Windows Search Won't Start

[hxl7]

Windows Search in Win7 64bit has stopped working. I am unable to Start the Service. StartUp Type is set to Automatic.

I am not sure but I suspect this started after a recent Windows Update.

When I try to start the service, I get a message that says, "Windows could not start the Windows Search service on Local Computer." "Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified."

However, WindowsSearch.exe is indeed in C:\Windows\System32 folder.
When I ran SFC on WindowsSearch.exe and on srvsvc.dll, no problems were reported.
In fact, running SFC on the entire system returned no problems or errors.

In Windows Features, both Indexing Service and Windows Search are checked.

In /Control Panel/Indexing Options, "Indexing is not running."

When I run, "Troubleshoot search and indexing," I get the messages:
"Incorrect permissions on Windows Search directories"
"Windows Search service not running"

I could not find the Windows Search directories.

I would be so very grateful for help with this ... I'm losing hair rapidly !!!!!!!

Thank you, Bill

 

[DustSailor]

hx,

Windows search should be put into automatic (delayed start) in services. In windows features, Indexing service should be turned OFF. In Taskbar and Start Menu properties, under Start Menu tab, click "Customize...". Under "Search other files and libraries", select Search with (or without) public folders. Check the box that says, "Search programs and Control Panel". In Indexing Options, Select "Advanced", Take a look at where the index is located under "Index Location", and decide if you want to move it or not. Click "Rebuild".

If any of these steps do not work, restart the computer. If they do not work even after this, the problem lies elsewhere. Hope this helps some.

 

[hxl7]

DustSailor,
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated!
Unfortunately, I made the changes but the problem remains.
Bill

 

[Jacee]

Several suggestions here Windows 7 start menu search not working - Microsoft Answers

 

[hxl7]

Jacee, thank you very much for your reply.
Unfortunately, none of the suggestions had any effect.
Bill

 

[DustSailor]

wonder if a repair install would work?: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html - tutorial created by Brink

Could it be a program interfering with it? What antivirus program do you have, and do you run any registry cleaners, tune-up tools, optimizers, etc?

 

[hxl7]

wonder if a repair install would work?: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html - tutorial created by Brink

Could it be a program interfering with it? What antivirus program do you have, and do you run any registry cleaners, tune-up tools, optimizers, etc?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hopefully, it would. But I am hoping to avoid that.

Another program interfering is always possible...
I am using only Microsoft Security Essentials & Windows Defender
I also use System Mechanic and Ccleaner.

I'm not having any other problems anywhere else. Except for not being able to Search in Outlook, everything is running great.

Thanks, again.

 

[DustSailor]

A repair install is not a complete reinstall, you retain programs. Read up on that tutorial, it is worth trying out.

Just a warning, Ccleaner or system mechanic could always have been the reason this thing is messed up. Though I've used, and like, Ccleaner, and know nothing about sys mechanic, Anything that changes registry items or attempts to make your computer 'better' runs the risk of messing it up. Windows Defender (service) should be set in manual mode, and it shouldn't be running if you have Microsoft Security Essentials running, as that antivirus encorporates Defender inside it, so it turns Defender off automatically. So unless you've tried to turn it back on, you only have MSE running (which is perfectly fine).

 

[hxl7]

Oops ... I meant Windows Firewall -- not Defender.
Yes, anything can happen. That said, I must say I would be pretty shocked if either Sys Mech or Ccleaner was the cuplrit. I been using them for years and never a hint of a problem.
I may have to do the reinstall. Time will tell ...
Thanks again!

 

[Jacee]

Let's see if VEW by Vino Rosso (event viewer) shows us a bit bit more ...

Please download VEW by Vino Rosso http://images.malwareremoval.com/vino/VEW.exe
and save it to your desktop.

Double click it to start it Note: If running Windows Vista or Windows 7 you will need to right click the file and select Run as administrator and click Continue or Allow at the User Account Control Prompt.

Click the check boxes next to Application and System located under Select log to query on the upper left.

Under Select type to list on the right click the boxes next to Error and Warning Note: If running Windows Vista or Windows 7 also click the box next to Critical (not XP).

Under Number or date of events select Number of events and type 20 in the box next to 1 to 20 and click Run.

Once it finishes it will display a log file in notepad
Copy and paste its entire contents into your next reply

 

[Jacee]

BTW... also, look at this because this might be your answer.
http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/225068-windows-explorer-slow-sort.html

 

[hxl7]

Thank you ! Here is the data:

Vino's Event Viewer v01c run on Windows 2008 in English
Report run at 19/04/2012 5:15:50 PM

Note: All dates below are in the format dd/mm/yyyy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Application' Log - Critical Type
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'System' Log - Critical Type
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Log: 'System' Date/Time: 19/02/2012 11:41:33 PM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 28/01/2012 3:10:53 PM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 06/01/2012 6:15:17 PM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 30/12/2011 5:55:46 PM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 30/12/2011 5:15:25 PM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 21/12/2011 3:52:02 AM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 20/12/2011 2:41:10 AM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

 

[hxl7]

Thanks again but these do not appear to apply. Here's why:

• Sorts in Explorer are fast
• My Windows Search service can't be turned on
• I get Error 2, not Error 5
• Chkdsk returns no errors
• Defrag runs fine
• In Explorer, when I type a search term in the upper right hand box, the search does run. But as stated above, Windows Search service can't be turned on and none of the Advanced features are available. And, in Outlook 2010, entering a term in the Search Inbox search field results in an endless loop search that never finishes and produces no results.