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To remove automatically added search index locations in Windows 11, open the Indexing Options dialog from Settings, review the list under Indexed locations, and clear the checkbox for each folder you don’t want searched. Windows adds these locations based on the search mode you select, so the mode is the first thing to check. Changing the mode alone does not clear the list, and clearing the list does not stop Windows from indexing the default folders unless you clear those too.
Why Windows adds locations to the index
Windows Search builds an index of files and their properties on your device so that searches return results faster. Depending on the file, the index can hold file names, full paths, and, for files that contain text, the text itself. Microsoft also states that installed apps may add information to the index for their own search features, which means some entries appear without any action on your part. The Microsoft support article Search indexing in Windows describes this behavior and the controls covered below.
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The folders that get indexed are controlled by one setting: whether Windows Search runs in Classic or Enhanced mode.
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- Open Settings, then select Privacy & security.
- Select Searching Windows.
- Under Find my files, check which option is selected: Classic or Enhanced.
Classic and Enhanced compared
| Setting | Classic | Enhanced |
|---|---|---|
| Locations indexed by default | Documents, Pictures, Music, and Desktop | All user folders and files |
| Who it suits | People who keep files mainly in the default folders | People who store files in other locations and want broader results |
| Resource use | Described by Microsoft as a balance between search performance and resource use | Described by Microsoft as potentially higher system-resource use |
| Effect on automatically added locations | Only the four default folders are added automatically | Every user folder and file is added automatically |
Switching to Classic narrows the automatic set, but it does not turn indexing off. Classic still indexes the four default folders, so the Modify dialog in the next step is where you remove them if you want them out of the index.
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Step 2: Edit the indexed locations
- On the Searching Windows page, select Customize search locations, then select Modify. This opens the Indexing Options dialog.
- Read the list under Indexed locations. Checked folders are indexed; unchecked folders are not.
- Clear the checkbox next to each folder you want removed from the index. Expand a folder first if its subfolders are checked separately.
- Select OK to save the change.
Microsoft identifies this dialog as the interface for changing indexed locations. Because the checked selections depend on your mode, your list may differ from the defaults described above. Inspect your own list rather than assuming it matches a published example.
Excluding a location versus limiting what gets indexed
Removing a folder from the index and limiting the type of data Windows records for certain files are two separate choices. Use the first when a folder should not appear in search at all. Use the second when you still want to find files by name but do not want their contents searched.
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Limit indexing by file type
- Open Indexing Options as described in Step 2.
- Select Advanced, then choose the File Types tab.
- Select a file extension from the list.
- Choose Index properties only to keep file-name and property search, or Index properties and file contents to include the text inside the file.
- Select OK.
With properties-only indexing, file names remain searchable, but the contents of that file type become unsearchable. This is a per-type setting, so it does not remove the folder itself.
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Microsoft’s support page states: “When you first run indexing, it can take up to a couple hours to complete.” After the first pass, Windows updates the index as files change. The page does not give a fixed completion time for removing a particular location, so expect the change to take effect gradually rather than instantly.
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Index size also depends on what you keep indexed. Microsoft gives a rule of thumb that the index is less than 10 percent of the size of the indexed files. The page warns that this proportion can rise substantially when there are many very small files (under 4 KB) or when the indexed files are code. This figure is an undated estimate from Microsoft’s support page, not a measured result for your device.
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Limits of this procedure
- The steps above use the built-in Windows controls. Microsoft’s page does not describe any other route for changing indexed locations, and this article does not cover third-party tools.
- Microsoft’s page does not say what happens if every location is unchecked. Confirm the result in the Indexed locations list after you save.
- Apps may add their own information to the index. Changing the folder list does not remove entries that an app has already stored, and Microsoft’s page does not describe a separate control for those entries.
- Menu labels and dialog layout can vary between Windows 11 builds. If a label differs on your device, follow the same sequence: Settings, Privacy & security, Searching Windows, then Customize search locations.
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