Windows search not functioning, Cannot type, search window disappears

Question

I click in the search field on my task bar but what I'm typing does not complete. My typing stops on the first or 3rd letter then the window that displays my search will pop up and disappear.

I tried to run some fixes I found on Youtube, but they are not working.

This fix worked for a while (this link is to a fix on youtube through the powershell), it worked for a minute then stopped. I have Windows 11 Enterprise, version 23H2 installed on 08-5-2024 OS build 22631.6783, Experience: Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22700.11080.

https://youtu.be/8PgathmWDzQ?si=DRt2V6c-AReakAOS

Answer 1

Hi Lino Reyes,

Thank you for the detailed information provided.

Based on your description, this behavior may occur when the Windows Search user interface component becomes unresponsive or closes unexpectedly during input. In some cases, this can be related to a temporary issue with the Search host process, the Windows Search service, or associated application registration, which may cause the search panel to stop accepting input or close shortly after opening.

To help restore normal search functionality, please try the following steps:

1, Restart the Search Host Process

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Go to the Details tab.
• Locate the following processes:
  • SearchHost.exe
  • SearchApp.exe
  • TextInputHost.exe
• Right-click each one and select End task.

2, Restart the Windows Search Service

• Press Win + R, type services.msc
• Locate Windows Search.
• Right-click and select Restart.

3, Rebuild the Search Registry Entry

• Press Win + R, type regedit
• Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
• Right-click the Search folder:
  • Select Export to create a backup.
  • Then select Delete.
• Restart the device.

Windows will recreate this entry automatically after restart, which may help clear corrupted search settings that can cause the search panel to close unexpectedly. After completing the steps above, please test the search function again by pressing Win + S and typing in the search field.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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Answer 2

Follow these steps in order, testing search after each major step:

1. Restart Windows Font Cache Service
2. Open the Services console: in the taskbar search box, type services.msc and press Enter.
3. In the right pane, find Windows Font Cache Service.
4. Right-click it and select Stop.
5. Try using Windows Search again.
6. Then in Services, right-click Windows Font Cache Service and select Start.
7. Check for and install Windows updates
8. Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
9. Select Check for updates.
10. Install all available updates.
11. Restart the device if prompted and test search again.
12. Reset Windows Search (Windows 11) Since Windows 11 Enterprise 23H2 is newer than Windows 10 version 1903, use the PowerShell reset script method:
13. Confirm Windows version
    1. Select Start > Settings > System > About.
    2. Under Windows specifications, confirm the Windows 11 version.
14. Set PowerShell execution policy (if needed)
    1. Open an elevated PowerShell window (Run as administrator).
    2. Check the current execution policy:

              Get-ExecutionPolicy
       

    3. If the result is not Unrestricted, note the current value, then run:

              Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
       

       Accept the warning by typing Y and pressing Enter.
    4. Close the PowerShell window.
15. Run the official reset script
    1. Download ResetWindowsSearchBox.ps1 from the Reset Windows Search PowerShell script download page and save it to a local folder.
    2. Right-click the saved .ps1 file and select Run with PowerShell.
    3. If prompted “Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?”, select Yes.
    4. Wait until the script shows Done.
16. Restore the original execution policy (if changed)
    1. If the execution policy was changed in step 3.2, keep the PowerShell window open when prompted and press any key.
    2. Run:

              Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy <PreviousValue>
       

       Replace <PreviousValue> with the value noted from Get-ExecutionPolicy.
    3. Accept the change by typing Y and pressing Enter.
    4. Close PowerShell.

If the script fails with an error like Cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system, repeat the execution policy steps and then run the script again.

4. Regenerate the Windows Search package data (advanced) If search is still unstable, rebuild the Search app’s data and registry entries. This is more advanced and should be done carefully.
5. Sign in with the affected account, then sign out and sign in with a different local admin account, or boot into Windows Recovery Environment.
6. For Windows 11, delete the Search package data folder:
   • Delete the folder:

          %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy
     

7. While signed in as the affected user, open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
8. Navigate to:

      HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
   

9. Delete the Search key.
10. Open an elevated PowerShell window and re-register the Search package for Windows 11:

        Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\Appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register
    

11. Restart the computer and test search again. This restarts indexing and regenerates the Search registry key and AppData folder.
12. If issues persist If none of the above stabilizes the search box (typing still stops and the window closes), use Feedback Hub to report the issue with logs and screenshots under Desktop Environment > Search so it can be investigated further.

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References:

• Fix problems in Windows Search