mds_stores cpu

Hello.

My mds_stores process (presumably spotlight indexing service) has been consuming close to 100% CPU (as per Activity Monitor) for months now (yes, months). I have tried everything I can think of (and then some), and a lot of things suggested in this and other forums, including:

• Stopping the process, removing the index and re-starting it (mdutil)
• Restarting my computer (duh)
• Checking my disk and volume for issues (there are none)
• Resetting the whatever ROM (command-control-PR during boot)
• Adding various directories to the 'do not index' list (either via mdutil or gui)
• Disabling certain functions of my antivirus
• Stopping time machine (I have a hunch the two are related)
• Hoping it would just go away

Alas, nothing works.

Help. Please. PLEASE...

BTW by just typing mds_stores in google and watching the results, one may jump to the conclusion that mds_stores CPU consumption issues have plagued many MacOS users, and that maybe Apple should give this annoying little process some proper engineering (and QA) attention, befitting a premium brand and product. But that would be jumping to conclusions.