how to fix search windows bar

Question

how to fix search windows not functioning you type one letter and the others refuse to type

Answer 1

Hi, I'm Bernard. I'm happy to help!

This issue occurs when the Windows search is corrupted or miscalibrated, and for us to sort out the issue, kindly follow the steps below:

Re-calibrate search bar:

Step 1.

Press the Windows key + R, then type in:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages

Then hit OK.

Delete the folder: Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy

(That is the Windows Search Folder)

Step 2.

Open the registry:

Press the Windows key + R, then type in:

regedit

Then hit OK

Navigate:

 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\

Then, delete the "Search" folder under that.

Step 3.

Open Terminal with Admin (Press Windows key + X, then click Terminal(Admin))

Copy, paste, and enter the command below:

Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy\Appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register

Once done, restart the PC and check.

For reference, see solution 5 from this link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/shell-experience/fix-problems-in-windows-search

Note: If the issue persists, a system repair on the affected device might be necessary.

Note: This is a public forum. I may respond shortly, but I apologize in advance for any delays. I am simply a fellow user trying to provide helpful insights and information.

Answer 2

Try these steps in order on Windows 10 when the search box stops accepting input after the first character:

1. Restart the Windows Search process
   1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and select Task Manager.
   2. Select Details.
   3. Find SearchUI.exe in the Name column.
   4. Right-click SearchUI.exe and select End task.
   5. Confirm by selecting End process.
   6. Click in the search box again; Windows Search will restart automatically. Test typing several characters.
2. Run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter
   1. Press Windows key, type cmd.
   2. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
   3. Run this command:

            msdt.exe -ep WindowsHelp id SearchDiagnostic
      

   4. In the troubleshooter, select the problems that match the issue (for example, “Search or indexing is slow” or “Files don’t appear in search results”) and let it complete.
   5. Test the search box again.
3. Reset Windows Search (Windows 10 version 1903 or later)
   1. Open an elevated PowerShell window (right-click Start > Windows PowerShell (Admin)).
   2. Check the execution policy:

            Get-ExecutionPolicy
      

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

            Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
      

      Accept the warning by selecting Y and pressing Enter.
   4. Close PowerShell.
   5. Download and save ResetWindowsSearchBox.ps1 from Reset Windows Search PowerShell script.
   6. Right-click the saved file and select Run with PowerShell.
   7. When Done appears:
      • If the execution policy was changed, run:

                Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy <PreviousValue>
        

        using the value noted earlier.
   8. Close PowerShell and test the search box.
4. Regenerate the Windows Search app data (advanced) This step modifies the registry; back up the registry first as described in How to back up and restore the registry in Windows.
   1. Sign in with another administrator account, or use Windows Recovery Environment.
   2. For Windows 10, delete this folder for the affected user account:

            %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy
      

      (On some earlier builds, the folder name may be Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy.)
   3. Sign in with the affected account.
   4. Open Registry Editor and go to:

            HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
      

      Right-click Search and select Delete.
   5. Open an elevated PowerShell window and run:

            Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy\Appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register
      

   6. Restart the computer.
   7. Test typing multiple characters in the search box.

If the problem persists after these steps, submit feedback with logs and screenshots through Feedback Hub under Desktop Environment > Search so the issue can be investigated further.

---

References:

• Fix problems in Windows Search
• Windows Search does not work as expected or generates an error message in Windows 8.1
• The "Search programs and files" box does not display search results correctly in Windows 7 and in Windows 2008 R2
• MS Corp apps crash and prevent settings from working well - Microsoft Q&A