How to fix Windows 10 Search error cannot search, not working

On Windows 10, the Windows Search bar is the default search tool. We just need to enter the keywords of the content we want to find, folders, software or installed applications, data, ... and then you will have quick results.

However, the Search bar on the system sometimes has errors like when upgrading to Windows 10, making it difficult for users to find programs. If your Windows 10 computer often encounters errors in the Windows Search tool, you can fix it according to the article below.

Fix Search in Start menu not working

• Method 1: Restart your computer
• Method 2: Restart Windows Explorer
• Method 3: Turn off processes via Task Manager
• Method 4: Reinstall the Start menu
• Method 5: Restart Cortana
• Method 6: Use the debugger on Windows
• Method 7: Check activity on Windows Search Service
• Method 8: Enable background apps
• Method 9: Rebuild the index
• Method 10: Use System File Checker
• Method 11: Disable/restart third-party antivirus software, enable Windows firewall
• Method 12: Move or rebuild Swapfile.sys
• Method 13: Repair Windows installation
• Method 14: Roll back to a previous Windows 10 update
• Method 15: Use the “Everything” app instead

Method 1: Restart your computer

This is the simplest way when the Windows Search bar has problems and does not work to search for programs. After restarting the computer, the Windows Search bar will work normally again.

Method 2: Restart Windows Explorer

When Search Windows has an error, it may be because Windows Explorer is frozen. We will restart Windows Explorer to fix the error of not being able to search on Windows 10 and some other errors.

Step 1 : On the Taskbar on your computer, right-click and select Task Manager .

Step 2 : In the Task Manager window interface, we find Windows Explorer . Right-click and select Restart to restart. This will refresh and restart the Windows Explorer application on the computer, along with fixing the search error on Search Windows.

Method 3: Turn off processes via Task Manager

It goes without saying that the first thing you should try is restarting your PC, but if that fails, then you should look into Task Manager to see if you can restart the Search process in various ways.

Start by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc to jump straight into Task Manager , then click More details in the bottom left corner to see the full thing.

First, restart the Windows Explorer process (as described above). If that doesn't work, target the Search application specifically. In Task Manager, click the Details tab , then scroll down until you find SearchApp.exe and SearchUI.exe. Right-click them and select End task.

Method 4: Reinstall the Start menu

There is a way to reinstall the Start menu, although this will also reinstall other Windows apps you may have uninstalled in the past, so don't be surprised if you see a few extra apps on your operating system after going through this process.

To do this, press Win + R , then type powershell and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Powershell with admin rights .

While in Powershell , enter the following command:

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Let the process complete, then the search function in the Start menu will work again.

Method 5: Restart Cortana

The search function on Windows 10 is provided by the virtual assistant Cortana . In case the Windows 10 Search tool has an error, it may be because the Cortana application is frozen. The user should completely stop the application's operation and then restart the computer.

You also right-click on the Taskbar on Windows 10, then select Task Manager . In the list on the Task Manager window, users find Cortana, right-click and select End Task .

Method 6: Use the debugger on Windows

Step 1 : We open Control Panel . In this interface, in the System and Security section , click on Find and fix problems .

Step 2 : In the Troubleshooting window interface , we continue to click on System and Security .

Step 3 : Go to the next interface, right-click on Search and Indexing and select Run as administartor .

Step 4 : In the Search and Indexing interface , click Next to let the system detect and fix problems on the computer.

Step 5 : In the next dialog box interface, check Files don't appear in search results , then click Next to proceed with the error check.

Immediately after that, the interface for handling problems and issues on the computer will appear. If problems are detected, the program will apply automatic fixes and notify the user of the results.

Method 7: Check activity on Windows Search Service

Step 1 : Press the Windows + R key combination to bring up the Run dialog box, then type the keyword services.msc and press OK to open.

Step 2 : In the next window interface, we find Windows Search in the list, then right-click and select Properties .

Step 3 : In the next dialog box, in the Startup type section , switch to the Automatic (Delayed Start) option and click OK to save.

Step 4 : Return to the Services interface, we also right-click on Windows Search and select Restart to restart.

Method 8: Enable background apps

Since the Creators Update in 2017, there have been a few issues with Windows apps running in the background affecting some Windows 10 users. Specifically, disabling the “ Let apps run in the background ” option in Windows 10 has the unintended effect of rendering the Start menu search function useless.

This bug persists to this day, so you need to make sure you have the “ Let apps run in the background ” option enabled.

