I noticed my disk space is getting pretty low on my laptop. I used Treesize to determine that one of the biggest files was my Windows.edb file at 15.5GB in size.
This is linked to the Windows Search services, and it contains information designed to make my searching faster.
To reduce the size of this file, we can rebuild the index.
Go to Control Panel
Select Indexing Options
Select the Advanced button, then select the Rebuild button.
This will take a while now, but it will delete the windows.edb and associated files and commence reindexing your machine.
EDIT – February 2017 – Microsoft released a patch that stopped the windows.edb from growing to such large extents. They included that patch in an update rollup for Windws 8 and Windows Server 2012. You can find out more here
Handy tip. Thank you. B.
Thanks but this is a workaround NOT A FIX
This is ridiculous my windows.edb is currently 290 GB
Trying to delete the ebd file without investigating the cause is a futile exercise. Indexing takes place based on the settings under Control Panel and find the Indexing section.
Those with massive ebd files are most likely indexing some network share or file server (home or work). Deleting or simplt rebuilding the index will simply restart the process but the end will be exactly the same.
Under Indexing look at what is listed and leave only your C drive, your profiles area and anything else you know you wish to be able to search for in the future. Using the Modify button deselect anything else and you’ll need to rebuild the index AFTER you edit the above.
AWSOME, !!! has 222 gb out of 222 gb. after the rebuilt it free up more than 78gb. AMAZING!!!! Thank you
thanks its very helpful its working for me
Thanks, Pachi!!
That is exactly what I was looking for. Not a bandage, but a cure.
look at Microsoft patch KB2836988
I’m using Windows 8.1 and the patch dosen’t work… Have anyone else a cure?
Hi guys,
Windows.edb Filesize today (Worldrecord?): 1.382.078.016KB for ~10 million files. And it’s slow as f**k. After a rebuilt it was even bigger.
Thank you ! It works
Hi all
Kindly any one suggest how do i reduce windows.ebd file