3 Reasons I Use These Free Tools Because Windows Search Is Too Slow

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Oct 29, 2025, 10:22 PM

3 reasons i use these free tools because windows search is too slow

Windows Search is too slow so I am using these alternative search tools to find files, folders, and apps much faster. When you need to find a file or app on Windows, its search feature is often painfully slow and frequently yields inaccurate results, if any at all. This is especially true if you have large volumes of data. One of the more irritating things is trying to find something as simple as a text file, only to have the search experience freeze. There are several reasons I use these free tools because Windows Search is too slow. Searching for items in File Explorer is irksome and unproductive.

Like many alternative apps that perform native Windows features more efficiently, search apps make my workflow more efficient since I’m not wasting time waiting for Windows to find a file, folder, or app. I started using Everything from Voidtools years ago and fell in love with it. Its name says it all; it can find everything you are looking for on your PC. It doesn’t have to be your local drive either. When properly configured, it can search for data on external drives, network locations, and mapped drives. Once installed, it indexes your files and folder names in seconds, creating a database that provides instantaneous search results.

Double-click on the item you need, and it will open in its respective app. It is lightweight and won’t freeze up on you while performing a query for your data. <img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-271052 size-full" title="shows Everything with settings running on Windows" src="https://www.groovypost.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Everything.png" alt="shows Everything with settings running on Windows" width="800" height="483" srcset="https://www.groovypost.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Everything.png 800w, https://www.groovypost.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Everything-640x386.png 640w, https://www.groovypost.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Everything-768x464.png 768w, https://www.groovypost.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Everything-300x181.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"... Windows 11 isn't known for being a particularly lightweight or fast operating system, and there are numerous tips we've shared to help improve performance on your PC, from disabling startup tasks to features such... But one thing that you might overlook that could make a huge difference is disabling Windows Search indexing. That might sound a little scary, but I highly recommend it.

Windows Search is bad, and really, you can (and should) just replace it with something better. Enter Everything, a search replacement that will make it far easier to find any and all of your files while using a lot fewer resources than Windows Search and being light years ahead in... Many Windows services are working in the background consuming precious resources. Here's how I disabled them to boost the system's performance. The built-in search engine on Windows is simply not good. Out of the box, only a few primary locations are indexed, which should be enough to find most of your files, and it helps to save resources on your PC.

That's because Windows search is also very resource-intensive; you can set it to index every file on your PC, but it will take a good while to do it, and Microsoft even warns about... Most people likely won't be doing this. It doesn't help that even if you do this, search results in Windows still take too long to appear. Windows Search is just slow, and the results window can take a couple of seconds to update in response to your latest query. It probably works fine if you're used to it, but things can be so much better. Home » Software » Why Does Windows Search Fail So Badly?

(3 Powerful Free Alternatives That Actually Work) Windows Search drives me crazy. I’ve wasted countless hours watching that spinning wheel, waiting for results that never come or finding completely irrelevant files. After years of frustration, I discovered three free tools that changed everything. Windows Search feels broken most of the time. I type in a file name I know exists, and it returns nothing.

Or worse, it shows me random files from years ago while ignoring the document I created yesterday. The indexing system crawls along like a snail, especially when I’m working with large datasets or multiple drives. The most annoying part? That frozen search box. I’ll start typing, and suddenly everything locks up. My productivity grinds to a halt while Windows struggles to process a simple query.

This happens multiple times per day, and frankly, I’m done with it. Everything from Voidtools became my lifesaver about five years ago. The name perfectly describes what it does – finds everything on my computer instantly. With a decade of experience writing about technology, Jason is a Windows authority and a qualified writer. Holding a Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Jason has been in the tech field both as a career and a hobby for all of his working... He covers various topics such as Windows and the internet, as well as being heavily invested in the virtual reality scene since 2016.

He eagerly represents the vision of MakeUseOf with quality and thorough pieces to help as many readers as possible. We've all been there. You're searching for a simple file that you know is in a simple place, but Windows takes ages to find it. Why is the default Windows search so slow, and is there anything you can do to improve it? Let's find out. There's a lot more that goes into the searching process than just looking for a file.

Because of the number of different files available on your system, Windows prefers to search through Indexed Directories. An Index Directory is a part of your system that has already been looked at by Windows. More of a brief glance, this Index Directory is a collection of information on all the files in your system. Are you tired of slow Windows 11 search? Check out these alternatives to the default Windows Search experience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Here’s how it works. Windows 11 includes a search feature that should be enough for most users, but it often struggles with speed, particularly in non-indexed locations or when handling a large number of files. The search home also feels cluttered with advertisements and lacks polish, which is surprising given it comes from the world's largest software company. If you want something faster, lighter, or more customizable, several third-party tools can deliver a significantly better search experience. Popular options include Command Palette from PowerToys, Fluent Search, Everything, Listary, Flow Launcher, and RayCast. In this guide, I'll highlight six tools you can use to replace the Search functionality on Windows 11.

Are you suffering from the Windows search bar slow issue in Windows 11/10? How to speed up the slow Windows search feature? Read this post from MiniTool to get a couple of useful solutions. The taskbar search box helps you quickly find scanned documents, videos, pictures, applications, etc. However, many users reported that their Windows search is loading forever. Here you can see a true example.

Windows search bar slow greatly affects the computer experience. Try to get rid of this problem by using the ways listed below. Do you know how to search for a specific file type in Windows 10? Here you can learn how to search for video files in Windows 10. Before you perform the advanced fixes, try to restart your computer. This is because sometimes the Windows 11 search slow issue is caused by temporary glitches.

If after restarting, the search function is still very slow, try the next way. Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he's a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife. The Windows Search service is a small program that provides search results for files, mail, and other important content. If this service encounters a problem, the search tool may not function properly.

Here’s what you can do to fix it. Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run command, type services.msc, and press Enter. Step 2: In the Services window, scroll down to locate Windows Search. Right-click on it and select Restart. Windows Explorer is a process that provides a graphical interface for the Start menu, Taskbar, and File Explorer. If this process malfunctions, the search tool may take longer than expected to fetch results.

3 Reasons I Use These Free Tools Because Windows Search Is Too Slow

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