How to Fix “Type Here to Search” Not Working in Windows 10

Hi friends, Jessica here! 💻 As someone who spends a good part of the day working on my Windows 10 laptop—whether it’s for my marketing job, helping my kids with school projects, or just managing family life—I rely heavily on the search box in the taskbar. You know, that little space that says “Type here to search.”

So when it suddenly stops working—like it won’t open, it freezes, or it just doesn’t respond—it’s beyond frustrating. I’ve dealt with this issue myself, and after some research and trial-and-error, I’ve learned that it’s usually tied to small glitches with Windows services, updates, or even corrupt files. The good news is, it’s totally fixable!

In this post, I’ll walk you through several ways to troubleshoot and fix the Windows 10 search bar not working issue.

1. Restart Your Computer

This sounds obvious, but sometimes the search bar stops responding because of a temporary glitch. Restarting clears out memory and resets services.

• Click on the Start Menu → select Power → choose Restart.
• After reboot, check if the search bar works.

Honestly, this alone has fixed the problem for me on more than one occasion.

2. Restart the Windows Explorer Process

The search function is closely tied to Windows Explorer. Restarting it can refresh the taskbar and fix unresponsive search.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Scroll down, find Windows Explorer, right-click it, and select Restart.

You’ll notice your taskbar flicker for a second, but don’t worry—that’s normal.

3. Check the Windows Search Service

Windows Search relies on a background service. If it’s not running, the search bar won’t work.

• Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
• Find Windows Search in the list.
• Right-click → Properties.
• Make sure the Startup type is set to Automatic, and the service status is Running.

If it’s stopped, click Start, then Apply.

4. Run the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in troubleshooter for these kinds of problems.

• Go to Settings → Update & Security → Troubleshoot.
• Click Additional troubleshooters.
• Select Search and Indexing → Run the troubleshooter.

Follow the prompts—it usually identifies and fixes common problems automatically.

5. Use Windows PowerShell to Re-register Cortana/Search

Sometimes the search bar (powered by Cortana in Windows 10) needs to be re-registered. Don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds.

• Right-click the Start Menu and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
• Paste this command and press Enter:

Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Restart your computer and test the search bar again.

6. Update Windows 10

Outdated versions of Windows sometimes cause compatibility issues.

• Go to Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update.
• Click Check for updates.

If an update is available, install it and restart.

7. Run System File Checker (SFC Scan)

Corrupt system files can break the search function. Windows has a built-in repair tool.

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Type:

sfc /scannow

• Press Enter and wait for the scan to complete.

If it finds corrupted files, it will repair them automatically.

8. Check for Third-Party Software Conflicts

Sometimes antivirus or third-party apps interfere with search. Try:

• Booting into Safe Mode and checking if search works.
• If it does, a third-party program is causing the issue. Try disabling/uninstalling apps one by one.

9. Create a New User Profile

If nothing else works, your user profile might be corrupted.

• Go to Settings → Accounts → Family & other users.
• Select Add someone else to this PC.
• Create a new account, log in, and test the search bar.

If it works there, the issue is limited to your old profile.

10. Reset Windows 10 (Last Resort)

If absolutely nothing helps, you may need to reset your system.

• Go to Settings → Update & Security → Recovery.
• Under Reset this PC, click Get started.

Choose whether to keep your files or remove everything. Only do this if you’ve tried all other fixes.

Final Thoughts

When the “Type here to search” bar stops working, it can feel like your whole workflow is disrupted—trust me, I know the pain. But as you can see, there are plenty of fixes, ranging from simple restarts to advanced scans. Personally, restarting Windows Explorer or running the troubleshooter usually works for me.

If you’re someone who depends on search as much as I do for everything—finding apps, settings, and even documents—don’t panic. With these steps, you’ll almost always get it working again without needing to call in tech support.