Solved No search box in Windows explorer

[KaiserD2]

Hello. This is the kind of problem that can make you feel you are losing your mind. . .suddenly when I open Windows explorer and My Documents there is no search box. I did a quick google for this problem and I found how I could go to the control panel and turn the windows search on or off. The problem is, it's already on. I've been using that search box, upper right hand corner, for many years. Thanks in advance.
DK

 

[Snick]

Hi KaiserD2,

Give this a try and see what happens. The service name is Windows Search but even if it has been disabled, you should still see the "Search Programs and Files" box. No harm in checking though. Hit the Windows key plus r on your keyboard and type: services.msc and click OK. Scroll down until you find it and make sure the startup type is set to Automatic (Delayed Start) and the Service Status is Started. If not, click in Start and OK your change.
If the service doesn't exist, go to Programs and Features in Control Panel and click on "Turn Windows Features on or off". Scroll down, and check Windows Search. Ok, your change and reboot. Does the Search box appear when you click on Start now?

Additionally, if aforementioned doesn't resolve your issue, try turning off/disabling the above, reboot, turn on/enabling the above, reboot. Windows acts peculiar sometimes!

Have you run SFC /SCANNOW (search cmd right-click > run as administrator) you might have to run it more than once to fix corruptions)

 

[KaiserD2]

Dear Snick, Thank you for your help. But I don't think we're on the same page. I wasn't talking about the search box that appears when you hit the start button. I was talking about Windows Explorer which one opens when you click the yellow set of file folders on the bask bar at the bottom. That gives you your various documents and libraries, and then you can get to my documents, which is a folder, with many subfolders. Untl yesterday whenever I opened my documents or any subfolder there was a search box in the upper right corner. Now there isn't. Thanks again. KaiserD2

 

[Snick]

KaiserD2,

Yes, I understand that.

I just turned off windows search in Control Panel > Programs & Features > Turn Windows features on or off > (unchecked) Windows Search & rebooted. The search box from the Windows Explorer folder (the folder icon on the task bar you are referring to) is now missing as is the search box above the Windows start orb (lower-left corner of display) Rechecking the Windows Search, reboot & both search boxes are displayed again.

Does the search box above the start orb appear on your machine?

Did you try turning the feature off, reboot, turning it back on, reboot?

 

[KaiserD2]

Answers to questions: 1. Yes and 2. No. I will try it later and report. Thanks.

 

[Snick]

Try running sfc /scannow admin privilege see post #2 above

Brainstorming, still no definitive solution so far!

If sfc /scannow doesn't help, if you have a restore point prior to your issue, you could try reverting to that. You may have a win update or other installation that is causing your issue.

 

[KaiserD2]

Sorry not to have gotten back to you. i was about to implement your solution but when I checked, the problem had disappeared. I think my computer had restarted for updates and maybe that did it. Thanks in any case. DK

 

[Snick]

Awesome! Glad to hear your issue is resolved. Please mark this thread resolved. Happy computing. Always back up your system. External hard drives are cheap and well worth the minor expense.! Personally, I use AOMEI backupper, a free program. Simple intuitive interface. I don't relay on Windows backup/restore, as every time I've needed it, it failed!