If this sounds like your week
When Windows Search gets in the way
consultants need contract PDFs, utilities, and notes without an indexer draining the laptop in transit. Windows Search does not expose Search Sentinel's opt-in pause_on_battery thresholds or tray-specific Paused state. a machine below 20% battery may still be running VPN, browser, and video calls.
Where tooling usually breaks
Why local-first matters
index.db, config.json, and logs stay under %APPDATA%\SearchSentinel instead of a vendor-hosted workspace. Search queries are not uploaded for AI enhancement, analytics, or ad targeting. You buy the app once and keep the search index as a local workstation asset.
Technical proof points
- GetSystemPowerStatus - 20% defer - 30% resume - Local index.db - Win32 Power API - Battery-aware indexing - Tray status