Managing Files, Folders, and Search Methods

Indexing Service is a Windows 2000 service that extracts information from a set of documents and organizes it in a way that makes it quick and easy to access that information through the Windows 2000 Search Assistant, the Indexing Service query form, or a Web browser. This information can include text from within a document (its contents ), and the characteristics and parameters of the document (its properties ), such as the author's name. After the index is created, you can search, or query the index for documents that contain key words, phrases, or properties. For example, you can run a query for all documents containing the word product or you can run a query for all Microsoft Office documents written by a specific author. Indexing Service returns a list of all documents that meet the search criteria.

Indexing Service can index the following types of documents in several languages:

  • HTML

  • Text

  • Microsoft Office 95 and later

  • Internet mail and news

  • Any other document for which a document filter is available

Indexing Service automatically stores all the index information in the System or the Web catalogs.

To enable Indexing Service on a local computer

  1. Click Start , point to Search , and then click For Files or Folders .

  2. In the left pane of the Search Results dialog box (see Figure 9.6), click the Search Options link, and then click the IndexingService link.

  3. Click Yes, enable Indexing Service and run when my computer is idle . Cc938905.prdb_09(en-us,TechNet.10).gif
    Figure 9.6 Search Options Dialog Box

Indexing Service is designed to run continuously and requires little maintenance. After it is set up, all operations are automatic, including index creation, index updating, and crash recovery if there is a power failure.

For more information about Indexing Service, see Administering Indexing Service in the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Help file. Other topics in the MMC Help file explain how the Indexing Service works and how to conduct searches.

Group Policy Setting That Affects Indexing Service

Table 9.15 lists a Group Policy setting that controls users' access to Indexing Service and provides a brief description it. Before you change a Group Policy setting, you should be familiar with using Group Policy and MMC snap-ins. To make changes to this setting, you must log on as a member of the Administrators group. You can find this Group Policy setting by using the Group Policy MMC snap-in and then following this path:

User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Management Console\Restricted/Permitted snap-ins

Table 9.15 Group Policy Setting That Affects Indexing Service

Group Policy Setting

Description

Indexing Service

Permits or prohibits users from gaining access to the Indexing Service snap-in.