Windows 10 - No searchresults from control panel or settings!


Recommended Posts

When i try to search for something that i know is in either the settings screen or the controlpanel i get no results.

- If i go to the settings screen and try to search in the search bar there, i alsog get get no results.

- I have tried to run SFC /Scannow and tried to rebuild the search index without any results.

- This is on a fresh install of windows 10 (Updated, -then ran the reset option.)

It works fine on two other computers updated to windows 10.

I suspect i had the same issue when the machine ran 8.1, but i'm not 100% sure.

 

Screenshot for clarity:

Image

 

Could there be some strange setting that is hidden that makes it so that search omits any entries in the settings screen?

It feels as if settings and control panel are completely omitted in search results...

 

Please help! :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems others are having the same issue:

This guy has the same exact problem as me, and i have tried the same things as he did.

I got it to work for a few minutes as i was tinkering with it (most likely when i disabled the windows search function) But it stopped working again just as quickly.

Do i really have to try another re-install and set up all my settings and programs again? :/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This happened to me, only it never worked to begin with on my PC (I put screenshots in my other thread). I tried rebuilding the search index and it didn't do anything either so I think a patch from MS is required.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, what i have found that sort of works, is that i disable the windows search service. This means i get a slow search, but atleast it gives me the correct results. This tells me that there is definitely something wrong with the search/index function, it just doesn't tell me what is wrong. Going to keep at it for a bit longer as i refuse to give up on finding the fix for this, also i don't really feel up for setting up my whole main computer all over again for the third time this week :p

What i have tried so far:

- Re indexing.

-SFC /scannow

-DISM check

-Rebuilding/integrity checking modern apps as per: http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/fixing-windows-10-apps-wont-launch-or-hang-apps-splash-screen

-Setting HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search -> SetupCompletedSuccessfully to 0
 

Only thing that sort of works is turning of the search service. That way at least it finds something.
Hopefully MS will release an updated version of their Search troubleshooter compatible with windows 10 or some other fix.

So far all i have achieved is having a bit more understanding of the inner workings of windows and a few more troubleshooting tools to add to my belt, but no permanent fix.

I'm open to suggestions folks :)

Edited by Electric Blush
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still no luck on this one. I haven't revieved any replies on my answers.microsoft.com post either... :( there has to be someone out there with an understanding of how search works that could point me in the right direction...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you modified the registry or ran 'tweaks' to disable the functioning of the OS such as telemetry due to privacy concerns?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, like i stated above, i have this issue on a fresh install.

Only change i have done to the registry was the one mentioned in my list of attempted troubleshooting, to make the search function reset it self.

EDIT: what i find interesting though is the fact that it seems to find applications and everything else fine, and the fact that when i try to search inside the settings app it also fails. This leads me to believe that specifically this part of the search function has been damaged/disabled.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Update:

Cumulative updates for Win10 has done nothing so far. Issue remains. Still open for suggestions on how to trouble shoot this further.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

works on my end  windows 10 pro  

 

 

Yes, i understand that this is not an universal issue. As i have stated, it works on 2 of my three windows 10 computers. I need help finding out what is causing it on the third one ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turning off the indexing service has that effect so I'd assume it has something to do with that.

I have no idea how to access the indexing options without search though. :laugh:

Maybe it's as simple as the indexing service not being told to index certain (all) folders.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turning off the indexing service has that effect so I'd assume it has something to do with.

I have no idea how to access the indexing options without search though. :laugh:

Maybe it's as simple as the indexing service not being told to index certain (all) folders.

When I had the issue I tried resetting the indexer to factory defaults (http://www.sblackler.net/2012/03/25/resetting-the-windows-search-service-to-default/), which resets indexed locations to factory defaults and re-indexes and it didn't help at all. I also went to indexing options and compared the folders listed there to my other win10 pc where it was working fine and they were the exact same.

