Highly annoying: The Windows Search service started then stopped...

I can no longer search in outlook. I've traced this back to the search indexing - if I go to control panel > indexing options it states "indexing is not running".

Sure enough, if I go to services the Windows Search Service is stopped (even though it's set to start on "automatic (delayed start)")

If I try to start it manually it says : "The Windows Search service on local computer started and then stopped. Some services stop automatically if they are not in use by other services or programs".

Googling the error takes me to this very specific microsoft support article which covers exactly this error:

Windows Search Service will not start, Error: "The Windows Search service on local computer started and then stopped. Some services stop automatically if they are not in use by other services or programs"

The article states the solution is to delete all the files in the "C:\windows\system32\config\TxR" directory. But I tried this and only some were deleted, but 3 remain as they were "in use".

I've googled around for ways to delete locked files, and tried every trick in the locked files book - but I just cannot get rid of these 3 files - and if these files are what's stopping the search service from starting then apparently I'm screwed...

I've tried deleting them using an admin cmd prompt, safe mode with command prompt, removing the system/hidden attributes etc etc, even lockhunter gave up on these files complaining that it was the system that was using them so it couldn't delete/rename them or kill the locking process.

Any ideas? I use the outlook search all the time (I have zillions of stored emails) and not being able to search is a nightmare...

jxm said:

I can no longer search in outlook. I've traced this back to the search indexing - if I go to control panel > indexing options it states "indexing is not running".

Sure enough, if I go to services the Windows Search Service is stopped (even though it's set to start on "automatic (delayed start)")

If I try to start it manually it says : "The Windows Search service on local computer started and then stopped. Some services stop automatically if they are not in use by other services or programs".

Googling the error takes me to this very specific microsoft support article which covers exactly this error:

Windows Search Service will not start, Error: "The Windows Search service on local computer started and then stopped. Some services stop automatically if they are not in use by other services or programs"

The article states the solution is to delete all the files in the "C:\windows\system32\config\TxR" directory. But I tried this and only some were deleted, but 3 remain as they were "in use".

I've googled around for ways to delete locked files, and tried every trick in the locked files book - but I just cannot get rid of these 3 files - and if these files are what's stopping the search service from starting then apparently I'm screwed...

I've tried deleting them using an admin cmd prompt, safe mode with command prompt, removing the system/hidden attributes etc etc, even lockhunter gave up on these files complaining that it was the system that was using them so it couldn't delete/rename them or kill the locking process.

Any ideas? I use the outlook search all the time (I have zillions of stored emails) and not being able to search is a nightmare...

MoveOnBoot may work in this case;

EMCO MoveOnBoot Freeware download and reviews from SnapFiles

HTH

Nope, that didn't help.

I thought I'd try a windows update to make sure everything was up to date, but despite the service being started it gave an error saying it couldn't update because the service wasn't started... strange I thought, wonder if that's connected.

Looking through the system event viewer I found a specific error code when the search service failed to startup. I googled that and found this post:

Fixed - Error %%-2147217025 - Windows Search/Updates won't start after hd clone/Image

This suggested downloading the Intel Rapid Storage Technology update. I did that and it fixed both problems. I hadn't done the cloning thing on a laptop that the article was talking about, but I did rebuild my raid 1 system drive yesterday so maybe that messed something up. But whatever, the driver fixed both issues and everything is ok now. phew.

Now I can do the thing I was going to do 3 hours when I first noticed the search wasn't working...

Just fyi, I just had the same problem, and this also fixed it.

I'm not 100% sure what the cause was, but I did indeed have a member of a RAID array fail on the machine and be replaced in the last couple months, just noticed now that I could not search.

In my case the indexing service ("Windows Search") also would fail to start, with the same error.

I installed the latest Intel RAID driver update as described, and indexing is now back.

If I remember right, that lead me to the services pane with a suggestion that I make sure Windows Search was turned on. That failed, at which point I gave up the troubleshooter and went to the web, found this post...

Just like to say a big thank you to JXM for this post from 2013. Had same issues plus no embedded images showing in emails in Outlook 2010 after cloning Win 7 to an SSD. Also have Intel RAID1 set up using Matrix Storage s/w. Updated to Intel Rapid Storage Technology, and, as you say, problem solved. Phew!! Was just about to clean re-install!

PLEASE HELP! I'm having the same issue...

- I could not delete 3 of the files in the TxR folder, even in safe mode
- I did do an Intel RAID update, but that did not work
- I have turned Windows Search and Indexing on and off plenty of times under Windows Features and rebooted, but that did not work

What can I possibly try now??

I really really need it for searching in Outlook

Not sure if I can help Nik321, but what was changed on your PC prior to the fault occurring.....a new SSD installed??

Magnet! I think you hit the nail on the head... I was updating and running a whole bunch of spyware, malware & antivirus scans with Spybot, Malwarebytes & Avast... Maybe that caused the problem, but how can i fix it??