mssearch.exe - Microsoft Search Component for SQL and Exchange Servers
This process is a component of the Microsoft Windows Server Suite, and is used by both SQL Server and Exchange Server. It is responsible for the creation of indexes for Exchange Server and SQL server to allow for faster searching (similar to the Indexing Service that's built into Windows itself). When installed, it's a critical component of these services and should not be disabled or altered in any way.This process may consume noticeable amounts of CPU time and memory, depending on a number of factors. Large numbers of messages in Exchange, or huge SQL Server databases may cause the mssearch.exe process to run for extended periods.
Various system settings limit the amount of CPU time and memory the mssearch.exe process can normally use, but some users have reported apparently "runaway" processes that used excessive system resources (i.e. 60-80%). This behavior may be related to the Service Pack in use; it's suggested that anyone experiencing this problem upgrade to the most recent SP to see if the behavior changes. One database administrator reported that changing the sp_fulltext_service SQL Server parameter from 3 to 1 significantly reduced the amount of memory and processor time consumed by this process.
The mssearch.exe process should only appear on systems running either SQL Server or Exchange Server. If it is found on other systems, it should be treated as malware. Reports have been received describing viruses using this file name. In one case, a user reported popup windows appearing on his system with the title "only the best." He traced this to a file with the name mssearch.exe, which was discovered to be spyware.
As always, if you suspect a malware infestation you should download and run a current copy of an antivirus/malware scanner in order to isolate and remove the offending application. Be sure to obtain the most recent definition files, since these are critical to the removal of current malware variants.
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