Indexing Service prevented my computer from going into Standby

Aug 132005

Since I got this Motion, I have been having a major problem with Standby and Hibernate in XP. The options worked just fine if I used the Start Menu to bring up the options but after a defined period of inactivity, the computer would never go into Standby or Hibernate.

The weird thing was, the monitor *would* turn off after the specified period of inactivity.

I thought first that an application may have been denying standby in the WM_POWERBROADCAST message so I fired up Spy++ and watched but this message never happened.

I searched Google Groups to no avail, then I downloaded Speedswitch XP and started dicking with some of the advanced power options which really had no effect.

Finally, I started shutting down apps and services one by one and Indexing Service was to blame. To confirm this, I searched Google Groups again but this time with “indexing service” in the query and confirmed my suspicions.

I guess I installed Indexing Service pre-emptively because I assumed MSN Desktop Search needed it. I don’t know why I thought that but I uninstalled Indexing Service and now Standby and Hibernate work fine (except for that damned 1.5GB memory bug…) and MSN Desktop Search still works.

Hopefully someone will come across this in their search and save themselves some time.

Why I love desktop search

Jan 222005

I actually held out on this desktop search thing for a long time. I’m a programmer so organization means everything to me. If you asked me where something was on my hard disk, I knew exactly and it was DEEP within a highly organized folder hierarchy.

Well since adopting desktop search, I have not given up that method of organization. I’m still meticulous about where things are stored. I don’t see search as a replacement for that, but it’s a great enhancement.

I actually started out with Lookout for Outlook and I loved it. In fact, I wouldn’t have switched to MSN if I didn’t know that the author was involved in writing it (and it’s very similar to Lookout.) But since I switched to MSN Desktop Search, I found that my favorite use for it has nothing to do with documents, emails, contacts, etc. It’s actually MUSIC!

I love music but I hate listening to an album all the way through. I’m more of a pick and choose songs — whatever pops into my head — type of guy. So if I think of a Bob Dylan song I just type it in my desktop bar and it finds it instantly and I’m playing.

So in short, finding and playing music instantly is why I love desktop search.