Microsoft Search window disapears immediatly after pressing "Win + S".

Question

Microsoft Search window disapears immediatly after pressing "Win + S".

Henry Lowe 1

I am running the 19043.1288 build of Windows 10 21H1. After pressing "Win + S", the windows search box will appear, then terminate shortly thereafter. Opening the start menu and beginning to type yields no results. Event viewer logs this:

Faulting application name: SearchApp.exe, version: 10.0.19041.1266, time stamp: 0xd719c871
Faulting module name: ConstraintIndex.Search.dll, version: 10.0.19041.1202, time stamp: 0x99c05bd4
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000000bb393
Faulting process id: 0x2c84
Faulting application start time: 0x01d7c06ff6260e0b
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy\SearchApp.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\System32\ConstraintIndex.Search.dll
Report Id: ecd80dbc-707b-47cd-a0d2-9aba332144ec
Faulting package full name: Microsoft.Windows.Search_1.14.2.19041_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
Faulting package-relative application ID: CortanaUI

This only occurs under one user account on the PC, it's the one I use the most. a newly created user doesn't have this problem.
Sfc and dism didn't seem to do anything, and I can't find anything else. Is there another fix for this error?

5 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Pavel Krot 41

Method #1 (that helped me):

One of the rare causes of the SearchApp.exe crashing is access to the Fonts folder.

I found this topic comment on reddit and the proposed method solved my issue:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/nyye3s/comment/h5ryskx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Go to: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts
Right click on the folder -> Properties -> Security Tab -> Edit -> Add
Add the following group: ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES
Give this group Read & execute permissions

Method #2:

Hold Down the Windows key + X
Click on Windows PowerShell (Admin)
Type the following command and hit enter (all on one line)
Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
Restart your PC and see if the search feature is restored, if not proceed to method #3

Method #3:

Hold down the Windows Key + R
Type regedit and hit enter
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search and make a backup of it.
Delete the Search folder entry,
Restart your PC and see if Windows Search is still crashing.

jb11 1 Reputation point

2022-06-13T00:25:17.02+00:00

I rarely ever log into support boards but I had to just to thank you. I have been plagued for months by this issue that prevented my search from working, my taskbar from functioning properly (calendar would not open), and recently noticed that the Microsoft login popup window was crashing, which became a problem because I needed to log into Azure for school. I have been searching forever to find a solution and your Method #1 fixed everything completely. I dreaded having to create a new profile and migrate stuff. Who would have though a dang font folder would be the culprit. Thank you so much!
Duong 1 Reputation point

2022-09-11T13:38:38.343+00:00

Holy f*ck, #1 actually worked. I spent AN ENTIRE WEEK to fix this bullcrap, from running all kinds of stuff to reinstalling Windows / migrating user data ( this worked at first but then it stopped working. )

Had to find the problem through the errors reported in Event Viewer, and after 3 days, i finally fixed it. Thank you so much!
Vanirotto 1 Reputation point

2022-09-26T11:33:14.83+00:00

i created an account just to thank you, 1 month of forums that say to run sfc and dism, just thank you
Episcopus 1 Reputation point

2022-12-20T03:20:27.597+00:00

I wanted to jump in and add to the list of folks thankful for your help here.

As opposed to the others here, Method #1 did not help as I found that my Fonts folder already had the requisite permissions.

I did Method #2 without this helping either.

Method #3 did the trick (removing the Search registry key and rebooting)! I saved the value of the Search registry key before and after and was able to compare things. It seems like the main differences are twofold, a bunch of cortana / search service things under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search and then a bunch of configuration parameters under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search\Flighting\0.

This Flighting key makes me think that this is an A/B test configuration that can deploy new settings with updates and whatnot, and then measure changes in performance between cohorts. They probably don't measure crashes or user frustration with this kind of testing, evidently. I wish they would be a bit more diligent before rolling out this kind of unstable functionality.
clg2001 0 Reputation points

2023-07-05T18:16:56.74+00:00

I'd recently installed a bunch of fonts for use in photoshop on the 26th of June, so it's possible that was the cause of my inevitable conflict. However, after installing the June 23 windows update today (7/5), I wound up getting the search error OP was mentioning, too. Started the process of scouring the internet for solutions. Like many, tried sfc, chkdsk, powershell stuff, and so on to no avail. I was certainly seeing the related error pop up sporadically in Event Viewer, so decided to google the first line of it, which brought me here.

Part of me feels like I'd restarted my PC between then and now, which has me leaning toward the update being the cause as my searching did yield another thread mentioning the same time frame and they got around it with a new user account, which for some reason I couldn't create possibly linked to this. Though I'm wondering if Windows has an issue bulk adding fonts that could've led to it. Regardless, one internet for you, Pavel, as #1 did the trick.

