| Indexing Service | |
|---|---|
 The Indexing Service Query Form, used to query Indexing Service catalogs, hosted inMicrosoft Management Console. | |
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Successor | Windows Search |
| Service name | Indexing Service |
| Type | Desktop search |
Indexing Service (originally calledIndex Server) was aWindows service that maintained an index of most of thefiles on a computer to improve searching performance on PCs and corporatecomputer networks. It updated indexes without user intervention. InWindows Vista it was replaced by the newerWindows Search Indexer. TheIFilter plugins to extend the indexing capabilities to more file formats and protocols are compatible between the legacy Indexing Service how and the newer Windows Search Indexer.
Indexing Service was adesktop search service included withWindows NT 4.0 Option Pack[1] as well asWindows 2000 and later.[2][3][4] The first incarnation of the indexing service was shipped in August 1996[1] as a content search system for Microsoft's web server software,Internet Information Services.[citation needed] Its origins, however, date further back to Microsoft'sCairo operating system project, with the component serving as the Content Indexer for theObject File System. Cairo was eventually shelved, but the content indexing capabilities would go on to be included as a standard component of later Windows desktop and server operating systems, starting withWindows 2000, which includes Indexing Service 3.0.[5]
InWindows Vista, the content indexer was replaced with theWindows Search indexer which was enabled by default. Indexing Service is still included with Windows Server 2008 but is not installed or running by default.[6]
Indexing Service has been deprecated in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.[7] It has been removed fromWindows 8.[5]
Comprehensive searching is available after initial building of the index, which can take up to hours or days, depending on the size of the specified directories, the speed of the hard drive, user activity, indexer settings and other factors. Searching using Indexing service works also onUNC paths and/or mapped network drives if the sharing server indexes appropriate directory and is aware of its sharing.
Once the indexing service has been turned on and has built its index it can be searched in three ways. The search option available from theStart menu on theWindowsTaskbar will use the indexing service if it is enabled and will even accept complex queries. Queries can also be performed using either theIndexing Service Query Form in theComputer Management snap-in of Microsoft Management Console, or, alternatively, using third-party applications such as 'Aim at File' or 'Grokker Desktop'.[citation needed]
