Fix Start Menu Search Bar Not Working

Method 1: Restart Windows Search Service

Windows Search service (WSearch) powers Start Menu search. If stopped or hung, search fails completely. Restarting fixes 40% of search issues.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, press Enter
2. Scroll to Windows Search service
3. Check Status column:
   • If "Running" → Right-click → Restart
   • If blank (stopped) → Right-click → Start
4. Right-click Windows Search → Properties
5. Set Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start)
6. Click Apply → OK
7. Close Services window
8. Test search: Press Windows key, type something, check if results appear

Quick Command Prompt Method:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Run: net stop "Windows Search"
3. Wait 5 seconds
4. Run: net start "Windows Search"
5. Test search

Method 2: Run Windows Search Troubleshooter

Windows includes built-in troubleshooter that automatically diagnoses and fixes common search problems.

1. Press Windows + I → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters
2. Find Search and Indexing
3. Click Run
4. Select problems you're experiencing:
   • ✅ Files don't appear in search results
   • ✅ Search is too slow
   • ✅ Windows Search returns no results
5. Click Next
6. Troubleshooter automatically:
   • Restarts Windows Search service
   • Repairs corrupted search database
   • Resets search settings
   • Clears search cache
7. After completion, restart computer
8. Test search functionality

Method 3: Rebuild Windows Search Index

Corrupted search index causes inaccurate or missing search results. Rebuilding creates fresh index from scratch.

1. Search "Indexing Options" in Start menu
2. Click Indexing Options
3. Click Advanced button
4. Under "Troubleshooting" section, click Rebuild
5. Confirmation: "Rebuilding the index can take a long time"
6. Click OK
7. Indexing starts from 0—shows "Indexing in progress"
8. Takes 30 minutes to several hours depending on file count
9. Computer remains usable during rebuild but search may be incomplete
10. Monitor progress: Indexing Options shows "X items indexed"
11. After completion, test search

Add Locations to Search Index:

1. In Indexing Options, click Modify
2. Check locations you want indexed:
   • ✅ Start Menu
   • ✅ Users folder (C:\Users)
   • ✅ Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos
   • ✅ Custom folders if needed
3. Click OK
4. Windows reindexes selected locations

Method 4: Run SFC and DISM to Repair System Files

Corrupted SearchUI.exe, SearchHost.exe, or related system files cause search failures. SFC/DISM repair Windows core files.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Run DISM: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
3. Wait 10-30 minutes
4. Run SFC: sfc /scannow
5. Wait 20-45 minutes
6. Restart computer
7. Test search

Method 5: Reset Windows Search via PowerShell

PowerShell commands reset search components and re-register search apps, fixing many persistent search issues.

1. Right-click Start → Windows Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin)
2. Reset Cortana/Search app:
3. Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Search | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
4. Wait for completion (no output = success)
5. Reset Start Menu:
6. Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
7. Restart computer
8. Test search

Method 6: Check for Problematic Windows Updates

Recent Windows Updates sometimes break search. Uninstalling problematic update or installing pending updates fixes issue.

1. Press Windows + I → Windows Update
2. Click Check for updates
3. Install any pending updates
4. Restart computer
5. If search broke after recent update:
6. Go to Windows Update → Update history
7. Click Uninstall updates
8. Find recent quality update installed when search broke
9. Right-click → Uninstall
10. Restart and test search

Method 7: Registry Fix for Cortana Search

Registry setting can disable search box. Modifying registry re-enables search functionality.

⚠️ Create restore point first:

1. Search "Create restore point" → Create

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, press Enter
2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
3. Find BingSearchEnabled DWORD
4. If exists and set to 0, double-click it
5. Change Value to 1
6. Click OK
7. Also check CortanaConsent:
   • If 0, change to 1
8. Close Registry Editor
9. Restart computer
10. Test search

Additional Quick Fixes

Check if Search Bar is Hidden:

• Right-click taskbar → Search
• Select Show search box or Show search icon

Sign Out and Sign In:

• Press Ctrl + Alt + Del → Sign out
• Sign back in
• Often refreshes search components

Create New User Profile:

• Settings → Accounts → Family & other users → Add account
• Create new local account
• Sign into new account, test if search works
• If yes, old profile corrupted—migrate data

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Start Menu search worked yesterday but suddenly stopped. What changed?

A: Sudden search failure typically caused by: (1) Windows Search service crashed—restart via services.msc (Method 1), (2) Windows Update installed overnight—check update history, uninstall recent update if search broke after it (Method 6), (3) Search index corruption from improper shutdown—rebuild index (Method 3), (4) Third-party app installed that conflicts—boot Safe Mode, test if search works; if yes, recently installed app is culprit.

Q: Search returns web results but no local files/apps. Why?

A: Web-only results indicate: (1) Search index empty or incomplete—check Indexing Options, ensure locations like C:\Users indexed, rebuild index (Method 3), (2) Windows Search service stopped—restart service (Method 1), (3) Group Policy disabled local file search—check registry BingSearchEnabled value is 1 (Method 7).

Q: After rebuilding search index, how long until search works normally?

A: Index rebuild takes 30 minutes to several hours depending on file count. Search partially functional during rebuild but may miss files. Monitor progress in Indexing Options—shows "X items indexed." Once complete (stops increasing), search fully functional. Don't interrupt rebuild or shut down PC during indexing.

Q: Search works for some apps but not others. What's happening?

A: Partial search results indicate: (1) Incomplete indexing—specific folders not included in index; add them via Indexing Options → Modify, (2) Corrupted index entries for those apps—rebuild index (Method 3), (3) App shortcuts moved/deleted but index outdated—rebuild index updates file locations.

Q: Can I disable Bing web search and only search local files?

A: Yes, via registry: Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search, set BingSearchEnabled to 0. This disables web results, showing only local files/apps. Or use third-party tools like "Open-Shell" for classic Start Menu with customizable search.