Windows Search Not Working? 7 Ways to Fix It

You hit the Windows key, type the name of an app or file, and nothing. Or worse, the box doesn't even open. Here's how to fix Windows search in order from quickest to nuclear.

1. Restart the search process

Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) > Details tab > find SearchHost.exe or SearchApp.exe > right-click > End task. Press Windows key, the process restarts.

2. Restart Windows Explorer

Task Manager > Processes tab > right-click "Windows Explorer" > Restart. Taskbar disappears and reappears. Fixes a lot of UI weirdness.

3. Run the Search troubleshooter

Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Search and Indexing > Run. Pick your symptoms, let it run.

4. Rebuild the search index

This is the big one. Most search problems are bad index data.

1. Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows
2. Scroll down, click Advanced indexing options
3. Click Advanced
4. Click Rebuild
5. Confirm. Takes 1-6 hours depending on how many files you have. Leave the PC on.

5. Check Search service is running

1. Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, Enter
2. Find Windows Search
3. Should be Running and Startup type: Automatic (Delayed Start)
4. If stopped, right-click > Start. If broken, right-click > Properties and set startup to Automatic.

6. Run System File Checker

Search system files for corruption:

1. Right-click Start > Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin)
2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter
3. Wait 15-30 minutes
4. If it finds and fixes errors, restart

7. Reset Search via PowerShell

Right-click Start > Terminal (Admin). Paste this and press Enter:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Search | Reset-AppxPackage

Restart afterward. This re-registers the search app from scratch.

Nuclear option: feature update

If nothing works, Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. Sometimes installing the latest feature update replaces the broken search components. Backup first.