With the search suggestion option missing on the latest windows 11 Windows File Explorer, users have also complained about the issue of file explorer search not working. If you are the one facing the same difficulty, this article will help you find the reasons and fix this issue of file explorer search not working on Windows 11.

Why File Explorer Search Not Working on Windows 11?

The following could be the potential reasons why you face the issue of file explorer search not working on Windows 11:

1. The File Explorer process is malfunctioning.

2. The search index that fuels the search engine in the operating system is damaged.

3. Cortona is corrupted.

4. The SearchApp.exe process keeps crashing.

How to Fix File Explorer Search Not Working on Windows 11?

Since we now know the reasons for the issue of file explorer search not working on Windows 11, we might as well look at its solutions. The solutions mentioned below can be a bit difficult but will provide you with the desired results when applied accurately.

Solution 1: Restart File Explorer to Fix File Explorer Search Not Working on Windows 11:

To restart the File Explorer, follow these steps:

1. Firstly, right-click on the taskbar, and select the Task Manager.

2. Then, tap the Name column and sort it by name.

3. Under apps, locate the Windows Explorer, right-click on it, and choose to restart.

4. For a few seconds, everything will disappear. Once it is back, try searching again and check if the File Explorer Search not working on Windows 11 issue has been resolved.

Solution 2: Register Windows Search to Fix File Explorer Search Not Working on Windows 11:

To register the Windows search, you need to open up a Powershell window. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Open Powershell from the start menu.

2. Right-click it and run it as the administrator from the drop-down menu.

3. After the Powershell window opens, type the following and hit Enter:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.Search | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

Now check if the File Explorer Search not working on Windows 11 issue has been resolved.

Solution 3: Edit User Account Control Registry Keys

It us suggested that you backup your Windows Registry before attempting this solution. Now, to edit the user account control registry keys, follow these steps:

1. First and foremost, open Run dialog box and type the following then hit Enter:

Regedit.

2. This opens up the Windows Registry.

3. Open the address bar and paste the following command in it to navigate it automatically:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

4. Once you reach the destination, double-click ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin on the right hand side and set its value to 0.

5. Post this, double click Enable LUA key and set its value to 0.

6. After making these changes, restart your computer for them to take effect.

7. After your device starts, open File Explorer and check whether the issue is still there.

Solution 4: Rebuild Search Index

To rebuild the damaged search index, follow these steps:

1. Open Control Panel using the Start Menu.

2. After Control Panel starts, press View from the drop-down menu and choose Large Icons.

3. Then, from the choices you witness, select Indexing Options. Click the Advanced button after Indexing Options show up.

4. After coming to the Advanced Window, switch to the File Types tab and click Index Properties and File Contents choice from the bottom.

5. After that, return to Index Settings and click Rebuild.

Now check if the File Explorer Search not working on Windows 11 issue has been resolved.

Frequently Asked Question

Q1. How to search in Windows file explorer?

Answer: To search in File Explorer Window, click the File Menu and select change folder and search options. In this window, switch to the View Tab and scroll down the options and select, Automatically type into the Search Box and click OK.

Q2. How to search for same file types in file explorer?

Answer: To search for the same file types in file explorer, follow these steps:

1. In the Search Bar of Windows Explorer located at the top-right corner, type, *. Extension.

Q3. How to change settings of the file explorer?

Answer: Follow the given steps to change the settings of file explorer:

1: Open the options of File Explorer. Press File Explorer and select View, click Options and click Change Folder and Search Options.

2: Change the search settings.

Q4. How to search for special characters in Windows Explorer?

Answer: In order to search for the special characters in Windows explorer, type filename:*& in the Explorer search field.

Q5. How to enable the windows search service?

Answer: To enable the Windows Search Service, follow these steps:

1. Lookout for Windows Search in the name column and double click it to open Windows Search Properties Pane.

2. Click down arrow to expand Startup Drop Menu and click Automatic and click Apply to proceed.

Conclusion

We hope you will now be able to fix the issue of file explorer search not working on Windows 11 without any obstacles. However, if you are still not able to solve the problem, then you can connect with us via the chat box at the bottom right or through the comment section below. We’ll try to help you solve the issues with Windows 11.