Windows 7: Windows Search Vanished

Windows Search is missing from the Start Menu area and also missing from Windows Explorer. Any ideas on how to put the search options back like they used to be?

going to gpedit.msc and control panel then enable search tool

Here you go this tuorial should help you out.
Windows Search - Turn On or Off

Windows Search doesn't select properly. I can check it and will be prompted to shut down the computer to apply settings but, nothing happens when I reboot. When checking the Windows Search area of the Turn Windows Features On or Off section the setting hasn't sticked.

Windows Search is not checked when going back into Turn Windows Features On or Off to check the setting. It seems that it won't allow itself to be turned on.

The search bar is missing on the start menu and there is no search option available within Windows Explorer.

Hello CtrlAltDel,

You can try a repair install to fix this without losing anything since "Search" will not stay turned on in Windows Features for you.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

I don't know if that would work or not, Brink. My Windows 7 installation is installed off of an image file.

What type of image file is it?

If it's a retail ISO image file, then you can burn the ISO to DVD or a USB flash drive and do a repair install with it.

If it's a backup image file, then no you wouldn't be able to use it for a repair install.


Another option is to do a system restore using a restore point dated before search went awol to hopefully fix it.

I don't want to do a reinstall to fix it, Bink. Thanks for the suggestions; I appreciate the help.

Perhaps some others may have a suggestion. There has to be a way to force Windows Search back into existence without doing a repair install.

Also, System Restore has been disabled and there isn't a restore point at all.

I guess no one else has ever had this exact problem have they?

You may not want to hear this but you would have been done with that repair install a long time ago, and you don't lose any data or settings it just reinstalls the OS. Give it a try.