Open the Run app by pressing (and holding down) the Windows logo button on your computer and then tapping the letter R key.

These are the steps you must go through to perform the job here: To fix issues with the search index, you have to instruct Windows to rebuild it. When the search index is down, search operations suffer or fail to reach completion. The search index plays an important role in search operations. The search index corresponds to the body of structured data, which Windows goes through when it has to find results for a specific query. The vast majority of issues affecting the search function in Windows have something to do with the search index. How to resolve File Explorer search not working in Windows 10įor efficiency’s sake, you may want to begin with the first fix on the list and continue through the rest of the solutions in that order (work your way through the procedures until the problem in your case gets resolved).

When the search function is malfunctioning or broken, then Windows will report that no items match your search – even when you try to find an item that exists on your computer.įortunately, in this guide, we intend to show you how to fix Windows 10 File Explorer search not working properly. If the search function failure in your case is a bug – if Windows search does not work at all (no matter what you do) – then you have to execute some operations to fix the problem. For one, a good number of users reported that Windows search is now freezing or working slowly. It is easy to see that the improved Windows Search functions power the new search experience. Well, you are now unlikely to get search suggestions in the drop-down menu area. However, since the changes were made, you might now have to type the query (in full) and then hit the Enter button (on your keyboard) before your system starts bringing up the relevant search results. The search results appear almost instantly. Normally, once you start typing a query, Windows brings up some options in the drop-down menu. If the search function failure in your case is a feature, then it means the changes that Microsoft made to the function have led you to believe that the function is not working (even when the function is working exactly as it is supposed to). What if File Explorer search is not finding files in Windows 10?įirst, you have to determine whether the search function failure on your computer is a feature or bug. It seems Microsoft changed the behavior of the search function in the File Explorer application in a recent Windows update. You can similarly search for files stored in a specific location (regardless of the directory involved). Using the text box provided in the File Explorer application (in Windows 10), you can search for items stored on your disk.

Windows 10 search not finding files