why is search indexing counting backwards

Question

Windows 11 search indexing has been running for 36 hours, I have been keeping a log of items indexed vs time and found that over the last 4 hours the items indexed count has gone backwards by 312 items.

Answer 1

It's unusual for the indexed item count to decrease, but there are a few possible explanations for this behavior. One possibility is that the Indexer may have encountered issues while processing certain files, leading to their removal from the index. This can happen if files are deleted, moved, or if there are problems with the file system.

Additionally, if the Indexer is performing maintenance or recovering from an error, it might temporarily adjust the count of indexed items. The indexing process can also be affected by external applications or system performance issues, which might cause the Indexer to pause or slow down.

If you're experiencing this issue, you may want to check the status of the Windows Search service and ensure that there are no underlying problems with the files being indexed.

---

References:

• Troubleshoot Windows Search performance

Answer 2

Hello,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Q&A.

Based on the description, I understand your question is related to search indexing.

The search index might be corrupted, causing it to reset or count backwards. Go to Control Panel -> Indexing Options. Click on Advanced and then Rebuild.

If files are being deleted, moved, or modified, the index count might decrease as it updates. Check if large-scale file deletions or moves are happening during the indexing process.

Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Find Windows Search in the list, right-click, and select Restart.

Open the Registry Editor (press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter). Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search. Ensure that the SetupCompletedSuccessfully key is set to 1. Be cautious when modifying the registry and back up any changes.

Have a nice day.

Best Regards,

Molly

============================================

If the Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it