THE PROBLEM

Your server is reporting an annoying "Search.Mapi2Handler.1 cannot be loaded" error message in the application events.

EXPLANATION

Believe it or not, this is not a SharePoint error. In fact it’s a Windows search error that appears when you use the program on a 64 bit machine and it’s probably running because you installed Windows Desktop Search (WDS). Since you’re reading this blog, you’re probably running a special Ifilter for SharePoint Search that required WDS to be installed in order for it to function properly. For example, Adobe uses the Ifilter interface as provided by Windows Desktop Search in order to thunk between 64 and their 32 bit implementation. 

Architecturally, when you install Windows Desktop Search you end with two components running on your server. The first is the Windows Desktop Search user interface which is a bunch of components in IE, Outlook, the task bar, and the main search. The second component is the MSSearch service that runs under a process called SearchIndexer.exe.

What few people realize: neither the Windows Desktop Search or the Search Indexer need to be running for SharePoint search indexing to function. In addition, there’s really no reason Windows Desktop Search or any indexer needs to run on a Server in the first place. If you think about it, how often to you search for files when logged into the machine, and if you do should you really have an indexer enabled?

RESOLUTION

Stop and Disable MSSearch (runs as SearchIndexer.exe) by visiting Start >> Control Panel >> Administrative Tools >> Services and disabled Wsearch.

*** IF YOU SET THE SERVICE TO MANUAL THE SERVICE WILL STILL GET STARTED SO I RECOMMEND DISABLING THE SERVICE

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