Windows 10 Search Not Working? How to fix!

One of the most important features of Windows 10 is the search function. It allows you to search not only local files and folders on the computer, but also Bing, OneDrive and more. It’s a core component of Microsoft’s desktop operating system, but it has a bad habit of taking action every now and then. So if you’re having problems with Windows 10 search (not working, incorrect results, indexing issues, etc.) and looking for ways to fix them, you’ve come to the right place.

Fix Search Problems on Your Windows 10 PC

Windows Search is an essential tool that most of us use multiple times a day. Naturally, a dysfunctional search feature can greatly hamper productivity. The good news is that if Windows 10 is not working on your computer, there are several ways to fix the search feature. In this article, we detail these methods to help you fix any Windows 10 search related problem.

1. Use Windows Troubleshooter to Fix Search Issues

Windows 10 comes with a new built-in troubleshooting tool that can help you fix problems with Windows Search. If the search function on your Windows 10 PC stops working, this is the first thing you should do. To use the feature, follow these steps:

• Open Settings By pressing the Windows key + I at the same time. Then click on ‘Update and Security‘.
• In the next window, select ‘.troubleshooting‘ in the left sidebar. Now, in the right pane, click on ‘Additional troubleshooters’.

• Scroll down and click here ‘Search and Indexing’. You will see a button that says ‘.Run the troubleshooter‘. Click that button to get started.

note: You can also open the search troubleshooter from Command Prompt using the following command: msdt -ep WindowsHelp id SearchDiagnostic

• Windows 10 will present you with a list of problems it believes you may encounter with the search feature. Select the issue(s) that best describes your issue and click ‘Next’.

• The next step may not be the same for all users, so try and follow the onscreen instructions. Generally speaking, Windows will scan your computer for potential problems and give you an option to fix them. To do this, ‘Try these fixes as administrator‘.

• After that, Windows will try to repair the faulty files and show you a message that says ‘.Still‘. Click ‘Close’ in the lower right corner to close the troubleshooter.

The method described above is the best and most effective way to fix search problems in Windows 10. But if that doesn’t fix your problem, you can try a number of other methods to see what works in your situation.

2. Fix Windows Search Index Settings

The built-in troubleshooter can take care of most problems affecting Search in Windows 10. However, if it doesn’t solve your problem, you can try rebuilding the index database to fix search problems in Windows 10. For this, try the steps below. :

• Open Settings (Windows key+I) and click ‘Call‘.

• Next, go to ‘Search Windows’ in the left sidebar and ‘Advanced Search Indexer Settings’ in the right pane.

• In the pop-up window, select ‘.Developed‘.

• On the next pop-up screen, ‘rebuild‘. You will receive a warning saying that the process will take a long time. Press ‘OK’ to accept and continue.

The above method will clean and rebuild the index database. It will take a long time, but once complete, the search function in Windows 10 should start working as usual.

3. Download Indexer Diagnostics on Windows 10

Microsoft also offers a diagnostic tool called ‘Indexer Diagnostics’. Allows users to perform additional troubleshooting to identify potential issues affecting the Search Indexer service. “Indexing is the process of looking at files, email messages, and other content on your computer and cataloging information such as words and metadata in it. When you search your PC after indexing, it looks through a glossary to find results faster”Microsoft It is written in the official document About Search Indexing in Windows 10.

Note that this is a time-consuming process and may take up to two hours to complete the first time you run the utility. After that, it will be relatively faster given that when you use it the indexing will run in the background and only re-index updated data. You can download Indexer Diagnostics (free) from the Microsoft Store to get started. When you run the application, it will present you with a list of possible problems. Press the ‘Restart’ button next to the question that best describes your situation.

4. Restart Windows Search

If none of the steps above help resolve your issue, try restarting the Windows search service. Here’s how to do it:

• Press the ‘Windows key + R’ keys simultaneously to open the Run dialog. Next, type services.msc and click OK.

• In the Services window, scroll down to find Windows Search. Now double click on it to change the default options related to the feature.

• In the window that opens, select the ‘General’ tab. Now use the dropdown to change the ‘Startup Type’ to Automatic (Delayed Start). Then, click on ‘Start‘ If Service Status is ‘Stopped’. Finally, click on ‘OK‘ to save your setting.

note: These are the default options for Windows Search. If the service is running normally, all of these options will be enabled automatically..

5. Restart SearchUI.exe to Get Search Working in Windows 10

• Open Task Manager by pressing the Windows 10 keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your computer. Go to the ‘Details’ tab at the top. At that time, Right click on SearchUI.exe processClick it and select ‘End Task’ from the drop-down menu. Confirm your choice when prompted.

The SearchUI process will restart automatically in seconds. If not, restart your computer. If the search function is not working on your Windows 10 PC, this should fix the problem immediately.

6. Reset Search in Windows 10 Using PowerShell

If Search is not working on your Windows 10 PC, you can also reset it using PowerShell. However, this method only works on Windows 10 version 1903 or higher. So, update your computer to the latest version of Windows 10 to complete the steps below.

• Firstly, ‘Reset the Windows Search PowerShell script‘ (free) from Microsoft’s website.

• Next, open Windows Powershell on your PC. To do this, right-click the Start button and Windows PowerShell (Admin) Select from the drop-down menu.

• Now run the following command to allow the scripts to run on your device: Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted. Type “y” (without the quotes) and press Enter to confirm.

note: The default execution policy in Windows is ‘Restricted’. However, you can check the current setting using the following command. Get-ExecutionPolicy. If it says ‘Unlimited’ instead of ‘Restricted’, skip the step above and go directly to the step below..

• Now type the following command to run the downloaded script and Login: C:\Users\[account name]\Downloads\ResetWindowssearchBox.ps1. make sure you change [account name] with the name of your actual account folder. You will get a warning about scripts, but don’t worry and press “r” (without the quotes) to ignore it and continue.

• You will get a message saying your Windows Search Box has been reset. Press any key to proceed to the next step.

• Finally, you need to reset the original execution policy with the following command: Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy Restricted.

This should fix problems with searching on your Windows 10 computer and you should be able to search for files and apps again.

Fix Windows Search in Few Easy Steps

Now that you know how to fix Search functionality on your Windows 10 PC, check out some of our other troubleshooting guides as well. You can learn how to fix network connection problems in Windows 10, how to fix slow File Explorer search in Windows 10, and more. Plus, if you’re experiencing any battery or performance issues, here are 15 tips to increase battery life and tips on how to speed up Windows 10 in a few easy steps. We hope our guide helped you fix the search functionality on your Windows 10 computer. If you run into any problems or have doubts, comment them below and we’ll help you out.