Windows XP uses the Cidaemon.exe process as part of Windows Explorer's search companion file indexing service. When turned on, Cidaemon.exe allows for accurate search results due to continuous background indexing of new files. However, Cidaemon.exe also has the potential to adversely affect the performance of your computer due to the heavy memory and CPU usage. To turn off Cidaemon.exe, you must disable the search companion file indexing service.