Repair Windows 10 Search Not Working

Windows search not working or unavailable: A problem that can be simply resolved

An increasing number of customers speak about the Windows search not functioning properly. The search in Start Menu is a thing that all Windows 7/8/10/11 customers apply while completing daily tasks on their devices. An unexpected failure of this beneficial instrument can be a headache. You can no longer locate apps, files, or even more essential utilities as part of your daily routine. Nevertheless, the trouble can be repaired quickly, and there is no requirement to apply costly apps. The tutorial rendered in the remainder of the article also has a 2020 Update for problematic Bing search upon Windows update.

If Windows Start Menu Search gives no results and comes up blank as you submit the query into the search field, then it is crucial to undertake the measures immediately. Even though, in some instances, rebooting the PC might resolve the issue, the trouble can be more complex in the system or be associated with Windows Updates from Microsoft, for instance, interconnection with the Bing search in 2022. By the way, search issues are as typical as Windows sound issues, hence, there is no reason to be worried about.

To activate the search in Windows 10, you should inspect several services and parameters on your PC. We have elaborated a step-by-step tutorial on how to repair Windows 10 Search not working. The solutions you can try are set forth below.

Methods to Repair Windows Search Not Working

Solution 1. Repair Windows search that displays empty results (2020 Update)

Starting from February 5th, many Windows 10 customers worldwide revealed that the Windows search displays empty results after submitting a search query. This issue resulted from a Bing interconnection with Windows search functionality, resulting in certain bugs. There is nothing you can do to cause the Bing service to function properly as the trouble rests on Microsoft’s part. Nevertheless, you can deactivate it and keep applying the Windows search solely. The simplest solution to do it is to modify the Registry yourself. We do not suggest downloading pre-designed mechanisms as your antivirus software can discover these as malicious.

Ways to Deactivate Bing Search interconnection

1. Hit Windows key + R on your keyboard simultaneously. This starts the Run prompt.
2. In Run prompt, specify regedit and hit OK.
3. At this point, you’re going to encounter User Account Control window on your device, which indicates whether you would like to allow the app to make amendments on your system. Answer Yes.
4. At this point, apply the left navigation pane to start folders in the following sequence:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search. Alternatively, you could simply copy and paste this text into the navigation bar in Windows Registry.
5. At this point, right-click on Search folder, and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. (img)
6. Then, name the created DWORD Value as BingSearchEnabled.
7. Double-click it to make sure it has a value of 0. In case you’re not technically savvy with these complex terms, 0 stands for negative (false) and 1 stands for positive (true) value in IT. For this reason, the BingSearchEnabled with value 0 signifies it is in fact disabled. (img)
8. Then, in the same Search folder, locate a key titled CortanaConsent. Double-click it and amend its value to 0. Click OK for confirmation. (img)
9. Close the Registry and reboot your PC for all the amendments. Your Windows search must be back to the common mode and no longer provide empty results.

Solution 1. Reboot Search services with the help of a Task Manager

One of the simplest solutions to activate search in Windows is to reload Search and Cortana services with the help of a Windows Task Manager.

1. Launch Windows Task Manager by hitting the Ctrl+Alt+Del. If asked, click on Task Manager. Then, proceed to the Details tab.
2. Then, locate SearchUI.exe process. Right-click on it and choose the option End Task. This will automatically reboot the Search and Cortana app. Inspect whether the issue was resolved by submitting some query into the Start Menu Search. (img)

Terminating SearchUI.exe reboots Windows search, which repairs Windows search not functioning trouble.

Solution 2. Reboot Windows search service

You can reboot the Windows search service using the Services panel.

1. Start the Run prompt by hitting the Windows key + R. Specify services.msc and press Enter.
2. Locate a process named Windows Search. Right-click on it and select Restart. Attempt to use the search afterward.
3. Optional. Once you right-click on the process, you may also proceed to Properties and amend the Startup type to Automatic. Make sure you click on Apply and OK after fulfilling such amendments. (img)

Reboot the Windows Search service to repair the issue.

Solution 3. Reboot Windows Explorer and Cortana

If the previous solutions didn’t resolve the trouble with Windows search, you might try to reload Windows Explorer and Cortana.

1. Start Windows Task Manager by hitting the Ctrl + Alt + Del and choose Task Manager. Or you may just click Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. In Processes tab, locate one named Windows Explorer. Right-click it to start quick menu and choose Restart. Then locate a process named Cortana and perform similar actions with it. Inspect whether the Windows search not working error is now repaired. (img)

Rebooting Windows Explorer can help to repair the “Start Search Windows 10 not working” issue.

Solution 4. Refer to the Windows Troubleshooter

Windows Troubleshooter can assist you in restoring the indexing services. Furthermore, troubleshooters are helpful because they do the complex work for you – you simply have to launch them and wait for guidelines.

1. Because you cannot apply the Windows search and the results’ area is still blank while you specify some query, you will have to start Control Panel using the Run prompt. Hit Windows key + R, specify control panel and press Enter.
2. Proceed to Troubleshooting > System and Security. Then, click Troubleshoot common computer problems. New window will come up. At this point, locate Search and Indexing option and click it, afterwards hit Run the Troubleshooter button.
3. The troubleshooter must itself suggest starting it as Administrator while the procedure is taking place. Be sure to do so.
4. Apply the recommended repairs.
5. Inspect whether the “search bar doesn’t work Windows 10” issue remains. (img)

Search, and Indexing Troubleshooter can be beneficial to reload the Windows search process.

Solution 5. Set the volume of the paging file

1. Hit Windows key + R on your keyboard. Specify sysdm.cpl and hit Enter.
2. Proceed to Advanced tab, afterwards click on Settings…  in the Performance area. Inspect for Virtual memory area and click on Change… button in it.
3. Place a tick in the checkbox that indicates Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
4. Select Custom size and provide 16 for Initial value and 2000 for the Maximum value. Hit OK for confirmation. (img)

Amend the paging file value using the System Properties.

Solution 6. Inspect Indexing Options

Yet another solution to repair Windows 10 search, not working troubles, is to amend the Indexing Options.

1. Hit two buttons simultaneously: Windows key + R. Then, specify control panel and press Enter.
2. In Control Panel, specify View by to Large icons. Then search for Indexing Options and start it.
3. Click on Advanced and afterwards Rebuild in Troubleshooting. Click OK for confirmation. You can also get Windows search troubleshooter at this point if you would like to try it. (img)

Rebuild the Windows index to repair the search, not working troubles.

Solution 7. Refer to the help of the Powershell commands

You may attempt launching several commands by means of the Powershell to resolve the trouble. Simply copy and paste them.

1. Right-click on the Windows icon in the taskbar. Select Windows Powershell (Admin). Select Yes in UAC window.
2. Submit the given line and hit Enter: PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
3. Next, copy and paste the second command and hit Enter:
   $manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + ‘\AppxManifest.xml’ ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest
4. Reboot your PC and inspect whether the issue was fixed. (img)

You may try to repair search not working issues in Windows via Powershell.

Solution 8. Launch CTFMON process

Ctfmon.exe stands for a process that is responsible for Windows Alternative User Input and and Office language bar. Launching this process might resolve the search issue in Windows, so be sure to try it:

1. Hit Windows + R to open Run.
2. Paste the stated line into it and hit OK:
   C:\Windows\System32\ctfmon.exe (img)

Activating the Ctfmon.exe process may resolve the issue.