Explorer in Win 11 continues to crash every time I do a search

Marco G 0 Reputation points
2026-08-24T20:01:42.8666667+00:00

That's it. Every time I do a search it crashes. Have run indexing and no luck

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage
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  1. Ferdinand Nanalig 33,405 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-24T23:41:39.86+00:00

    Hi! Let me help you.

    What was the last software you installed?

    Can you please boot into safe mode to check if Explorer will crash there?

    Press Windows + I to open Settings.

    Go to System → Recovery.

    Under Advanced startup, click Restart now.

    Select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart.

    After the PC restarts, press:

    4 or F4 = Safe Mode

    5 or F5 = Safe Mode with Networking

    Choose either Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-24T20:01:57.1333333+00:00

    Try these steps in order:

    1. Run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter
      • In Windows 11: Start > Settings > Privacy & Security > Troubleshoot.
      • Find Searching Windows and select Indexer troubleshooter.
      • This is the built-in troubleshooter for Windows Search issues.
    2. Restart the Windows Search process
      • Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and open Task Manager.
      • Go to Details.
      • Find SearchHost.exe on Windows 11.
      • Right-click it and select End task.
      • Confirm End process.
      • Search will start again automatically the next time a search is performed.
    3. Restart the device
      • If ending SearchHost.exe does not fix it, restart Windows.
      • This also installs any pending updates.
    4. Check that the Windows Search service is running
      • Open Start, type services.msc, and press Enter.
      • Find Windows Search.
      • Open it and make sure Startup type is Automatic (Delayed Start).
      • If Service status is not Running, select Start.
    5. If the crash happens while searching in Outlook too
      • In classic Outlook, select the Search box, then Search Tools > Indexing Status.
      • If indexing is still in progress, wait a few minutes and check whether the remaining item count decreases.

    Since indexing was already tried, the most relevant next steps are the Indexer troubleshooter, restarting SearchHost.exe, and confirming the Windows Search service is running.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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