Windows Search Vanished

CtrlAltDel

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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?
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Dell 537s
OS
Windows 7 (Home Premium) x64
CPU
Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E5300 @ 2.60GHz
Motherboard
Dell OU880P v.AO1
Memory
4.00 GB DDR2 (PC2-6400) @ 400MHz (DDR2 800)
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) G41 Express Chipset
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell ST2210 22'' HD
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
Seagate Barracuda 500GB
Internet Speed
20Mbps
going to gpedit.msc and control panel then enable search tool
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
built up
OS
windows 7
CPU
Phenom II AMD Dragon 3.5Ghz
Memory
DDR3 4GB
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon 512Mb
Monitor(s) Displays
HP L1506
Screen Resolution
1152 x 864
Hard Drives
WDC 1 TB SATA-II Green Power
Keyboard
HP wireless keyboard
Mouse
HP Optic
Internet Speed
1GB

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Self Built
OS
Win 10 Pro x64
CPU
Intel I5-2500K @3.3GHz
Motherboard
Asrock P67 Extreme4
Memory
16GB G.Skill Ripjaws X (4x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce 750 Ti SC 2GB
Sound Card
ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound
Monitor(s) Displays
auria eq2367
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD
1TB WD Blue
1TB Hitachi
PSU
SeaSonic X 650W 80 Plus Gold
Case
Corsair Obsidian 750D
Cooling
Corsair H60, Three 140mm case fans
Keyboard
Logitech Wireless Keyboard K520
Mouse
Logitech Wireless Mouse M310
Internet Speed
Wave Broadband ~ 100 dn 5 up
Antivirus
Windows Defender, Malwarebytes Premium
Browser
Edge, IE11, Chrome
Other Info
Laptop specs: HP g7-1365dx /
CPU: AMD A6-3420M APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics /
RAM: Crucial 8Gb (2x4Gb) /
SSD: Crucial M4-CT128M4SSD2 ATA Device/ FW 000F /
GFX: AMD Radeon HD 6520G /
OS: Windows 10 Pro x64
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.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Dell 537s
OS
Windows 7 (Home Premium) x64
CPU
Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E5300 @ 2.60GHz
Motherboard
Dell OU880P v.AO1
Memory
4.00 GB DDR2 (PC2-6400) @ 400MHz (DDR2 800)
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) G41 Express Chipset
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell ST2210 22'' HD
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
Seagate Barracuda 500GB
Internet Speed
20Mbps
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
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Self built custom
OS
64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
CPU
Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
Memory
64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz
Graphics Card(s)
ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
PSU
Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
Case
Thermaltake Core P3
Cooling
Corsair Hydro H115i
Keyboard
Logitech wireless K800
Mouse
Logitech MX Master 4
Internet Speed
2 Gb/s Download and 100 Mb/s Upload
Antivirus
Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Browser
Google Chrome
Other Info
Logitech Z625 speaker system,
Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
Galaxy S23 Plus phone
I don't know if that would work or not, Brink. My Windows 7 installation is installed off of an image file.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Dell 537s
OS
Windows 7 (Home Premium) x64
CPU
Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E5300 @ 2.60GHz
Motherboard
Dell OU880P v.AO1
Memory
4.00 GB DDR2 (PC2-6400) @ 400MHz (DDR2 800)
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) G41 Express Chipset
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell ST2210 22'' HD
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
Seagate Barracuda 500GB
Internet Speed
20Mbps
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.
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Self built custom
OS
64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
CPU
Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
Memory
64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz
Graphics Card(s)
ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
PSU
Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
Case
Thermaltake Core P3
Cooling
Corsair Hydro H115i
Keyboard
Logitech wireless K800
Mouse
Logitech MX Master 4
Internet Speed
2 Gb/s Download and 100 Mb/s Upload
Antivirus
Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Browser
Google Chrome
Other Info
Logitech Z625 speaker system,
Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
Galaxy S23 Plus phone
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.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Dell 537s
OS
Windows 7 (Home Premium) x64
CPU
Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E5300 @ 2.60GHz
Motherboard
Dell OU880P v.AO1
Memory
4.00 GB DDR2 (PC2-6400) @ 400MHz (DDR2 800)
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) G41 Express Chipset
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell ST2210 22'' HD
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
Seagate Barracuda 500GB
Internet Speed
20Mbps
I guess no one else has ever had this exact problem have they?
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Dell 537s
OS
Windows 7 (Home Premium) x64
CPU
Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E5300 @ 2.60GHz
Motherboard
Dell OU880P v.AO1
Memory
4.00 GB DDR2 (PC2-6400) @ 400MHz (DDR2 800)
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) G41 Express Chipset
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell ST2210 22'' HD
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
Seagate Barracuda 500GB
Internet Speed
20Mbps
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. :)
 

My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Self Built
OS
Win 10 Pro x64
CPU
Intel I5-2500K @3.3GHz
Motherboard
Asrock P67 Extreme4
Memory
16GB G.Skill Ripjaws X (4x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GeForce 750 Ti SC 2GB
Sound Card
ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound
Monitor(s) Displays
auria eq2367
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD
1TB WD Blue
1TB Hitachi
PSU
SeaSonic X 650W 80 Plus Gold
Case
Corsair Obsidian 750D
Cooling
Corsair H60, Three 140mm case fans
Keyboard
Logitech Wireless Keyboard K520
Mouse
Logitech Wireless Mouse M310
Internet Speed
Wave Broadband ~ 100 dn 5 up
Antivirus
Windows Defender, Malwarebytes Premium
Browser
Edge, IE11, Chrome
Other Info
Laptop specs: HP g7-1365dx /
CPU: AMD A6-3420M APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics /
RAM: Crucial 8Gb (2x4Gb) /
SSD: Crucial M4-CT128M4SSD2 ATA Device/ FW 000F /
GFX: AMD Radeon HD 6520G /
OS: Windows 10 Pro x64
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. :)


A reinstall adds other stuff also. I have my computer just as I want it, except for the search missing issue.

There are supposed to be ways of fixing things short of reinstalling.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Dell 537s
OS
Windows 7 (Home Premium) x64
CPU
Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU E5300 @ 2.60GHz
Motherboard
Dell OU880P v.AO1
Memory
4.00 GB DDR2 (PC2-6400) @ 400MHz (DDR2 800)
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) G41 Express Chipset
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell ST2210 22'' HD
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
Seagate Barracuda 500GB
Internet Speed
20Mbps
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