This post will explain windows search not working. The Search in the Windows Start Menu used to be easy – tiles and Cortana didn’t get in the way of browsing your PC for the things you needed. In Windows 10, things got a little messed up, but newer upgrades have fixed issues like Cortana, and the May 2019 update overhauled the search interface, making your queries feel a little more precise and granular.
Is the Start Menu Search in Windows 10 Not working? Best 12 Methods To Fix In 2021
In this article, you can know about windows search not working here are the details below;
The Start menu search is a little more consistent and less bloated now that Cortana is gone. Still, it can fix down at any time, so we’re here to offer some advice on how to get it back up and working.
1. Use Task Manager to disable processes.
The first thing you should attempt is rebooting your computer, but if that doesn’t work, it’s worth looking through the Task Manager to see if there are any ways to restart the Search process.
Start by hitting Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, then click “More Details” in the bottom left corner to see everything.
Let’s start by resuming the “Windows Explorer” procedure. Scroll down to Windows Explorer on the Processes tab, right-click it, and select “Restart.” Have a panic attack when your computer appears to be about to crash, then exhale a sigh of relief when you notice that it’s still working and your Start menu Search button is presumably fixed!
If it doesn’t work, we’ll go after the Search app specifically. Click the Details tab in Task Manager, then scroll down until you see “SearchApp.exe” and “SearchUI.exe.” Right-click them and click “End Task” from the drop-down menu.
2. Reinstall the Start Menu
There is a way to reload the Start menu, but this will also reinstall other Windows apps that you may have already deleted, so don’t be surprised if your OS now has a few additional apps.
To do so, press Win + R, then type powershell, followed by Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run it as administrator.
Enter the following command in Powershell:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml” Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.x
Allow the procedure to finish, and your Start menu search should now operate properly.
3. Roll Back Windows 10 Update
The Start menu search bar can frequently cease working after a Windows 10 upgrade (as you’ll see throughout this list). Although a solution can sometimes be found despite the new Windows update, if you want to be safe, you can always undo the Windows 10 upgrade and revert to the previous version of Windows.
To do so, (Settings -> Update & Security -> Windows Update).
Click “View update history -> Uninstall updates” from here.
Organize the updates in the list by their “Installed On” dates, then right-click the most current update and click Uninstall.
4. Enable Background Apps
There has been an issue affecting some Windows 10 users since the Creator’s Update in 2017, concerning the operation of the Windows programme in the background. Disabling the option in Windows 10 to “Let programmes run in the background” might have the unexpected consequence of rendering the Start menu search feature unusable.
This bug still remains; therefore make sure you have the master switch for “Let programmes run in the background” set to “On.”
To do so, navigate to “Settings -> Privacy -> Background apps,” then turn on the “Let apps run in the background” switch. You may individually block any and all Windows apps from running in the background from this same panel, but it’s critical to keep the master switch on.
5. Rebuild the Index
It’s possible that the search indexing files in your Windows Search have become corrupted, causing the Search feature to be disabled. Since the Windows 10 May Update (v1903), some users have reported this issue, with the following as a possible solution.
To fix this, try rebuilding the index, which should clear up any corruption.
Go to Control Panel, turn on “Large icons” in the top-right corner, and then click “Indexing Options -> Advanced.”
Finally, in the Advanced Options window, click Rebuild. Wait for the process to finish after clicking OK on the pop-up that warns you that it may take some time.
6. Use the Windows Troubleshooter to troubleshoot your computer.
The most straightforward method is to use the built-in features in Windows to assist you. Granted, this isn’t a foolproof remedy, but it’s quick and easy, so it’s worth a go.
1.Go to the Control Panel tab. (Click Start, then scroll down to the Windows System folder to locate it.)
2.If it hasn’t already, change the view to “Large icons” or “Small icons,” then click “Troubleshooting -> System and Security -> Search and Indexing.”
3.In the Troubleshooter, click “Next,” then check the option that pertains to your problem (most likely “Files don’t appear in search results,” though if your Windows Search is working, albeit slowly, check the third box down).
