Search Bar Not Working Windows 10
Reboot your Windows 10 operating system. Check to see if you Instant search feature works in your Windows 10 operating system. Use Windows Feedback app. Seeing that the Windows 10 Technical Preview version is not as stable as we would hope you will have to follow the lines below and write a feedback to Microsoft about your issue.
- Search Bar Is Not Working Windows 10
- Windows 10 Search Box Not Working
- Search Bar Not Working Windows 10 1803
- 5.The above Troubleshooter may be able to Fix File Explorer Search Not Working in Windows 10. Method 4: Search the Contents of Your Files. 1.Press Windows Key + E to open File Explorer then click View and select Options. 2.Switch to the Search tab and check mark “Always Search File Names and Contents” under When searching non-indexed locations.
- 5.The above Troubleshooter may be able to Fix File Explorer Search Not Working in Windows 10. Method 4: Search the Contents of Your Files. 1.Press Windows Key + E to open File Explorer then click View and select Options. 2.Switch to the Search tab and check mark “Always Search File Names and Contents” under When searching non-indexed locations.
Once in awhile, Windows 10 decides it doesn't want to search from the taskbar anymore. Why? Detective work is hard work. Or Cortana got stuck somewhere. Or your PC's index became all mixed up. There are several solutions to this problem; the best idea is to start with the easiest and move down the list if the problem persists. Let's see if we can't fix your taskbar search in Windows 10.
Restart your computer
Before rushing to the comments section to explain how useless this step is, remember that even the most tech proficient folks sometimes — under the right conditions — forget this step. If your search problems persist following a restart, read on!
End Cortana's process
Ending Cortana's process in Task Manager might just do the trick. After ending the process, it will automatically restart almost immediately.
- Right-click the Start button.
Click Task Manager.
- Click Cortana. (You might have to scroll down a bit to find it.)
Click End Task.
Did restarting Cortana do the trick? If not, keep reading.
Restart Windows Explorer
Another quick fix attempt, restarting Windows Explorer might jump-start your taskbar search.
- Right-click the Start button.
Click Task Manager.
- Click Windows Explorer. (It's located near the bottom of the Task Manager menu.)
Click Restart.
Read on if you still can't search from your Windows 10 taskbar.
Restart Windows Search service
Sometimes restarting the Windows Search service can jar something loose and will get things working again.
- Hit the Windows Key + R shortcut on your keyboard.
- Type
services.msc
and hit Enter. - Right-click Windows Search.
Click Restart.
Try searching again. If nothing has changed, move on to the next set of steps.
Use Windows troubleshooter to restore indexing services
The much-maligned Windows troubleshooter might just do the trick here.
- Hit the Windows Key + R shortcut on your keyboard to open the Run window.
- Type Control Panel and hit Enter on your keyboard.
Click Troubleshooting.
- Click System and Security.
Right-click Search and Indexing.
- Click Run as Administrator.
Click Next, and the troubleshooter will run.
- Click the checkbox next to any problems you're encountering. In this case, you should choose Files don't appear in search results.
Click Next.
Troubleshooter may or may not detect any problems. If it detects a problem, it will attempt to fix it. Search still not working? Keep reading!
Set startup options and restart Windows Search
Your PC might have been distracted during startup and forgot to start Windows Search. Going into Services and setting startup parameters and finally restarting Windows Search will hopefully get your taskbar search working again.
- Hit the Windows Key + R shortcut on your keyboard to open the Run window.
- Type services.msc into the Run field.
Click OK.
- Right-click Windows Search. (It's located near the bottom of the list.)
Click Properties.
- Click the dropdown menu next to Startup type:.
Click Automatic (Delayed Start) or Automatic depending on your preference.
- Click Apply.
Click OK.
- Right-click Windows Search again.
Click Restart.
Change the size of your paging file
We received another potential fix from Windows Central member Charly19932002 in the comments section. It involves increasing the paging file size. Here's how to do so.
Here is what you have to do. This trick will also hide Offline time.
- Hit the Windows Key + R shortcut on your keyboard to open the Run window.
- Type sysdm.cpl.
Click OK.
- Click the Advanced tab.
Click the Settings button in the Performance section.
- Click the Advanced tab.
Click the Change… button in the Virtual memory section.
- Click the checkbox next to Automatically manage paging file size for all drives so the checkmark disappears.
Click Custom size.
Depending on the size of your hard drive, try going with an initial size of 16MB and a maximum size of at least 2000MB. If you see problems with your PC's performance, reset the paging file by checking the box next to Automatically manage paging file size of all drives.
Disable Zemana AntiLogger Free keystroke encryption
Search Bar Is Not Working Windows 10
Another suggested fix from the comments section, from member Steve Humphries, involves a compatibility issue with Zemana AntiLogger Free software. More specifically, the keystroke encryption feature causes problems. If you're running Zemana AntiLogger Free, try disabling the keystroke encryption option and see if Windows Search starts working again.
There are some who have also had issues with other antivirus software clogging up the Windows 10 search. As a final effort, you can try uninstalling and testing to see if search works.
Can you search now?
Did one of these steps help you get your taskbar search working again? Let us know in the comments section! Also, be sure to have a look at more of our great Windows 10 help articles.
Updated May 31, 2018: I've refreshed this guide to ensure it still applies following the April 2018 Windows 10 update.
