File Explorer search not working in Windows 10 1909

Question

Ever since I updated to Windows 10 1909 the Search Box in the File Explorer is completely unuseable. It shows a text cursor but I cannot click inside the box or type any text into it. Essentially it's a text box with no "wiring". 

Any ideas how to resolve this issue? I'm having to resort to using a third-party search app just to find files in my projects.

Kind regards

Byron

Answer 1

I wrote a .bat that taskkills file explorer. That seems to have fixed the problem, but its only a temporary fix. If you go into taskmgr and kill explorer.exe it should start working again.

Answer 2

Another user with the dodgy explorer search box in 1909. 50/50 whether it works, when it doesn't clicking on it does nothing, if I use CTRL F to force it to use the search box then I can type only one letter, typing letters then just replaces the previous one.

Rebooting will usually fix it but it randomly breaks during use for no apparent reason, plus it doesn't break in all windows, some work ok and others don't. Why change something that's worked for a hell of a long time and has never broken!. On top of it,  it doesn't auto search as you type and there is no easy way to remove the old search history.

Answer 3

Hi Byron,

I am Sumit, an Independent Advisor and a 2-Year Windows Insider MVP here to help.

Can you log this in the feedback hub and share the link? I can escalate that for you to the product team.

Send Feedback:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/7054-send-f...

How to Share Feedback from Feedback Hub in Windows 10

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/130174-shar...

In the meantime, I can suggest you to rollback. I am not suggesting troubleshooting as I am seeing many cases regarding the same lately.

https://www.yourwindowsguide.com/2019/11/how-to...

Content on the above blog is written by a Microsoft MVP so it is safe. However, do watch out for the ads.

Answer 4

I too have experienced this exact same issue on two different computers, one of which is literally only a day old.

I cannot speak for the long-term reliability of this method, but here's a way I found to (at least temporarily) fix the broken search bar without having to kill explorer.exe in Task Manager or having to use PowerShell commands on my own computer:

1. Open a folder, any folder (doesn't matter which)
2. In the Ribbon, click on View and then Options
3. When the Folder Options window appears, click the View tab
4. Scroll the "Advanced settings" list about halfway down
5. Look for the setting "Launch folder windows in a separate process".

      a. If it is NOT checked, then click the box to check it

      b. If it IS checked, then uncheck it, click Apply, and finally re-check it

6. Click Apply, and then OK.

This seems to have worked for me, but like I said only time will tell if the problem comes back or not.

Answer 5

Same problem here.

This all started with the 1909 update.

Restarting explorer.exe fixes it, but it's really annoying.