My windows search function brings 0 results

You can do this to try and get to where you can run msconfig:

Right click on the Taskbar and click Properties.
Click on the Start Menu tab and click on Customize.
Scroll to the Run command and select (check) it.
You can then select Run... from the Start menu, type in msconfig and press Enter.

Here is a tutorial by Brink for this:
Run Command - Add or Remove from Start Menu

Screen prints of what you should see:


@gregrocker
What do you think of the OP creating a new User account and see if search works with that account ?
With the "Permission error" maybe something is corrupt in the current account ?
Or, it's a permissions/security setting causing the problem ?

Right click a blank area of the Start Menu, select Properties, on Start Menu tab select Customize, tick the box for Run command, click OK, then Apply.

Select Run from Start Menu, type Msconfig in box, open result from top. Click Startup tab and uncheck everything except AV. Then click Services tab, tick box to Hide all MS Services, then uncheck everything except AV., OK and reboot.

Download, install, decline trial, update and run a full scan with Malwarebytes
and SUPERAntiSpyware.

In Browser Add-Ons under Extensions or Search services, disable all except Flash, and any reader helper. I would remove all browser Search except Google and disallow any changes.

Check the Programs and Features list to see if there's anything you don't use or recognize.

David was posting at the same time. His idea to try creating a new User Account - Create - Windows 7 Help Forums to see if problem persists is a good next step if you can't repair this. I'd make it an Admin account, if Search works then gradually test that all Programs work fully from the account and if not reinstall them, move files over, eventually delete the old Account.

If not then I'd move to a Repair Install

Turns out there was somebody on my computer and they did a scan with "Advanced System Care". He said something about doing a "Powerful uninstall" of some programs. I hope this helps

The search bar on the top right of any file window does nothing either, i enter text, hit enter, and nothing happens.

EDIT: Didn't realize there was a second page on this thread., i will get onto that stuff asap.

Looks like i am on to the repair install.

Jemjem787 said:

Looks like i am on to the repair install.

I'm not surprised after reading

He said something about doing a "Powerful uninstall" of some programs.

Depending on what he did, you may end up needing a clean install, or have to re-install some of your programs after the repair install.

I assume you don't have a System Backup Image from before the problem started.
If you do, you could undo all these issues quickly by restoring the image.

No, i remember creating an image or two in the past but they weren't on the list.

Would you mind pointing me in the direction of the steps towards a repair install? I googled it and im seeing a bunch of different things.

Here is a tutorial by Brink:
Repair Install

I followed the directions listed here and it was able to work! Good thing i didn't have to do a complete clean install!

hirakava said:

Hi People.

I changed registry key value to hexadecimal 0 SetupCompletedSuccessfully.

Complete Registry: COMPUTER\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS SEARCH

Restart the computer and try again.

In this case work.

Good Luck.

Hugs.
Lincoln.

Ok, so now when i type something in the search menu, it only brings up certain file types (I triple checked all the options in everything and they are selected) and not even in all the locations listed, and when i hit enter i am still getting that permissions error, i will probably just re install the OS.

If you stick with only the steps, tools and methods in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 then you'll get and keep a perfect install for as long as you do - as proven by over a million consumers who have used it without a single complaint.