Windows.edb grows with what you index, and it can reach gigabytes
One database file holds the search index. Where it is, why it grows, and how to rebuild or narrow it without losing search.
Windows Search keeps everything it has indexed in one database file, Windows.edb. On a machine indexing a large document library it reaches several gigabytes, and nothing in Explorer connects that file to the feature it belongs to.
Where it is
$p = "$env:ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\Windows.edb"
Get-Item $p -Force | Select-Object @{n='GB';e={[math]::Round($_.Length/1GB,2)}}, LastWriteTimeIt grows in proportion to how many files are indexed and, more importantly, whether file contents are being indexed rather than just names. Content indexing on a folder of documents or source code is what turns a modest index into a large one.
Narrowing what is indexed
- Open Indexing Options from the Start menu.
- Click Modify and untick locations you do not search, which on most machines is more than you expect.
- Click Advanced, File Types, and choose Index Properties Only rather than contents for types you never search inside.
- Apply. The index shrinks as it rebuilds.
Source code folders are the usual culprit on a development machine: thousands of small text files whose contents are indexed and never searched through Explorer.
Rebuilding it
A corrupted or bloated index is rebuilt from Indexing Options, Advanced, Rebuild. The cost is real: search results are incomplete until it finishes, which on a large index takes hours and keeps the machine busier than usual. Start it when you can leave the PC alone.
Turning it off
Windows Search can be disabled entirely in Services, and the file goes with it. That breaks search in Explorer, the Start menu's file results and anything else that relies on it, which for most people is a much worse trade than a few gigabytes. On a machine used for one purpose with everything in known folders, it is defensible.
The same idea on the other platform
This is the direct equivalent of the Spotlight index on a Mac: a few gigabytes that earn their place, worth knowing about mainly so you can recognise the file and move on.
Common questions
What is Windows.edb?
The Windows Search index database, kept under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search. It holds everything the search service has indexed and grows with how many files are covered and whether their contents are indexed.
Can I delete Windows.edb?
Not while the search service is running. Use Indexing Options, Advanced, Rebuild, which stops the service and recreates the index cleanly. Search is incomplete until the rebuild finishes.
How do I make the search index smaller?
In Indexing Options, remove locations you never search, and under Advanced, File Types, set types to Index Properties Only rather than contents. Source code folders are the usual reason an index is large.
Should I turn off Windows Search to save space?
Rarely. It breaks Explorer search and Start menu file results for a few gigabytes. Narrowing what is indexed gets most of the space back without losing the feature.