4. Finally, click Next to start the scan, which will attempt to fix any issues automatically.
7. Check your system files with the System File Checker.
We recommend that you attempt this first because it is one of the simplest things you can do to fix your Start menu search. Right-click Command Prompt, then “Run as administrator,” after this type on screen the following command:
This will automatically search your system files for flaws and corruptions and attempt to fix them. Because the Start menu search is a system operation, any issues should be identified with the SFC tool.
Additionally, if running the SFC function in standard Windows 10 fails, running it in Windows 10 Safe Mode may solve the problem for you.
8. Deactivate/Restart Third-Party Antivirus, Enable Windows Firewall
To make it clear, we’re not recommending that you disable and delete all third-party antivirus software from your device. Still, specific products have been reported to cause Windows Search to malfunction. Avast is one of the culprits, so delete it first and then look for an alternative if necessary. (In recent years, Windows Defender has established itself as a viable and secure choice.)
You could try temporarily removing your Avast shields, which should restore the Start menu search. At least in the case of Avast, once the shields are turned back on, the Start menu search may continue to function normally.
Enabling Windows Firewall, on the other hand, has aided certain users. It appears that your security settings are susceptible to Search and indexing; therefore, fiddling with them by enabling and removing items may yield results.
9. Move or Rebuild Swapfile.sys
The Pagefile and Swapfile are two crucial Windows 10 functionalities that are intricately intertwined. The pagefile lightens the load on your PC RAM by assigning a portion of your hard disc space to act as RAM if you run out of memory. The swapfile does the same thing, but it’s only for Modern Windows programmes, so it’s more narrowly focused.
Because Cortana is a Modern Windows software, you can try reinstalling it – and your Start menu search – by rebuilding the Swapfile. Because the Swapfile is directly dependent on the Pagefile, this will also need rebuilding the Pagefile.
Read our article on how to relocate and alter your Pagefile if you want to give it a shot (and therefore Swapfile). While we don’t recommend completely removing the Pagefile, you can effectively “restart” it by moving it to another drive. If you want to make it available on the original drive, you can disable it, reboot your computer, and then re-enable it.
If your Start menu search still doesn’t work after this, the next suggestion is a decent place to start.
10. Check Windows Search Service
The Windows Search service may not be running, which is another reason why your Start menu search isn’t working. The Windows Search service starts up with the operating system and it is a system service.
By pressing Win + R and typing services.msc, you can look if the service is running and scrolling down to find it. It’s running if the Status column says “Running” (obviously). You’ll have to start it manually if this isn’t the case.
Click “Properties” after right-clicking “Windows Search.”
To start the service, click the “Start” button in the Properties box. Make that the Startup type is “Automatic” or “Automatic (Delayed Start).” This guarantees that the service will start automatically whenever the system boots up. Click “OK” when you’re finished making the changes.
This is what your Services window looks like when the service has been started. This strategy worked great for me.
11. Repair Windows Installation
Before you become too worried that this would wipe out all of your data and files, remember that there is a way to update your Windows system while saving your important data. It’s definitely a more extreme approach than others on this list, so if you want to try some other options first, scroll down to the different sections.
To begin, make a bootable Windows 10 installation disc or USB, and then run it. To update your Windows 10 installation, follow the instructions and select the option to “Keep personal files and programmes” on the “Ready to install” screen. If it isn’t already chosen, go to “Change what to keep,” then “Keep personal files and Window settings.” When you click Install, the most recent version of Windows 10 will be installed while keeping all of your data intact.
This will also fix the problem by reinstalling the core files that are responsible for the Start menu search.
12. Or Use “Everything” Instead
It’s actually a considerably more comprehensive search tool than Windows’ built-in Search. It crawls your disc faster, and its search method eliminates and filters search terms as you write, thus ‘narrowing down’ your Search. It’s also super-lightweight at 0.5MB, with a basic interface that displays you everything you need.
