Windows 10 search finds nothing

Hi, could you clarify where you are starting your search - do you mean the search bar in the taskbar, Cortana (same thing), or the search field in file explorer?

A screenshot would be great.
To post a screenshot please use the Insert Image icon above your post. Thanks.

Are you perhaps seeing a slowly moving green progress bar in file explorer?

Is what you are searching for in an indexed folder?

If you are searching from file explorer, are you starting from a point that is not included in indexing options?

Please post a screenshot of your Indexing Options


Please run the Search troubleshooter and post the outcome.

(Settings, search for 'trouble', click 'Troubleshoot' -- scroll down , find the one you need).

And check the file system of the disk you are searching:
E.g. if it's C:
Now check your file system:

From an admin command or powershell prompt
[Windows key + X, click command prompt (admin)]
chkdsk C: /F
Your PC will need to restart.
Post back the result, which you can get after a restart as follows:
Read Chkdsk Log in Event Viewer in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials
or
How to read Event Viewer log for Chkdsk in Windows 10 [Tip] | dotTech

It helps to know what you are trying to search for and if it is in file explorer, Cortona or the Search Toolbar.

Yes, it will take time. That it crashed suggests you have other problems. I think you need to check basics before going further.

1. First check your disk(s):
Download and run Hard Disk Sentinel (trial) (includes SSDs)
(This gives exceptionally good text comments)
Post a screenshot of its GUI using the Insert Image icon above your post.
If all disks are reported as good, continue.

2. Now check your file system:

From an admin command or powershell prompt
[Windows key + X, click command prompt (admin)]
chkdsk C: /F
Your PC will need to restart.
Post back the result, which you can get after a restart as follows:
Read Chkdsk Log in Event Viewer in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials
or
How to read Event Viewer log for Chkdsk in Windows 10 [Tip] | dotTech

3. From an admin command or powershell prompt run
SFC /SCANNOW

These will help to establish the basic integrity of your system.

If you have disk problems, there's no point trying to rebuild the search index- it could fail to do so or get stuck.

If all is well, run the Windows Search troubleshooter described above and post the outcome.

Please follow those steps in order, else we could end up wasting our time.

If those pass, then try rebuilding the index, checking the number of items indexed increases in Indexing Options.

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