Settings search has never worked

clayto · 16 Nov 2019

I have had my Tablet PC for about 5 years. In this time the Search function has never worked, it just does not find anything I enter. It could be of some use if it did.

Regarding a related point, it is clear MS has not yet been able to carry out the planned replacement of Control Panel with Settings. I am not much bothered by that but why not simply enable the Search box in Settings to find the Control Panel? While not being the complete integration promised some years ago, it would be part way there, and maybe simple to implement.

dalchina · 16 Nov 2019

Hi, search in Settings relies on Windows indexed search. Further, changing certain of the default settings in Indexing Options prevents search in Settings working.

Option 3 here addresses the latter:
Rebuild Search Index in Windows 10

Do either of those ring bells?

But you also say

In this time the Search function has never worked,

do you mean
Cortana search (now not Cortana since 1903) - e.g. taskbar search field
OR
file explorer indexed search (top right) (i.e. instant results)
OR
both?

Is indexed search working? To test this, add one item to an indexed folder, noting the count of indexed items in Indexing Options. Does this increment?

why not simply enable the Search box in Settings to find the Control Panel?

If I type e.g. Device Manager in the Settings search box, and click the result, the CP Dev. Mgr opens.
Similarly one result for File Explorer Options -> the CP dialogue