Answer 2

Daniel Vahid Lima Tolouei 30

Hi

If none of the above methods solves it, and the problem is only with a specific user and not generalized (with another new user created it works normally), I recommend trying the following:

Create a new user, restart and login with it (it's not logoff, it's restart before entering the new user);
Go to C:\Users\user_with_problem\AppData\Local\Packages directory

Note: "user_with_problem" is the account login with problem

Locate the folder that starts with "Microsoft.Windows.Search_" , something like "Microsoft.Windows.Search_cs41h5txwa"
Rename this folder to any name, example: "Microsoft.Windows.Search_cs41h5txwa.OLD"
Restart the computer and log in with the problem user
Wait a few minutes, click start and try to do a search or else in the search field. Restart the computer and test.

In my case, I was only able to solve it by following the steps above. No other method did the trick.

If it still does not resolve, follow the suggestions in this link:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/shell-experience/fix-problems-in-windows-search

Artand Markov 0

Oh my God, it helped!!! I tried everything, scanning/fixing all packages, cleaning reg keys, official reset powershell script, but nothing helped! And only this simple way solved my problem.

You're an amazing, thank you so much! You are the best.

Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3636

Имя сбойного приложения: SearchApp.exe, версия: 10.0.19041.3636, метка времени: 0x85aaddd4
Имя сбойного модуля: KERNELBASE.dll, версия: 10.0.19041.3636, метка времени: 0x326edcef
Код исключения: 0xc000027b
Смещение ошибки: 0x000000000012db22
Идентификатор сбойного процесса: 0x358c
Время запуска сбойного приложения: 0x01da16e4ca7d7b54
Путь сбойного приложения: C:\WINDOWS\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy\SearchApp.exe
Путь сбойного модуля: C:\WINDOWS\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Идентификатор отчета: 92547f05-f69d-4731-b0fa-06ef8f4d4b3c
Полное имя сбойного пакета: Microsoft.Windows.Search_1.14.10.19041_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy
Код приложения, связанного со сбойным пакетом: CortanaUI

Astra68 0 Reputation points

2024-01-07T19:09:56.2166667+00:00

Holy shit you're a god! Made and account just to thank you since none of the other methods worked except for this one.
Jrel Music 0 Reputation points

2024-09-08T19:57:30.3+00:00

I logged in also to report this solution worked for me after the first 3 didn't work. Thank you!!!

Answer 3

Method #1 (that helped me):

One of the rare causes of the SearchApp.exe crashing is access to the Fonts folder.

I found this topic comment on reddit and the proposed method solved my issue:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/nyye3s/comment/h5ryskx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Go to: C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts
Right click on the folder -> Properties -> Security Tab -> Edit -> Add
Add the following group: ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES
Give this group Read & execute permissions

Method #2:

Hold Down the Windows key + X
Click on Windows PowerShell (Admin)
Type the following command and hit enter (all on one line)
Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
Restart your PC and see if the search feature is restored, if not proceed to method #3

Method #3:

Hold down the Windows Key + R
Type regedit and hit enter
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search and make a backup of it.
Delete the Search folder entry,
Restart your PC and see if Windows Search is still crashing.

Hassanein Shaban 1 Reputation point

2022-02-05T04:17:52.2+00:00

Thanks for sharing this interesting information,
Method #1 was so helpful and directly to the point and cured my problem
Thank you so much

Answer 4

S.Sengupta 24,716 MVP

Kindly go through the following Microsoft reference:

Fix problems in Windows Search

Henry Lowe 1 Reputation point

2021-10-14T03:32:44.047+00:00

I went through all the steps in your community reference. However, the problem is still unresolved.

Answer 5

Hi there,

Use the Windows Search and Indexing troubleshooter to try to fix any problems that may arise. To use the troubleshooter, follow these steps:

Select Start, then select Settings.
In Windows Settings, select Update & Security > Troubleshoot. Under Find and fix other problems, select Search and Indexing.
Run the troubleshooter, and select any problems that apply.

Restart Windows Search or your device
End the SearchUI process to restart Windows Search by following these steps:

Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, and select Task Manager.
In the Task Manager window, select the Details tab.
In the Name column, right-click SearchUI.exe, and then select End task.
When you're prompted to end SearchUI.exe, select End Process.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/shell-experience/fix-problems-in-windows-search

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If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept it as an answer

Henry Lowe 1 Reputation point

2021-10-15T03:34:03.907+00:00

SearchUI.exe isn't running when I open task manager.

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Microsoft Search window disapears immediatly after pressing "Win + S".

5 answers

Method #1 (that helped me):

Method #2:

Method #3:

Method #1 (that helped me):

Method #2:

Method #3:

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