Fix problems in Windows Search

If Windows Search is unresponsive or the search results don’t appear as expected, try any of the following solutions in this article.

If you’re running Windows 10 May 2019 Update (version 1903) or later versions and Windows can detect a problem, we’ll run the Search troubleshooter automatically. This troubleshooter will reset Windows Search back to the default experience. View your troubleshooter history under Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > View History. Follow the steps below if your issue is still not resolved.

Original product version: В Windows 10 — all editions
Original KB number: В 4520146

Check for updates

Windows 10 lets you choose when and how to get the latest updates to keep your device running smoothly and securely. To manage your options and see any available updates, select the Start button, and then go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. Install any available updates, and then restart your computer if the updates require it.

For more information, see Update Windows 10.

Run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter

Your PC automatically indexes content to deliver faster search results. Learn more about Search indexing in Windows 10.

Use the Windows Search and Indexing troubleshooter to try to fix any problems that may arise. To use the troubleshooter, follow these steps:

1. Select Start, then select Settings.
2. In Windows Settings, select Update & Security >Troubleshoot. Under Find and fix other problems, select Search and Indexing.
3. Run the troubleshooter, and select any problems that apply. Windows will try to detect and solve them.

You can also use a command prompt to open the troubleshooter. Press Windows logo key+R, enter cmd in the Open box, and then select OK. At the command prompt, run the following command:

Restart Windows Search or your device

End the SearchUI process to restart Windows Search by following these steps:

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, and select Task Manager.
2. In the Task Manager window, select the Details tab.
3. In the Name column, right-click SearchUI.exe, and then select End task.
4. When you’re prompted to end SearchUI.exe, select End process.

The Windows Search process will automatically restart the next time that you search.

If this solution doesn’t fix your problem, try restarting your device. Restarting will also install any pending updates.

You may want to bookmark this page before you restart.

Reset Windows Search

Try resetting Windows Search by using the method that’s appropriate for your version of Windows.

To determine which version of Windows your device is running, follow these steps:

Select Start > Settings > System > About.

Under Windows specifications, check which version of Windows your device is running.

Resetting Windows Search does not affect your files. However, it may temporarily affect the relevance of search results.

Windows 10, version 1809 and earlier

If the Windows 10 October 2018 Update or an earlier update is installed, reset Cortana to reset Windows Search by following these steps:

1. Select Start, right-click Cortana, select More, and then select App settings.
2. In the Cortana settings, select Reset.

Windows 10, version 1903 and later

If the Windows 10 May 2019 Update or a later update is installed, use Windows PowerShell to reset Windows Search by following these steps:

You must have administrator permissions to run this script.

Download the ResetWindowsSearchBox.ps1 script from the Reset Windows Search PowerShell script, and save the file to a local folder.

Right-click the file that you saved, and select Run with PowerShell.

If you’re asked the following question, select Yes.

Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?

The PowerShell script resets the Windows Search feature. When the word Done appears, close the PowerShell window.

If you receive the following error message:

Cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system

enter the following command on the command line of the PowerShell window, and then press Enter:

The current policy appears in the window. For example, you might see Restricted. We recommend that you note this value because you’ll have to use it later.

Enter the following command on the command line of the PowerShell window, and then press Enter:

You’ll receive a warning message that explains the security risks of an execution policy change. Press Y, and then press Enter to accept the change.

To learn more about PowerShell execution policies, see About Execution Policies.

After the policy change is completed, close the window, and then repeat steps 2-4. However, when the Done message appears this time, DON’T close the PowerShell window. Instead, press any key to continue.

Revert to your previous PowerShell execution policy setting. Enter the following command on the command line of the PowerShell window, press the Spacebar, enter the policy value that you noted in step 5, and then press Enter:

For example, if the policy that you noted in step 5 was Restricted, the command would resemble the following one:

You’ll receive a warning message that explains the security risks of an execution policy change. Press Y, and then press Enter to accept the change and revert to your previous policy setting.

Close the PowerShell window.

If your organization has disabled the ability to run scripts, contact your administrator for help.

Help us improve Search in Windows 10

If the previous suggestions don’t fix the problem, let us know by sending feedback in the Feedback Hub. Provide details, such as a description of the problem, screenshots, log files, and any other information that might be helpful. In the Feedback Hub, select the appropriate category and subcategory. In this case, submit your feedback in the Cortana and Search category.

Windows search box

The Windows search box is a replacement for the Run and Find boxes found in Windows 95 to Windows XP. With the release of Windows Vista, the Windows search box is an easy way to find files or documents with a keyword.

How to use the Windows search box

Windows 10

1. On the Windows desktop, locate the taskbar, usually found at the bottom of the screen.
2. In the Windows search box, located next to the Start, type in the name of the program or file you want to access.

1. In the search results, select the file or program that matches what you want to open.

Windows 8

1. Access the Windows Start Screen.
2. Start typing the name of the program or file you want to access anywhere on the Start screen.
3. In the search results, select the file or program that matches what you want to open.

Windows Vista and Windows 7

1. Click the Start Orb. The Windows search box appears right above the Start Orb.

1. Type in the name of the program or file you want to access.
2. In the search results, click the file or program that matches what you want to open.

Search Boxes

This design guide was created for Windows 7 and has not been updated for newer versions of Windows. Much of the guidance still applies in principle, but the presentation and examples do not reflect our current design guidance.

