Windows Search down for many — here’s the fix
Windows Search is showing nothing but a blank box for many users.
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Updated February 5, 2020:The issue seems related to Bing. We’ve updatedour guide to fixing search related issuesto include a partial fix and added the steps to the bottom of this article.
What you need to know
Windows Search is down for many Windows 10 users. Reports on Reddit appeared recently with many people seeing nothing but a blank box inside Windows Search.One Reddit poststates that the issue persits even after rebuilding the index of Windows Search.Another postsays that online resources do not help.
Updated February 5, 2020:In an update to itssupport page, Microsoft says that the issue was resolved earlier today. However, you may still need to restart your PC and “in rare cases, you may need to manually end the SearchUI.exe or SearchApp.exe process via Task Manager,” Microsoft says.
With issues like these, it’s usually unclear how widespread the issue is, but based on how quickly discussion of the issue is travelling on Reddit, Discord, and Twitter, it appears this issue could be widespread. The issue currently affects my system, though that’s just one example of course. Many people online point out that several PCs they own see the same issue.
We’ve found a partial solution to this issue and update ourguide on fixing search issuesto include this current bug. The issue seems related to Bing, which you can disable with the following steps. Following these steps will show local search results, but will not show web results.
Remove Bing from your searches
In light of therecent Windows 10 Search issueswhere nothing is displayed in the bar or window, many have found a fix by disabling Bing integration. This does require working with RegEdit, so doing abackup of both your PCand itsregistryare recommended.
Once you’ve performed any necessary backups, run through these steps to get Search working again. Multiple people here at Windows Central have performed the same steps with success.
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This should bring Windows 10 Search back online.
Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