To do this, head to Settings > Privacy > Background apps , then make sure the “ Let apps run in the background ” toggle is On. From this same screen, you can individually disable any and all Windows apps from running in the background, but it’s important to keep that main toggle on.

Method 9: Rebuild the index

It is possible that the search index files in Windows Search have become corrupted, thus disabling the search function. Some people have reported this issue since the Windows 10 May Update (v1903) and here is a possible solution.

First, you can try rebuilding the index to eliminate any errors.

To do this, go to Control Panel, turn on Large icons in the top right corner, then click Indexing Options > Advanced .

Finally, click Rebuild in the Advanced Options window . Click OK on the pop-up window that tells you this may take a while and to be patient as the process completes.

Method 10: Use System File Checker

This is one of the simplest things you can do to fix the Start menu search error. Open Command Prompt with admin rights (right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator ), then enter the following command:

sfc /scannow

This will scan your system files for any errors and corruption, and then automatically attempt to fix them. The one found in the Start menu is a system process, any errors in it will be detected using the SFC utility .

Additionally, some users have suggested that running the SFC utility in Windows 10 Safe Mode has solved the issue, so it's worth a try if doing it in regular Windows 10 fails.

Method 11: Disable/restart third-party antivirus software, enable Windows firewall

This article is not suggesting that you completely disable and remove all third-party antivirus software from your device. However, in practice, certain programs can cause Windows Search to not work properly.

Avast is a culprit, so try uninstalling it if you're using it, then find an alternative if necessary ( Windows Defender itself has become a viable and secure option in recent years). Or you can try temporarily disabling Avast shields, which should restore Start menu search.

On the other hand, enabling Windows Firewall has also helped some users. It seems that Search and indexing is strangely sensitive to security settings, so enabling or disabling some antivirus and firewall options may help.

Method 12: Move or rebuild Swapfile.sys

Pagefile and Swapfile are two important and closely linked functions in Windows 10. Pagefile helps to ease the load on your PC's RAM, by allocating a certain amount of hard drive space to act as RAM, if you're running low on memory. Swapfile performs a similar function, but is specifically for Modern Windows apps, so it's more targeted.

Since Cortana is a Modern Windows app, you can try rebuilding the Swapfile and your Start menu search should work again. This will also involve rebuilding the Pagefile, since the Swapfile directly depends on the Pagefile.

If you want to try this, read: How to Change Pagefile.sys Size and Location on Windows . While this article doesn’t recommend disabling the Pagefile entirely, you can move it to another drive to effectively “reboot.” Or, if you want it to stay on the original drive, you can disable it, restart your PC, and then enable it after the reboot.

Method 13: Repair Windows installation

Before you start worrying that this will erase all your personal data and files, the good news is that there is a way to refresh your Windows installation while keeping your important data intact. Obviously, this is still the more “draconian” solution on this list, so try some of the other solutions before resorting to this one.

First, create a bootable Windows 10 installation disc or USB , then launch it. Follow the instructions to upgrade your Windows 10 installation and make sure that on the “ Ready to install ” screen, you have selected the “ Keep personal files and apps ” option. If it is not selected by default, click “ Change what to keep ”, then select “ Keep personal files and Windows settings ”. Click Install and the latest version of Windows 10 will be installed while keeping all your data intact.

This will also reinstall the core files responsible for searching in the Start menu and thus fix the problem with the search function.

Method 14: Roll back to a previous Windows 10 update

It is also possible that the search bar in the Start menu stops working after updating Windows 10. Sometimes, if you want to be safe, you have to undo the Windows 10 update, rolling back the system to the previous updated version of Windows. The detailed instructions are in the article: How to uninstall Windows 10 updates to return to the previous version of Windows . If you decide to do this, you can refer to the article for more details.

Method 15: Use the “Everything” app instead

The Everything app is actually a much more in-depth search option than Windows’ built-in one. Everything indexes your drive faster, and its search method works by eliminating and filtering search terms as you type, so you’re effectively “narrowing” your search. Plus, it’s super lightweight at just 0.5MB, with a minimalist interface that still shows you everything you need.

Some users have long replaced the Windows search icon/bar with the Everything app on the taskbar and have even created an Autohotkey script so that it opens the app when Win + S is pressed .

Above are some ways to fix Windows 10 Search error, unable to boot and unable to search for data. Hopefully with this article, the error of not searching on Windows 10 will be completely resolved.

Good luck!