The indexing service helps you search for information stored on your
computer, much like a search engine (Google, MSN, Yahoo, etc.) helps you
search for information on the internet.
The aptly named indexing service creates an index (many indicies, actually)
of the information stored on your computer, much like the index of a book.
Now, for example, you can find all the documents stored on your computer
that refer to blueberries.
The indexing service is much maligned, because when it's updating its
indicies it takes up a lot of your computer's processing power, thus slowing
your computer. But the service can be considered an early attempt by
Microsoft to create a desktop search capability.
If you don't need to have your files indexed, you can uninstall the indexing
service - as I have done - from Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs >
Add/Remove Windows Components.
--
Ted Zieglar
"You can do it if you try."
"Pdigmking" <PUdstrand@att.net> wrote in message
news:Xns97025530CCA46Pudstrandattnet@127.0.0.1...
> My firewall is warning me that MS CISVC.exe is trying to start a process.
> I've checked and this is legitimate MS process in the correct directory,
> but do I really need to let it access the internet? It's an indexing
> service (whatever that is) but why does MS want to index my text? What
> happens if I deny it access forget about it?
>
> TIA
>
> Paul.
