How to delete a file type from the content index in SharePoint 2010

In this article we will be seeing how to delete a file type from the content index in SharePoint 2010.

Using Central Administration:

Go to Central Administration => Application Management => Manage Service Applications => Search Service Application.
In the navigation, go to Crawling => File Types.
Select the file type, click on ECB Menu => Delete.

Using Visual Studio 2010:

Open Visual Studio 2010.
Go to File => New => Project.
Select Console Application from the installed templates.
Enter the Name and click Ok.
Add the following references.

o Microsoft.SharePoint.dll
o Microsoft.Office.Server.dll
o Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.dll
Add the following namespaces.

o using Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration;
o using Microsoft.Office.Server;
o using Microsoft.SharePoint;
Replace the code with the following.

// search service application name
string ssaName = "Search Service Application";
SearchContext context = SearchContext.GetContext(ssaName);
Content ssaContent = new Content(context);
// Get the list of file extensions
ExtensionCollection extensionColl = ssaContent.ExtensionList;
// Get the file extension
Extension ext=extensionColl["ascx"];
// Delete the file extension
ext.Delete();
foreach (Extension extension in extensionColl)
{
// Display the file extension name

Console.WriteLine(extension.FileExtension.ToString());
}
Build the solution.
Hit F5.
File type of extension ascx is deleted and display all the file extensions as shown in the following.

Using Powershell: