Windows 10 search doesn't work

Question

Hi there! As in the title: the search function has stopped working. I click on the 'Type here to search' window on the start bar, but I can't type anything. Normally a window would pull up from the start bar showing results etc, but now it's all grey if it does, with a few blue dots sliding around the top edge. Or often it doesn't show up at all. Similar, when I try to use the search window on the top right corner in the explorer: I can not type and the little type-in window goes grey. The start menu works fine otherwise. the 'Find a setting' search bar in settings works just fine. Also, Windows often loads into a black screen with a start bar visible. The cursor is visible only on the start bar, but not on the black field if I move it around. It usually goes back to normal after reset. Don't know if that's connected but started about the same time as the search bar issue.
I tried many different fixes I managed to find online but nothing worked for me. Please advise. Thanks!

Answer 1

Please perform the following steps:

1) Open administrative command prompt (ACP) and type or copy and paste:

2) sfc /scannow
3) dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
4) dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
5) sfc /scannow
6) chkdsk /scan
7) net user test /add

8) When these have completed > right click on the top bar or title bar of the administrative command prompt box > left click on edit then select all > right click on the top bar again > left click on edit then copy > paste into the thread

9) shutdown /r

10) When the computer reboots logon with the new user named test

11) Report the new findings

12) Open administrative Powershell and copy and paste:

Get-ComputerRestorePoint

13) When this has completed > right click on the top bar or title bar of the administrative command prompt box > left click on edit then select all > right click on the top bar again > left click on edit then copy > paste into the thread

14) Find a flash drive that you can format (> or = 8 GB)

15) Create a bootable Windows 10 iso 21H1:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/9230-download-windows-10-iso-file.html
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2376-create-bootable-usb-flash-drive-install-windows-10-a.html

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Answer 2

Hi,

Thanks for reaching our Q&A forum.

1.As you mentioned you have tested many suggestions via internet but failed, may I confirm with you if you have look at below link already?
Fix problems in Windows Search
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/shell-experience/fix-problems-in-windows-search

2.If above steps did not help, please try to disable online search as workaround and verify if it works.
Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search
Locate "Do not allow web search" and double-click it. Switch the preference to enabled.
Run gpupdate /force

3.Manually kill Search.exe in task manager and retry the search funtion.

Hope this information may help.

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If the Answer is helpful, please click Accept Answer and upvote it.

Thanks,
Jenny

Answer 3

Hi @Docs and thanks for your reply. I finished testing. Here are the results:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19043.1110]
(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32> sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.844

Image Version: 10.0.19043.1110

[==========================100.0%==========================] No component store corruption detected.
The operation completed successfully.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.844

Image Version: 10.0.19043.1110

[==========================100.0%==========================] The restore operation completed successfully.
The operation completed successfully.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

C:\WINDOWS\system32> chkdsk /scan
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is OS.

Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...
897536 file records processed.
File verification completed.
Phase duration (File record verification): 27.04 seconds.
9564 large file records processed.
Phase duration (Orphan file record recovery): 0.00 milliseconds.
0 bad file records processed.
Phase duration (Bad file record checking): 1.89 milliseconds.

Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...
2773 reparse records processed.
1216784 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
Phase duration (Index verification): 47.51 seconds.
0 unindexed files scanned.
Phase duration (Orphan reconnection): 18.22 seconds.
0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found.
Phase duration (Orphan recovery to lost and found): 1.64 milliseconds.
2773 reparse records processed.
Phase duration (Reparse point and Object ID verification): 44.83 milliseconds.

Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...
Security descriptor verification completed.
Phase duration (Security descriptor verification): 130.83 milliseconds.
159625 data files processed.
Phase duration (Data attribute verification): 1.69 milliseconds.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
36302184 USN bytes processed.
Usn Journal verification completed.
Phase duration (USN journal verification): 251.70 milliseconds.

Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems.
No further action is required.

236274687 KB total disk space.
215107120 KB in 646678 files.
249916 KB in 159626 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
1014895 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
19902756 KB available on disk.

  4096 bytes in each allocation unit.  

59068671 total allocation units on disk.
4975689 allocation units available on disk.
Total duration: 1.55 minutes (93246 ms).

C:\WINDOWS\system32>net user test /add
The command completed successfully.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

Answer 4

The command results were unremarkable.

There was no restore point that predates the reported search problems.

Please report findings using Windows search when logged on with the new user named test.

Post an image for detailed results after running the troubleshooter.

Indicate the status of the bootable windows 10 iso 21H1.

.
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.
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Please remember to vote and to mark the replies as answers if they help.

On the bottom of each post there is:

Propose as answer = answered the question

On the left side of each post: Vote = a helpful post
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.

Please remember to vote and to mark the replies as answers if they help.

On the bottom of each post there is:

Propose as answer = answered the question

On the left side of each post: Vote = a helpful post
.
.
.
.
.

Answer 5

I have put all these details as a comment to my previous post. Now I realized it's not really visible, sorry.

Search works fine when logged in as a test user.

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Try the new cross-platform PowerShell https://aka.ms/pscore6

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-ComputerRestorePoint

CreationTime Description SequenceNumber EventType RestorePointType

24/07/2021 17:24:39 Scheduled Checkpoint 64 BEGIN_SYSTEM_C... 7

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>