How To Fix Windows 10 Search Not Working
Table of Contents
The Windows 10 search bar is one of the best additions to the operating system, allowing users to directly find options straight away rather than going through file explorer to search or look through countless directories.Â
Like most features though, the Windows 10 search not working can be an issue at times. However, the issue is normally software-based and easily rectified. If you’ve encountered the Windows 10 search not working, here are some easy troubleshooting steps to get it back up and running.
How To Fix Windows 10 Search Not Working
Basic Troubleshooting
First, try performing the following tasks: Restart your PC/Laptop/Tablet, Check Your Network Connection (disconnect and connect) and Turn Cortana On/Off If Enabled. All three of these steps normally solve the issue. Failing that, go to the next troubleshooting steps for Windows 10 search not working.
Run Windows 10 Troubleshooter
Deals season is here folks, and Amazon has already kickstarted its early Black Friday deals! We'll be covering all the best deals in more details over in our deals hub, but if you haven't got time to read through those, why not see our top picks below.
- ASUS TUF NVIDIA RTX 5080 Was $1599 Now $1199
- ASUS TUF RTX 5070 Ti Was $999 Now $849
- Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 Was $899 Now $649
- TCL 43S250R Roku TV 2023 Was $279 Now $199
- iBUYPOWER Y40 Gaming PC Was $2,299 Now $1,819
- Samsung Odyssey G9 (G95C) Was $1,299 Now $777
- Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop Was $3,499 Now $2,799
- Samsung 77-inch OLED S95F Was $4,297 Now $3,497
- ASUS ROG Strix G16 Was $1,499 Now $1,199
*Prices and savings subject to change. Click through to get the current prices.
This isn’t a guaranteed fix, but it can give you a good idea of where the Windows 10 search not working fault lies.
Navigate to Windows Troubleshooter
Follow the following steps after opening the start menu: Settings (Cog) > Update and Security > Troubleshoot > Search and Indexing (You may have to search for this in the provided search bar). Finally, click ‘Run’ so that Windows 10 can try and fix the issue for you.
Check Services
For one reason or another following an important update, or by user error, Windows Search has been disabled and is no longer running.
Open The Services Window
There are a few ways to open up the Services window, but hitting the Windows key + R to open up a Run window is normally the quickest. Type ‘services.msc’ and click ‘OK’. Once in, have a look for the ‘Windows Search Service’, right-click it then go for ‘Restart’
Rebuild Windows 10 Search Indexing
Windows automatically saves your search history and indexes the files and folders you search for the most. Sometimes said index can corrupt and lose these locations.
Go To Indexing Options
This is in Control Panel. Go to Settings (COG) > Search ‘Control Panel’ > Indexing Options.
Rebuild Index
Once In ‘Advanced Options’, Click the ‘Rebuild’ button under Troubleshooting.
If none of the above troubleshooting works, consider resetting Windows 10 to an earlier point before Windows 10 search not working issues started. For more troubleshooting guides for Windows 10, bookmark us here at PCGuide.
About the Author