How to Disable Search Indexer Backoff in Windows 11

Option 1Using Group Policy Editor

Group Policy Editor lets you disable indexer backoff on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. This built-in tool changes how Windows handles background file searches. You need an administrator account to make this change. Search for gpedit.msc in the taskbar 🖥️ to open the editor and adjust the policy settings.

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor. You can do this by typing gpedit.msc in the Windows search bar 🔍 and pressing Enter.
2. In the left-hand menu of the Local Group Policy Editor, go to this location:
   

   Computer Configuration › Administrative Templates › Windows Components › Search

   

3. On the right side, find and double-click on the policy named Disable indexer backoff.

   

4. Now, follow either step 5 to turn the feature on or step 6 to turn it off.
5. To Turn On Search Indexer Backoff (Default Setting):

   • Select the option Not Configured.
   • Click OK. Then, go to step 7.

6. To Turn Off Search Indexer Backoff:

   • Select the option Enabled.
   • Click OK. Then, go to step 7.

7. You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor.

Option 2Using Registry Editor

Registry Editor lets you disable indexer backoff on Windows 11 Home editions where the group policy tool is missing. This method involves changing a registry key value to stop Windows from slowing down its search indexing tasks. Back up your registry before making changes, as mistakes can cause system problems.

To Turn On Search Indexer Backoff (Default Setting):

To turn on search indexer backoff (the default setting), ensure the following value is not set or is set to 0:

• Open Registry Editor. Type regedit in the Windows search bar and press Enter.
• Navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
• Look for a value named DisableBackoff. If it exists, make sure its data is set to 0 or delete the value.

To Turn Off Search Indexer Backoff:

You need to create or modify the following value:

• Open Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Windows search bar and pressing Enter.
• Navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
• Right-click in the empty space on the right side and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
• Name the new value DisableBackoff.
• Double-click on DisableBackoff and set its Value data to 1.
• Click OK.

Close the Registry Editor when you are finished.

Summary

Search indexer backoff controls whether Windows slows down file indexing when you use your computer. Keeping it on helps save system resources for your apps. Turning it off forces Windows to index files at full speed all the time. You can change this behavior using either the Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor.