How to add stuff in Windows Start menu search?

I rebuilt my index and I can't find anything via the search. Not Device Manager, Control Panel, Steam, or anything.

Some of the things you seek can be found on the Right-click of the Start button. The Search box may retain a history of several things already looked for but don't think you can keep that list forever, changes over time/usage.

Well on all previous versions of Windows you could access all installed programs this way.

Installing programs does create entries on the Start menu. Part of your question was "I can't find anything via the search" which is what I responded to. As for Control Panel, again it's on the Right-click menu of the Start button along with other very useful things. Steam is not part of Windows but should have an entry on Start, All Apps which is the old All Programs, just another one of those irritating things from texting where names get changed then shortened.

My point is that when everyone else types is "Device Manager" or "Control Panel," it comes up in search. I want to fix my search.

pareod said:

My point is that when everyone else types is "Device Manager" or "Control Panel," it comes up in search. I want to fix my search.

Sorry, I didn't catch that your Search is broken. Typing those 2 items in mine causes them to open.

@pareod,
Was everything working fine before and suddenly these things disappeared?

Cause that is exactly what happened with me.

Mine didn't appear before either.

pareod said:

Mine didn't appear before either.

I just reinstalled Windows 10, everything seems fine now.
But a friend on mine who had 10 and his was working fine, he reinstalled (complete clean install) and his start menu got messed up like mine was.

Have the same problem. Just a few hours ago, typing "windows update" showed "Check for updates", but now searching for windows update will simply bring up a web link to the Windows Update for XP which runs in the browser. Searching for "Check for updates" which is the exact name of what shows up when you type "windows update" shows the updater for Java. Disabling include web results results in nothing showing up at all.