Windows 10 Search Not Working- Here’s How You Can Fix it

Windows search plays a vital role in helping out in daily work to look for items residing in your computer, whether someone wants to search for a file, images, videos, etc. But, what if windows 10 search is not working? What if it does not return any result? What if some faulty updates caused it to crash? Looking for a fix to make windows 10 start menu search work properly? Then, this is the place where we shall explain some easy and helpful methods to resolve the search issue.

Must Read: Windows 10 Update Stuck

Fix Windows 10 search using Troubleshooter

Windows troubleshooter is by default the best option which will help out in almost every situation. To fix the windows 10 search issue using troubleshooter, follow the steps below:

1. Go to the start menu.
2. Click the cog button.
3. Go to Settings.
4. Look to the left pane and click Troubleshoot.
5. Scroll down and find Search and Indexing.
6. Click on the Run the troubleshooter button.

Running the troubleshooter may be enough to solve the issue regarding the windows 10 search bar.

Fix Windows 10 start menu search using Command Prompt

Windows 10 search still not working? Using the windows troubleshooter is not the only remedy. Another way to fix windows start menu search is through a command prompt.

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run command.
2. Type CMD and hit enter or click OK.
3. Type in the following command and hit enter to open the windows troubleshooter. Command: msdt -ep Windowshelp id SearchDiagnosticOpen the Advanced option.
4. Check on Apply Repairs Automatically. Then click next.
5. Click Next and find the problem that best suits your situation. And proceed further.

Hopefully, this will fix the windows 10 search. But, if you still can’t search in the start menu search bar, let’s look at some more ways to make your windows search work.

Fix Windows 10 search by restarting the Search

1. To restart the search bar in Windows 10 you need to run the Task Manager. There are two ways through which you can do this. Open it using right-click on taskbar and select Task Manager OR press Alt + Ctrl + Del key combination on your keyboard.
2. Click the Details tab and look for the SearchUI.exe process.
3. Select SearchUI.exe and click on the End task button.

This will surely enable the windows 10 search bar. Don’t worry about the process as windows shall restart the process soon automatically. If not, you can restart your computer and every process will be back online.

How to fix windows 10 search using index settings

The above solutions will serve the need. But if the windows 10 search is still not working then there is another method you can try is through “Index settings”. The term Index Settings might sound unorthodox to some people. But, it is an effective method through which you can bring the windows search bar back to work. Let’s have a look at how you can do it.

1. As usual, go to the start menu select Settings.
2. Click on Search.
3. On the left-hand side click on Searching Windows.
4. Scroll down and look for Advanced Search Indexer Settings and click on it.
5. Click on the Advanced button.
6. In the Index Settings tab click on the Rebuild button and click OK.
7. You can also start Troubleshoot search and Indexing.

Turn Off Cortana & Search

There are two windows processes that are solely responsible for searching apps, files, or settings in windows 10, Search and Cortana. Search offers searching files, apps, and settings in real time. You don’t have to browse folders to find and run something. However, Cortana is a virtual assistant included in windows 8 and 10, which you can activate using your voice and assist you in searching. If you wish to resolve issues with Search, you have to kill both processes using the below instructions.

• Right-tap on Taskbar and then tap on Task Manager.
• If the task manager is opened and displaying fewer details, you have to tap on More Details.
• Under the Processes tab, you have to find and choose a process named Cortana.
• Right-tap on Cortana and then tap on End task.
• After that, under the processes tab, you have to find and choose a process named Search.
• Then right-tap on Search and then tap on end task.
• Now try to search files by pressing the windows key and entering the file name, app, or setting you wish to find.

Try Restarting Windows 10 Search Process:

Another reason why Windows 10 search may not be working is that indexing services might be turned off or haven’t even started with the windows boot up. There is another way to start the search by setting Startup Type to Automatic.

1. Press Windows key + R and type cmd.
2. In the command prompt type services.msc and press OK.
3. Look for Windows Search Service. Double click to open it.
4. Set Startup type to Automatic. 
5. Click Apply and OK.

This will set your Windows 10 search bar to start automatically when the computer system boots.

Try updating windows to solve the search issue

Updating the windows might be helpful to resolve search bar issues in windows 10. To update the windows follow these steps below:

1. Click the start menu and open Settings.
2. Go to Update and Security.
3. Click on the Check for Updates button.
4. Click Restart to finalize the update.

Fix Windows 10 search by uninstalling updates:

Some faulty updates can also affect your computer’s performance. For example, disabling Cortana, interrupting the internet connections or issues like disturbing the windows start menu search. This could be the reason why the windows 10 search bar is not working as it should. To uninstall the updates follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings, click on Update and Security.
2. Select windows update.
3. Click on the View update History option.
4. Go to uninstall updates and select the latest installed updates.
5. Click on the Uninstall button and press yes.

Now, we have tried a lot of ways through which you can fix windows 10 search.

Rebuild the Index

There’s a chance that the search indexing files in your windows Search have become corrupted, therefore hindering the search function. Users have claimed this issue since windows10 may update ( 1903), and the below is a possible solution to fix the issue.

To resolve this, you must try rebuilding the index and eliminating corruption. For this, open the control panel, go to “large icons” at the upper-right corner, then tap on “indexing options->Advanced.”

Now, tap rebuilds in the advanced options window.   Tap okay on the pop-up that informs you this may take few minutes and wait for the process to finish.

Try to Resolve Errors by Installing a New Windows 11

As with windows 10, Microsoft constantly works on improving windows by fixing errors, releasing security patches, and adding new amazing features. The start menu now allows you to generate folders to organize your apps. You can now also select from three layouts for the menu.

However, the task manager has gotten a visual facelift, including updates to the start menu, quicker and more accurate search, quick settings, and so much more. So upgrade your windows and start exploring new features free of bugs.

Conclusion:

In this article, we explained a lot of different ways how you can fix the windows 10 search bar if it is not functioning. Hopefully, these solutions will help you out resolving the search bar issues. Another method you can try to fix the windows search is by uninstalling the windows and installing it again. This one is the most simple solution you can try if and only if the windows 10 search is still not working. Go ahead and try these.