How do I disable the search indexer?

After you install Windows Vista it will begin looking through your hard disks and building an index of your files. This is done in the background at a very low priority so as not to disturb you too much, so this process can take a long time. Durring this time, you will notice your hard drive light is constantly flashing.

While this process is supposed to be unobtrusive, some people have reported that the indexer slows their computer down so much that it's practically unusable. In this case, it is necessary to disable the indexer by following these steps:

  1. Click Start
  2. Click Control Panel
  3. Click System and Maintenance
  4. Click Administrative Tools
  5. Double-click Services
  6. If asked for permission, click Continue
  7. Scroll through the list and find "Windows Search"
  8. Right-click it, and click Properties
  9. Click Stop
  10. Click the dropdown box next to Startup Type
  11. Click Disabled
  12. Click OK