With a Search box, users can quickly locate specific objects or text within a large set of data by filtering or highlighting matches. There is no standard search control, but you should strive to make your program’s search features consistent with those of Windows.

There are two types of searches:

Instant search, where the results are displayed immediately as the user types. No button needs to be clicked, so the magnifying glass search symbol is shown as a graphic, not a button.

A typical Search box using Instant search. Search is automatically executed on every keystroke.

Regular search, where a search is performed when the user clicks the search button. The magnifying glass search symbol is shown on a button.

A typical Search box using regular search. Users click a button to perform the search.

You can provide either or both kinds of search options for your users.

Is this the right control?

To decide, consider these questions:

• Are specific objects difficult to find? This can happen when:
  • There are many objects.
  • The objects aren’t located in a single location. Search is especially useful for finding objects in trees.
  • The search data is difficult to find (for example, metadata).
• Do users need to find specific text within documents?
• Does your feature return relevant search results within five seconds? If not, you can provide a search feature, but use an alternative design that gives visible feedback to accommodate long-running searches, such as a search dialog box.

Design concepts

Searching is a crucial first step in many scenarios: Users must find objects before they can use them. Users are saving more and more objects on increasingly larger hard disks, but browsing for objects doesn’t scale well. Search must be a simple, consistent, reliable part of the user experience.

Search boxes in Windows:

• Are part of all Explorer windows, so they are easy to find and recognize.
• Have consistent appearance and behavior.
• Are efficient and fast, giving instant results in Instant search mode.

A Search box is used in Windows in these places:

• Explorers
• Experiences (Microsoft Windows Media Player, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Internet Explorer)
• Start menu (to find programs and recent files)
• Control Panel home page (to find control panel items and tasks)
• Help (to find relevant Help topics)

Look and feel

The feel of Search in Windows is significantly enhanced by supporting Instant search. Having instant results makes Windows feel more powerful and direct.

In Windows Explorer and application windows, Search is located in the upper-right corner if it is a supplemental entry point. In this case, users look for a search mechanism when they don’t find what they are looking for in the window. However, if Search is the primary entry point, it is centered at the top of the window.

The Search button is visually connected to a Search box. To minimize space, an optional prompt is used inside a Search box instead of a label. The prompt may be an instruction (for example, Type to search) or indicate the scope of the search (for example, Search for pictures).

Without labels and separate buttons, Instant search in Windows has a lightweight look.

Performing a successful search creates a virtual page of the search results and adds it to the Back stack and Address bar. Users have several ways to restore the original page and clear a Search box, including clicking Back, clicking the original page in the Address bar, pressing Esc, or clearing the Search box.

Users can also simply clear the Search box without restoring a previous page of results. In Instant search mode, a clear button appears after the user starts typing; an «x» replaces the magnifying glass search symbol. On hover, the «x» gets a button look and can be clicked.

The user can clear the Search box by clicking «x» at the right end of the control.

In regular search mode, the clear button is optional. Users may find it useful, for example, if a search is taking a long time to complete. Users can click the «x» to stop the search in progress. If a search has already completed, users can click the «x» to clear the Search box.

Guidelines

Location

• For application windows, locate Search in the upper-right corner.
• For popup windows, locate Search wherever is most sensible and convenient.
• Exception: If Search is usually the first thing users do in a window (the primary entry point), center it at the top of the window.

• Use the standard search button graphics. There are three versions:
  • Magnifying glass search symbol only (no button on hover). Use for Instant search.
  • Magnifying glass search symbol with button. Use when button needs to be clicked to start the search.
  • Magnifying glass search symbol with button and drop-down arrow. Add a drop-down arrow when users can change the scope or when other settings are available.
    • For Instant search, use a drop-down arrow only, and show a button on hover.
    • For regular search, show the drop-down arrow on a button.

Visual specifications for Instant search.

Visual specifications for regular search.

Don’t use a label; use an optional prompt instead. If users tend to assume that the search is a generic file search, use the prompt to give the scope. Otherwise, use Type to search or a similar, concise phrase.

In these examples, brief textual prompts help users work with Search.

Interaction

On input focus, automatically select any previously entered text. Doing so allows users to enter a new search by typing, or to modify the previous search by positioning the caret using the arrow keys.

In this example, previously entered text is selected on input focus.

Assign the keyboard shortcut for the Search box to be Ctrl+E.

Functionality

• Support Instant search whenever possible. Provide both regular and Instant searches if there are scenarios where regular searching is worth the extra wait time.
• Regular searches must return relevant results within five seconds and Instant search must return results within two seconds. After this point, Search may continue to fill in less relevant results over time as long as the program is responsive and users can perform other tasks. You may have to index your search data to ensure this responsiveness.
• If you provide both regular and Instant search modes, the Instant search results must be a subset of the regular search results.
• All searching is prefix-based (no substring or suffix searching). The use of trailing wildcard characters is optional and doesn’t affect the results. If multiple words are entered, use OR searching.
• A successful search adds a virtual page with the search results to the Back stack and Address bar. Multiple searches result in a single virtual page, so clicking Back always returns the original page.
• If necessary for scale, rank the search results by relevance.
• A blank search returns the original page.

Recommended sizing and spacing

Recommended sizing and spacing for Instant search.

Recommended sizing and spacing for regular search.