Some users have noticed a Web Indexing Service in the System Tray and are wondering what it is. This service does not show any right-click options, except the Exit option. In this article, we will see what Web Indexing Service is and whether you should uninstall the Web Indexing Service or not.
What is the Web Indexing Service?
The processes and services displayed in the System Tray are associated with a particular application. The Web Indexing Service is also associated with a particular application. That third-party application is Format Factory.
However, I wanted to confirm this. For this, I installed the Format Factory application on my laptop and found this service running in the background in System Tray. If you double-click on this service, it will show you what it is. Look at the following message that appeared after I double-clicked on the Web Indexing Service in the System Tray:
This background service is what unlocks certain features in Format Factory for free. You cannot use those features for free when it’s off. To close task, right-click then click exit.
According to the above message, this service unlocks some free features in Format Factory. If you close this service, you cannot use those free features in the software. Format Factory is software that offers various features, like video conversion, audio conversion, image conversion, splitting videos, splitting audios, joining PDF files, etc.
How to remove Web Indexing Service
After installing the Format Factory, the Web Indexing Service starts running in the background. You can view it in your System Tray. If you want to remove it from the System Tray, you can right-click on it and select Exit. This will close the service. However, the service will start automatically the next time you start your computer. Therefore, to permanently stop or remove this service, follow the steps mentioned below:
- Open Format Factory software.
- Click on the Option on the Menu bar and then select Option. Or, you can directly click on the Option icon on the Toolbar.
- When the Option window appears, go to the Advanced tab.
- Uncheck the share device resources checkbox under the Platinum Feature section.
After disabling the “share device resources” setting in Format Factory software, you will not see the Web Indexing Service in the System Tray.
Should I uninstall the Web Indexing Service in Windows 11?
From the above discussion, it is clear that this service is not a Microsoft service. It comes after installing a third-party application on Windows 11. When a service is not a Microsoft service, the question that comes to our mind is, “Should I keep it or uninstall it?”
While installing the software, you may have seen the screen (shown in the above screenshot) on the installation wizard. Look at the statement:
Your use of Format Factory software is free in return for allowing the web indexing by BrightData to occasionally use your device’s free resources and IP address to download public web data from the internet.
The above statement clearly states that Format Factory does not share your system resources and other data, like your IP address, without your consent. If you agree with the above agreement, the Web Indexing Service will run in the background. You can opt out of the agreement anytime by disabling the “share device resources” setting described above in this article.
Hence, it depends on whether you want to uninstall this service. If you want to uninstall this service, simply disable the “share device resources” setting in Format Factory.
That’s all.
Should indexing be on or off Windows 11?
Search Indexing is the process on Windows 11 that creates a catalog of information of your files and other content on your PC. Search Indexing makes the search faster on a Windows computer. By default, the Search Indexing is enabled on your system but if you want, you can disable it. However, disabling it can result in slower searches.
Does indexing affect performance?
Search Indexing is the process that keeps running in the background on a Windows 11/10 computer. Indexing does not have a major impact on your computer’s performance. The major factor responsible for your computer’s performance is the hardware. If your computer is slow, installing a new SSD and upgrading RAM will help.
Read next: How to list all Windows Services using the command line.
