USE THE INDEXING SERVICE
The Indexing Service is another service that ships with Windows XP that is likely not needed. The Indexing Service indexes documents by their properties and stores the information in a catalog, a type of database. Once your documents are indexed, you can use the Indexing Service to search those documents using their specific attributes. Searching can be done from the Search option or through your web browser. While this service can be quite helpful and convenient for those who need it, it won’t offer much to the average home user, and will instead slow down the performance of the computer when it gets on its indexing jag. However, if you feel this service will benefit you or your business, by all means give it a shot.
Earlier, in “Stop Unwanted XP Services,” I suggested removing and then disabling the Indexing Service. However, I also suggested that you wait until after you’ve read this section, just in case it looks like something you’d be interested in. If you already uninstalled the service, it can be just as easily reinstalled using the Add Or Remove Programs applet in Control Panel.