Windows 10 is the newest and yet, the most loved OS among the computer enthusiasts. Remarkable and amazing features ensure that Windows 10 is loved by everyone who uses it. However, some users have a whole different story for their experience on Windows 10. These users are met by some sort of errors and issues, which turned their Windows 10 user-experience bitter. In this post, we will discuss one such issue. The issue that troubled a lot of users when they upgraded to Windows the. The Windows 10 Taskbar not working issue.
This issue filled the forums with a question, How to fix Windows 10 Taskbar not working? problem. I will answerthis here.
Contents
- 1 What is “Windows 10 Taskbar not working” problem?
- 1.1 Common Scenarios that are counted under Taskbar not working condition
- 2 How to Fix Windows 10 Taskbar not working?
What is “Windows 10 Taskbar not working” problem?
This is a very common problem that may occur in any computer working on Windows 10. When this issue occurs, Taskbar freezes, becomes unresponsive or completely stops working. Some following scenarios under the Windows 10 Taskbar not working condition are mentioned in the next section.
Common Scenarios that are counted under Taskbar not working condition
Different users face different taskbar errors in Windows 10. Some most common ones are as follows:
Note:You might have more than one or all scenarios happening on your computer together.
Taskbar not working on Startup
In this case, Taskbar starts causing trouble from the Startup of the PC. That means, you cannot use Taskbar at all. This is very annoying.
Taskbar buttons not working
When this happens, you cannot access or use the Taskbar buttons. That means, you can use Taskbar, but not fully or comfortably.
Taskbar search not working on Windows 10
In this case, the Search feature stops working. You cannot use the Search feature of the Taskbar. This can be a serious problem when you are habitual to using Search to access applications, like me.
Cortana Taskbar not working
Cortana is an integral and very useful part of Windows 10. When this happens, you cannot use Cortana from the Taskbar as it stops working from there. This is a serious problem.
Taskbar jump list not working
In this case, the jump lists of Taskbar stops working. This can be frustrating when you are habitual of using jump lists to access recent files.
Taskbar thumbnails not working
In this case, the Taskbar preview stops working as the thumbnails of Taskbar stops working properly. This is also a nagging problem.
Right-click Taskbar not working
When this happens, you cannot right-click on Taskbar and access the Context menu. That means, you cannot access the items present in the Context menu from the Taskbar.
Lock the Taskbar, autohide Taskbar not working
In this case, the lock or autohide the Taskbar feature stops working. This can be considered a smaller problem. Though you can fix it too by the simple solutions present in the later section.
Pin to Taskbar not working
In order to access their favorite applications faster, users pin them to the Taskbar. However, when this happens, they cannot pin any item to the Taskbar. This can be very much troubling at times.
Unclickable Taskbar Windows 10
In this case, the Taskbar becomes unresponsive to clicks. You cannot click on any component of the Taskbar. This is a very frustrating problem.
Windows 10 Taskbar frozen
This is by far, the most serious problem. In this case, the Taskbar completely freezes and becomes unresponsive. You must fix this issue manually by using the method present in the next section.
How to Fix Windows 10 Taskbar not working?
There are 2 methods to fix the Windows 10 Taskbar not working problem in a very simple way. Both of these are coupled with their step-wise guides. So, anyone can use them very easily by just following some steps. Let’s proceed to resolve the Windows 10 Taskbar not Working issue.
1. Restart Windows Explorer
We’ll start with the most simple, but very accurate method. If there isn’t a very serious problem that is leading to Windows 10 Taskbar not working issue, this method will work out completely fine. You have to restart the Windows Explorer in this method. Follow these steps in order to resolve the issue:
Step-1: Press the Windows + R key simultaneously in order to trigger the Run dialog box. Type taskmgr in it and hit Enter to access the Task Manager.
Step-2: In the Task Manager, under the Processes tab, scroll down and find Windows Explorer. Select it and then click on Restart.
Step-3: After the Windows Explorer is stopped and restarted, restart your computer.
This should solve the Windows 10 Taskbar not working problem in a few minutes.
2. Re-register Taskbar to Fix Taskbar not working error
This is a more permanent solution than the previous one. In this method, you have to re-register the Taskbar using the Windows Powershell.
Note:Before moving further with this method, I strongly recommend you create a System Restore point.
Follow these steps in order to resolve the issue:
Windows 10 Search Box Not Working
Step-1: Press the Windows Key on and type in Powershell. Right-click on Windows Powershell (Desktop App) and select Run as administrator. choose Yes in the UAC window that pops up.
Step-2: Copy and paste the following commands in the Powershell window and press Enter:
Step-3: After executing the command successfully, go to Explorer and navigate to the following path: C:/Users/name/AppData/Local/.
Note:Replace name with your username and make sure you enable showing of hidden files.
Step-4: Scroll down here and find the folder named as TileDataLayer. Delete this folder.
Note: If you are unable to delete this folder, press Windows + R key to access Run dialog box and type services.msc in, and hit Enter to open the Services Manager. Now scroll down to Tile Data model server service and stop it. Then try to delete the folder again.
After deleting the folder, you can check that your Taskbar is working fine now.
Conclusion
Search Bar Not Working Windows 10 1803
So as mentioned, taskbar errors is one of the most common errors among Windows 10 users. This issue comes in different forms. We have now found the answer to the question, How to fix Windows 10 Taskbar not working problem. These were the Top 2 methods to resolve the issue. For any queries, doubts or suggestions, feel free to visit the Comments sections. Hope I helped you out of trouble. Have a nice day, Folks!