windows Search, with the items listed in a better order.

1 Open Settings (Win+I).

2 Click/tap on Privacy & security on the left side, and click/tap on Searching Windows on the right side. (see screenshot below)



3 Under Find my files, select (dot) Classic (default) or Enhanced for what you want. (see screenshot below)


4 You can now close Settings if you like.






1 Do step 2 (classic) or step 3 (enhanced) below for what you want.

This is the default setting.

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



(Contents of REG file for reference)



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



(Contents of REG file for reference)

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 Either stop and start the Windows Search service OR Restart the computer to apply.

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


That's it,
Shawn Brink