Turn of desktop search when scanning for viruses?

Out of force of habit (I guess from the days of Windows 98, when I had to turn off everything on the computer to get Windows' Defrag to work), I automatically turn off my desktop search program, when I run virus scans.

I have heard often, that when you are having one antivirus/antispyware program scan your hard drive, you should turn off any others. But what about desktop search? Does that matter at all? Its not like I would run an av scan with Copernic, and then without Copernic, just to be able to see any speed difference. Is there any reason to turn a desktop search off? or leave it on?

 

I don't think desktop search would make any appreciable difference either way until it was indexing the contents.

 

Since I do nothing on the computer while an av scan is running, you mean that there would be no reason to turn off the desktop search index? or are you saying that the indexing service itself would slow down a scan (even if there are no new docs being created)?

 

Indexing Service (at least in XP) is a waste of CPU & memory. You should turn it off.

Search utilities have their own method of indexing & don't rely on Indexing Service (unless you are using Windows Live Search or Windows Search). Almost all of them can be configured to index in the background only when the CPU usage is below certain percentage or when the computer is idle or when the screen saver is running.

 

When I said "indexing service" i was simply referring to your own previous use of the word "indexing," not XP's service. I was trying to figure out what you meant.

Let's try this another way: can you explain your first reply? State it in other terms?

 

Every search utility needs to index the files on your computer to make real time search. Only when its indexing the files, is the utility doing something else its only twiddling its thumbs waiting for your input & would not take up much CPU cycles. Of course, it takes up some RAM & resources.

 

OK thanks.

 

Welcome.