Windows 11 Indexing is paused

Hi BW. I'm Greg, 10 years awarded Windows MVP, specializing in Installation, Performance, Troubleshooting and Activation, here to help you.

Try this fix first:

1. Go to the main search icon on the Start bar and type SERVICES, and then select the SERVICES app.
2. Within the SERVICES app window, in the right pane, scroll down until you find the service named "WINDOWS SEARCH." Right mouse click on it and select RESTART SERVICE.
3. A warning window will display letting you know that restarting this service will also stop and restart a WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER NETWORK SEARCH service, and will give you the option to click OK or CANCEL. Click OK.
4. That should do it... if you return to the INDEX OPTIONS window, the PAUSE INDEXING button will no longer be grayed out and indexing will have resumed. Hope that helps~!

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/q...

If that doesn't fix it try Search troubleshooter at Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Additional Troubleshooters.

More in this Microsoft Search troubleshooting document:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/w...

Feel free to ask back any questions. Based on the results you post back I may have other suggestions if necessary.

______________________________________________

Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

Thank you, that is very helpful. I hope Microsoft will fix this bug soon. As of April 2022, it appears this problem has existed for at least 5 months. I am fulling updated on all windows updates. I purchased my laptop in January and it came with Windows 11 and I upgraded to Windows 11 Pro. This search problem keeps me from finding recent emails on my laptop outlook or recent new files on my laptop until I restart the search service like you described.

Ok well I went to the Local Group Policy Editor and under Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Search I enabled the Disable Indexer Backoff, started over with rebuilding, and it's back to normal. I didn't touch the thing about Microsoft Outlook or the battery like the person earlier mentioned.

Yes.. its working after service restart. But its not the permanent solution . After couple of hours its getting paused again.

I have a similiar issue: In my Windows 11 system (upgraded from Windows 10) the search index is paused after each Windows system restart. The "Windows Search" service (WSearch) has status "Running" but the "Indexing Options" dialog box shows "Indexing is paused". Restarting the WSearch solves the problem until to the next system restart.

Two things are annoying:

(1) My restart problem

(2) A missing "Resume" button in the "Indexing Options" dialog instead a grayed-out "Pause"

The fastest way to restart WSearch:

(1) Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), be sure More details in the bottom is clicked (or Fewer details is shown there)

(2) Select Services Group, sort by Name

(3) Find "WSearch" in the Name column and select with right mouse button and select "Restart"