Where Is the Windows Search Index Stored?
Windows Search index database (Windows.edb) location and how to move, limit or rebuild it.
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Windows Search keeps its database as Windows.edb under ProgramData, alongside per-gatherer logs. The file grows with indexed locations and can reach many gigabytes.
Indexing Options is the control panel for all of this: locations, exclusions, rebuilds and moves. Direct file edits are never the right approach.
Where Windows stores this, by platform
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows
Windows.edb plus gatherer logs. Manage through Indexing Options (rebuild, relocate, exclude). Stop the Windows Search service before any manual intervention.
Frequently asked questions
How do I rebuild a broken search index?
Open Indexing Options > Advanced > Rebuild. It takes a while on large drives but fixes most broken-search cases. Deleting the edb by hand with the service running just recreates the problem.
Can the index live on another drive?
In Indexing Options > Advanced, change the index location to a roomier drive. Existing index data does not migrate; a fresh index builds at the new path.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.