Windows 11 · Windows
Fix Windows 11 Start Menu Search not Working
Original source date
Answer
Open up your native Windows settings. Under Personalization, select Start. Ensure the Show recently added apps option is enabled and the Show recently opened items in Start setting. If this is the case, disable and re-enable these settings again.
Adjust the Windows Start & Taskbar Settings
Open up your native Windows settings. Under Personalization, select Start.
Ensure the Show recently added apps option is enabled and the Show recently opene…
Ensure the Show recently added apps option is enabled and the Show recently opened items in Start setting. If this is the case, disable and re-enable these settings again.
Head back to your Personalization settings and select Taskbar
Head back to your Personalization settings and select Taskbar. Ensure the Search option is enabled. This will not only add the search icon in your taskbar but can also fix the issue when your start menu search is not working.
Update Windows Operating System
Ensure your Windows version is up to date. Click on Windows Update. Click on Check for Updates, Download, or Install now. After downloading the latest update, restart your PC. This will restart your Windows Search services, which can fix the issue when your start menu search is not working.
Restart the Windows Search Process
If the problem persists, you must restart the Windows Search bar process. Open up your Task Manager by right-clicking your start menu icon and selecting it.
In the Details tab, select any process and start typing SearchHost
In the Details tab, select any process and start typing SearchHost. This should highlight the SearchHost.exe process running on your system. It might say that the process is suspended, but this is not an issue. Right-click the process and select End Task. This will restart the SearchHost process and fix the start menu search not working problem on your Windows 11 PC.
Run the Windows Search Troubleshooter
As a last resort, run the Search troubleshooter. Search for Troubleshoot to open up your Windows Troubleshoot settings window. Select Other trouble-shooters and run the Search and Indexing windows troubleshooter. Repairing any common search problems your Windows 11 PC might have will take a minute.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If the current interface differs, compare it with the recorded video walkthrough.