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Indexing options parity between different versions of Windows and different areas of UI RRS feed

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    In different areas of the UI we can see quite different settings regarding to indexing. Unfortunately there's no offisial documentation on how they differ from one another. So here is the list of the settings in question and my assumptions. There are also some questions I can't answer to.

    1. “Index this drive for faster searching”. This setting appears on the “General” tab of any Logical Drive (Volume) properties. We can see it on Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and probably some earlier Windows Versions. My assumption is that this setting affects only old-style Idexing Service-based search but has to effect on modern Windows Search. The question is how do we manage this setting on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (in case we install Indexing Service explicitly)? The problem is that the last generation of Windows does not show this option where it used to be before.
    2. “Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties”. In Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 this setting has replaced the previous one and is located on the “General” tab of any volume properties. My assumption is that this setting only affects Windows Search-based indexing and does not affect whether or not the drive is indexed at all. Instead this setting controls how and what is indexed. The question is whether this setting is available somewhere in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 in case we install Windows Search v4 (manually or as part of SP2).
    3. “Enable indexing on this volume”. This setting is located on the “Advanced” tab of volume propertis. This tab is only available when you launch the properties box from “Share and Storage Management” console. It is not available when you launch the properties box from “Disk Management” console, and this can be very confusing. My assumption is that this setting affects Windows Search-based indexing only and has no effect on old-style Idexing Service-based search. The main question is how this is related to Windows Search indexing settings found at control pannel applet (that can also be launched as "C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe" C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL C:\Windows\System32\srchadmin.dll). Another question is why the “Advanced” tab is unavailable when we launch volume properties from “Disk Management” console.

    Please tell whether my assumptions are correct and answer the above questions as possible. Thansk in advance.

    Sunday, December 27, 2009 4:55 PM

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    Hi Pronichkin,

    Yes. What you have thought is correct.
    This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
    Wednesday, December 30, 2009 7:41 AM

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    Hi Pronichkin,

    "Enable indexing on this volume" option is to be included to index this volume when you use Windows Search Service.

    The other 2 options which is a property built in to NTFS. It stands for "File attribute not content indexed" and in the operation system before Windows 7, it prevents Windows search (and legacy content indexing service) from indexing a file. In Windows 7 it still prevents the search indexer from indexing the contents of files.

    Hope it helps.

    This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
    Tuesday, December 29, 2009 7:22 AM
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    Okay. So as far as I can understand now, these are the same option under different names. And this is always located in the same place, though the wording has changed.

    1. In Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 the option is called “Index this drive for faster searching”. In Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 it was renamed to “Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties”. But in both cases this option does the same.
    2. When the checkbox is ticked (On) this effectively turns FANCI bit Off for all files contained on the volume.
    3. Different search engines treat this bit slightly differently. If FANCI bit is on then legacy Indexing service does not index the file at all. But Windows Search index would index file properties (but not file content) anyway. If FANCI bit is off then both Indexing service and Windows Search would index both file properties and its content.
    4. Option “Enable indexing on this volume” (located on the “Advanced” tab) is effectively the same as ticking the root of the drive in “Indexed Locations” dialog of “Indexing Options” applet in Control Panel.

    Correct?

    • Proposed as answer by Gus Pineda Wednesday, March 31, 2010 7:39 PM
    Tuesday, December 29, 2009 8:38 AM
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    Hi Pronichkin,

    Yes. What you have thought is correct.
    This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
    Wednesday, December 30, 2009 7:41 AM
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    Thanks, I had a issue with the indexing services too, but allowing the files on the drive to be indexed solved the problem, I'm running Windows server 2008 R2. this option apparantly was unchecked as a default.

    Once again Many thanks

    Wednesday, March 31, 2010 7:39 PM