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Searchindexer.exe takes 100% processor

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by CUISTech, 2009/09/09.

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  1. 2009/09/09
    CUISTech

    CUISTech Inactive Thread Starter

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    I have found and turned off the service. I have also switched it to manual on this XP Pro, SP3 machine.

    However, I am being warned that I only have 2% of my HDD left. What do I need to do to recover that space, since defrag isn't wanting to run? Can I delete all the indices it made (and where can I find those files)?
     
    CUISTech,
    #1
  2. 2009/09/09
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    Hi CUISTech. I don't know what would cause the searchindexer process to reach 100% of your CPU but I do know how you can free up disk space on the pc.

    Follow the steps below:

    1. Click Start< Control Panel< Add/Remove Programs and remove any programs that you don't use.
    2. While your in the add/remove programs window click the button that says add/remove Windows Components and uncheck the checkboxes next to MSN Explorer and Windows Messenger. When thats done click next and then click finish when the process is done.
    3. You can free up disk space by running Disk Cleanup. Click Start< All Programs< Accessories< System Tools< Disk Cleanup. When you run Disk Cleanup make sure you select all the checkboxes on the general tab and click the advanced tab and remove all the old system restore points. Click ok when you are done to allow disk cleanup to remove the files.
    4. Also download and run ATF Cleaner. Make sure you select all the checkboxes and then click the empty selected button in the program.
    5. Lastly download and run Auslogics Disk Defrag. This tool is much better than the Windows Defragmenter and you can still defragment your system if your harddrive is full.

    Let me know if your computer has more disk space after performing the above steps. :)
     
    Evan Omo,
    #2


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  4. 2009/09/10
    CUISTech

    CUISTech Inactive Thread Starter

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    Disk Cleanup: went from 2% to 15% free

    I had to select the compression option to get anything back as far as hard drive space.

    Defrag: no noticable change
    ATF: 2.89 gb free increased to 3.58 free

    ATF kept crashing when I clicked "all users temp" and tried to follow through.

    Auslogic: 63% fragmentation decreased to 41%, disk space remains unchanged

    I am rerunning auslogic's defragger right now. But something's still out there that prevented it from working.
     
    CUISTech,
    #3
  5. 2009/09/10
    CUISTech

    CUISTech Inactive Thread Starter

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    The files did not defragment any further after a second pass.
     
    CUISTech,
    #4
  6. 2009/09/10
    Whiskeyman Lifetime Subscription

    Whiskeyman Inactive Alumni

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    Try defragging in Safe Mode.
     
    Whiskeyman,
    #5
  7. 2009/09/10
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    If defragmening your system in safe mode doesn't help you can navigate to the directory C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution/Download and delete all the contents of that folder. Windows, downloads all of your windows updates to that directory before it installs them. Once the updates have been installed you can delete the contents of the download folder. You can also navigate to C:/Windows and remove all of the $ntuninstallkbxxxx$ folders if you are sure that you won't need to uninstall any windows updates in the future.
     
    Evan Omo,
    #6
  8. 2009/09/10
    WhitPhil

    WhitPhil Inactive

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    This is Vista?

    Supposedly there is a "Indexing Options Control Panel " and the indices can be reset by doing a "{Restore Defaults} ".
    And then reboot.
     
    Last edited: 2009/09/10
    WhitPhil,
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  9. 2009/09/10
    Admin.

    Admin. Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Nah...

     
    Admin.,
    #8
  10. 2009/09/10
    WhitPhil

    WhitPhil Inactive

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    I read that as "turned off" on one PC AND also set to "manual" on a second PC (XP-SP3).

    As well, from searches it would "appear" that SearchIndexer.exe is the Windows Vista indexing service.
     
    WhitPhil,
    #9
  11. 2009/09/10
    surferdude2

    surferdude2 Inactive

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    I think Windows Search 4 also uses searchindexer.exe and that can be installed on XP.

    CUISTech, is that applicable in your case?
     
    surferdude2,
    #10
  12. 2009/09/11
    Whiskeyman Lifetime Subscription

    Whiskeyman Inactive Alumni

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    Windows Search 4 was meant for Vista, but can be installed on XP. It doesn't work well with XP though. Disable the service and remove it from your PC in Add/Remove Programs. If after it's removal your search function fails you may need to delete a couple of registry keys.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP3\KB940157

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\KB940157

    Then install Windows Desktop Search 3.01 for Windows XP (KB917013)
     
    Whiskeyman,
    #11
  13. 2009/09/11
    CUISTech

    CUISTech Inactive Thread Starter

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    Windows Search 4 was not in the add/remove programs list.

    I set it to defrag in safe mode and walked away from it earlier today, and probably won't have a chance to look at it again til Monday. :(
     
    CUISTech,
    #12
  14. 2009/09/14
    CUISTech

    CUISTech Inactive Thread Starter

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    Safe Mode defrag left me at the same 3 gigs of free space.

    I'm stumped, but since the computer seems useable (all of the work done on that computer should be saved to the network by users), I'm giving it back to the users, and just let them know that I'll take over when I get more information.

    I'm off to google "hard drives that won't defrag and other things" unless someone has a better suggestion right off the bat. :) thanks for everything thus far.
     
    CUISTech,
    #13
  15. 2009/09/14
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    Your Welcome.
     
    Evan Omo,
    #14
  16. 2009/09/14
    Whiskeyman Lifetime Subscription

    Whiskeyman Inactive Alumni

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    Windows Search

     
    Whiskeyman,
    #15
  17. 2009/09/15
    CUISTech

    CUISTech Inactive Thread Starter

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    Just so I know that I'm reading between the lines... I delete the contents of that folder (or only the edb file?) and I should get my other 16-odd gigs back?



    o_O

    I just checked the folder, and it's only 400mb, with the edb file being 292 of it. Huh. I thought it would be bigger.
     
    Last edited: 2009/09/15
    CUISTech,
    #16
  18. 2009/09/15
    mickzer

    mickzer Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: 2009/09/15
    mickzer,
    #17
  19. 2009/09/15
    CUISTech

    CUISTech Inactive Thread Starter

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    \windows\installer = 3.8gb
    \windows\softwaredistribution = 869mb
    \windows\temp = 878mb
    \windows\$hf_mig$ = 824mb
    "other" = 927mb

    Of the \windows\ folders listed above... What's generally regarded as safe to delete?

    \documents and settings = 4.3gb (8 users at approx 500mb each... and then "other" at 1.4gb)

    Would deleting the user's folders give me that space back, or is it better to remove the users' profiles from control panel, and get rid of them that way?
     
    CUISTech,
    #18
  20. 2009/09/18
    Whiskeyman Lifetime Subscription

    Whiskeyman Inactive Alumni

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    What size hard drive does this PC have? Scratch that question. I see in another thread you have XP installed on a partition less than 25GB.

    I would move the My Documents folder to another partition. This should give you more free space.

    Change My Documents Folder Default Location Path in XP and Vista

    To clean the windows\installer folder:

    Download the Windows Installer Cleanup Tool from Microsoft which comes with a command line utility called msizap.exe. After installing the tool, run:

    C:\Program Files\Windows Installer Clean Up\msizap G!

    And it will automatically remove any .msp files that are not registered on your system.
     
    Last edited: 2009/09/18
    Whiskeyman,
    #19
  21. 2009/09/19
    broni

    broni Moderator Malware Analyst

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    Download Temp File Cleaner (TFC)
    Double click on TFC.exe to run the program.
    Click on Start button to begin cleaning process.
    TFC will close all running programs, and it may ask you to restart computer.
     
    broni,
    #20
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