This is a really bizarre issue, I've seen various others that ran into the exact same problem in win10, but it appears none have found any fix other than a reinstall :/

It seems like there's definitely some kind of bug in windows 10 that causes this.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I had the issue I tried resetting the indexer to factory defaults (http://www.sblackler.net/2012/03/25/resetting-the-windows-search-service-to-default/), which resets indexed locations to factory defaults and re-indexes and it didn't help at all. I also went to indexing options and compared the folders listed there to my other win10 pc where it was working fine and they were the exact same.

This is a really bizarre issue, I've seen various others that ran into the exact same problem in win10, but it appears none have found any fix other than a reinstall :/

It seems like there's definitely some kind of bug in windows 10 that causes this.

Thank you for chiming in Viper! :) I want to get to the bottom of this. I have absolutely no desire to configure everything on my computer a 3rd time... :(

To me it seems there is a spesific part of the search that breaks. Every think is pointing towards some sort of seperate functionality for searches in settings/control panel. Especially since the search box in the settingspanel itself breaks too, and gets "fixed" by disabling the search service....

Edit:

Here is my post on the microsoft answers site, please click "I have this problem too" if you are experiencing this issue/want to get to the bottom of this:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-win_cortana/no-settings-or-control-panel-items-in-search/36fa2c3a-9589-4b6a-9a94-030060c87386

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

In case anyone's still having this issue. I have a friend that ran into this same issue recently, and he said he found a fix:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Packages\windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState Right-click the Indexed folder > Properties > Advanced > Check Allow files in this folder to have indexed in addition to file properties. Click Apply and Exit.

He said in his case, it was already checked, but he unchecked it > applied > rechecked it > applied and that fixed it for him.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

In case anyone's still having this issue. I have a friend that ran into this same issue recently, and he said he found a fix:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Packages\windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState Right-click the Indexed folder > Properties > Advanced > Check Allow files in this folder to have indexed in addition to file properties. Click Apply and Exit.

He said in his case, it was already checked, but he unchecked it > applied > rechecked it > applied and that fixed it for him.

This worked for me! This setting was unchecked in my new Windows 10 laptop (came pre-installed), though. I'm not sure why it was unchecked, but after I checked it and applied the setting. The search in Cortana bar and the search bar in the main settings window both worked and displayed results for settings in the control panel. Hopefully you guys find this solution helpful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

I had this issue too and this fixed it for me:

  1. Right-click on the "C" drive
  2. Click on "Properties"
  3. Check the box that says "Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties"
  4. Click "OK"
  5. Select "Apply changes to drive C:\, subfolders and files"
  6. Click "OK" and wait for the index to be rebuilt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 5 months later...

Hi All,

I'm having indeed the same issue, on a recently created additional account.

When I compare the folder "c:\Users\Paul\AppData\Local\Packages\windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Indexed\Settings" from the new account with the one from the already existing one, well, the new account has NO file at all in there, while the existing account has 528 files in there, in a subfolder [en-GB] !

I would be tempted to copy them all to the new account, but I'm not sure which are account-specific and which are not (as the formerly existing account already has some software installed and presumably may have added entries there).

I have listed those files in a text file named Indexed-Settings.txt and shared it on Dropbox. Could a kind knowledgeable person have a look at it and check if they all look okay and if they may/should all be copied over to the new account's folder (presumably also with the [en-GB] subfolder prefix), supposing of course that this copy would help in any way ?

Thanks in advance!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I'm on the Windows 10 Insider Preview stream (slow mode), I just had the upgrade to the Anniversary Update (Version 1607, OS Build 14388) automatically installed last night.

By this, the problem disappeared and the formerly empty folder ...\LocaState\Indexed\Settings is no more empty and now contains an increased amount of 563 files.

When comparing these files with those on the formerly existing account, the number has also increased, the only files that differ between accounts are a dozen ones prefixed with "NameSpace_Classic_ ..." and for most of them followed by a CLSID type of pattern.

So, as far as I'm concerned, the problem is implicitly resolved -- but I would intuitively have said that copying the missing files may/would have resolved the issue.

Cheers !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.