Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage

If you face the issue where Searchindexer.exe takes a lot of your CPU and Memory usage, you’re at the right place as today we are going to fix the issue. SearchIndexer.exe is a process of Windows Search service which indexes files for Windows Search, and it basically powers the Windows file search engine which helps in functioning of Windows features like the Start Menu search, File Explorer search etc.

Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage

This issue can occur if you have recently rebuild the search index, or accidentally deleted the index data folder, when you search for a wildcard character in Windows search etc. So without wasting any time let’s see how to Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage with the help of below-listed troubleshooting guide.

Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage

Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.

Method 1: Restart Windows Search Service

1. Press Windows Key + R then type services.msc and hit Enter.

services windows

2. Find Windows Search service then right-click on it and select Properties.

right click on Windows Search and select Properties | Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage

3. Make sure to set the Startup type to Automatic and click Run if the service is not running.

4. Click Apply, followed by OK.

5. Reboot your PC to save changes and see if you’re able to Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage.

Method 2: Run Search and Indexing Troubleshooter

1. Search for the control panel from the Start Menu search bar and click on it to open the Control Panel.

Type Control Panel in the search bar and press enter

2. Search Troubleshoot and click on Troubleshooting.

troubleshooting hardware and sound device | Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage

3. Next, click on View all in the left pane.

4. Click and run the Troubleshooter for Search and Indexing.

Select Search and Indexing option from Troubleshooting options

5. Select Files don’t appear in search results and then click Next.

Select Files don't appear in search results and then click Next

5. The above Troubleshooter may be able to Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage issue.

Method 3: Rebuild the Index

Make sure you first boot into clean boot using this post then follow the below-listed steps.

1. Search for the control panel from the Start Menu search bar and click on it to open the Control Panel.

2. Type index in the Control Panel search and click Indexing Options.

click on Indexing options in Control Panel search

3. If you can’t search for it, then open the control panel and select Small icons from the View by drop-down.

4. Now you will Indexing Option, click on it to open settings.

Indexing Options in Control Panel

5. Click the Advanced button at the bottom in the Indexing Options window.

Click Advanced button in the bottom of Indexing Options window | Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage

6. Switch to File Types tab and checkmark “Index Properties and File Contents” under How should this file be indexed.

Check mark option Index Properties and File Contents under How should this file be indexed

7. Then click OK and again open the Advanced Options window.

8. Then, in the Index Settings tab and click Rebuild under Troubleshooting.

Click Rebuild under Troubleshooting in order delete and rebuild the index database

9. Indexing will take some time, but once it’s complete, you shouldn’t have any further problems with Searchindexer.exe.

Method 4: Troubleshoot the issue

1. Press Windows Key + R then type resmon and hit Enter to open Resource Monitor .

2. Switch to the Disk tab then checkmark all the instances of the searchprotocolhost.exe box.

checkmark all the instances of the searchprotocolhost.exe box

3. In the Disk Activity window, you find the information regarding the file which is currently processed by indexing service.

4. Type “index” in the search box then click on Indexing Options from the search result.

Open the Cortana or search bar and type Indexing options in it | Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage

5. Click on Modify button then exclude the directory you find in resmon in disk tab.

Click on Modify button then exclude the directory you find in resmon in disk tab

6. Click OK then close to save changes.

Note: If you have a Dell PC, then the problem is with Dell Universal Connection Manager (Dell.UCM.exe). This process is constantly writing the data to log files stored in directory C:\Users\Public\Dell\UCM. To fix this issue, exclude C:\Users\Public\Dell\UCM from the indexing process.

Method 5: Disable Windows Search Index

Note: This only works for Windows 7 users.

1. Press Windows key + R then type control and hit Enter to open Control Panel.

control pannel

2. Click on Uninstall a program under Programs.

Click on Uninstall a program under Programs

3. From the left-hand menu, click on Turn Windows features on or off.

From the left-hand menu, click on Turn Windows features on or off

4. Scroll down till you find Windows Search then make sure untick or uncheck it.

Uncheck Windows Search in Turn Windows features on or off

5. Click Ok and reboot your PC to save changes.

For Windows 10 users disable Windows Search using services.msc window.

Disable Windows Search in service.msc window

Method 6: Allow the Disk to be Indexed

1. Right-click on the drive, which is not being able to produce search results.

2. Now checkmark “Allow indexing service to index this disk for fast file searching.

Check mark Allow indexing service to index this disk for fast file searching

3. Click Apply, followed by OK.

4. Reboot your PC to save changes.

This should Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage issue but if not then continue to the next method.

Method 7: Run SFC and DISM

1. Open Command Prompt. The user can perform this step by searching for ‘cmd’ and then press Enter.

Open Command Prompt. The user can perform this step by searching for ‘cmd’ and then press Enter.

2. Now type the following in the cmd and hit enter:

Sfc /scannow
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows (If above fails then try this one)

SFC scan now command prompt | Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage

3. Wait for the above process to finish and once done, restart your PC.

4. Again open cmd and type the following command and hit enter after each one:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

DISM restore health system

5. Let the DISM command run and wait for it to finish.

6. If the above command doesn’t work, then try on the below:

Dism /Image:C:\offline /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:\test\mount\windows
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:\test\mount\windows /LimitAccess

Note: Replace the C:\RepairSource\Windows with your repair source (Windows Installation or Recovery Disc).

7. Reboot your PC to save changes and see if you’re able to Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage Issue.

Method 8: Create a New Administrator User Account

1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings and then click Accounts.

Press Windows Key + I to open Settings then click on Accounts

2.Click on Family & other people tab in the left-hand menu and click Add someone else to this PC under Other people.

Click on Family & other people tab and and click Add someone else to this PC

3. Click, I don’t have this person’s sign-in information at the bottom.

Click, I don’t have this person’s sign-in information in the bottom | Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage

4. Select Add a user without a Microsoft account at the bottom.

Select Add a user without a Microsoft account in the bottom

5. Now type the username and password for the new account and click Next.

Type the username and password for the new account and click Next

6. Once the account is created, you will be taken back to the Accounts screen, click on Change account type.

Change account type

7. When the pop-up window appears, change the Account type to Administrator and click OK.

change the Account type to Administrator and click OK.

8. Now sign in to the above-created administrator account and navigate to the following path:

C:\Users\Your_Old_User_Account\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy

Note: Make sure show hidden file and folder’s is enabled before you can navigate to the above folder.

9. Delete or rename the folder Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy.

Delete or rename the folder Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy

10. Reboot your PC and sign-in to the old user account, which was facing the problem.

11. Open PowerShell and type the following command and hit Enter:

Add-AppxPackage -Path “C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\Appxmanifest.xml” -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register

re register cortana

12. Now restart your PC, and this will definitely fix the search results issue, once and for all.

Method 9: Repair Install Windows 10

This method is the last resort because if nothing works out, this method will surely repair all problems with your PC and Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage issue. Repair Install uses an in-place upgrade to repair issues with the system without deleting user data present on the system. So follow this article to see How to Repair Install Windows 10 Easily.

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That’s it you have successfully Fix Searchindexer.exe High CPU Usage but if you still have any questions regarding this guide then feel free to ask them in the comment’s section.

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