Explorer and taskbar search not working

Roadster1950 · 29 Jul 2020

Build 1904.338

When I click into the search bar the cursor doesnt appear, a black box briefly appears above and I cannot type. The same happens in the File Explorer search box. After many frustrating googles and many blind allys I am stuck trying to find out if the search service is actually running. Task manager Services tab, click "Open Services" and a blank window opens res://C:%5CWINDOWS%5Csystem32%5Cmmcndmgr.dll/views.htm

Could someone assist please?

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Also I have just found, if I go into computer management and click on services and applications I get res://C:%5CWINDOWS%5Csystem32%5Cmmcndmgr.dll/views.htm

dalchina · 29 Jul 2020

Hi, welcome to tenforums.

History: (so often omitted by posters):
- when did this start happening?
- what happened immediately before that? (e.g. update, cat walked over keyboard, instatllation, uninstallation, lightning struck the house...)
- were you able to use Windows search in build 1909 previously?

Do you have a System restore point created before this started happening which you could use?

For test purposes, create a new user and log in as that user. Does the same thing happen?

Build number: 1904 is not a valid number. Do you mean 1903 or 1909 perhaps? or 2004?

Ghot · 29 Jul 2020

@dalchina

I think the build is supposed to be: 10.0.19041.388

Roadster1950 · 29 Jul 2020

Sorry.... Version 2004(OS Build 19041.388)

No system Restore points except from today. What happened to them??

Yes Windows Search has worked fine previously, I'm unsure when exactly it stopped working but I am suspicious that the last update knackered it.

I am unable to create a new user as when I click on Add Someone Else a black box appears breifly the dissappears. However I do have another account on the PC and that exibits the same symptoms.

dalchina · 29 Jul 2020

Hi, as you're unable to create a new user, we can't prove that this is user profile corruption rather than general Windows corruption, although the latter seems more likely.

No system restore point- I guess you haven't yet discovered the value of using disk imaging (e.g. Macrium Reflect - free/paid) - which would let you restore your PC to a previous good state without help.

You could, of course, try uninstalling the last update or so to see if anything improves.

Otherwise you could try an in-place upgrade repair install which keeps all progs and data like any upgrade and requires a 2004 iso file (freely downloadable). Tutorials available if needed.

You will need at least 30Gb of disk space free on C:

However, if this is actually user profile corruption, which seems unlikely as you have two with the same problem, this wil not help.

Roadster1950 · 29 Jul 2020

When I try to uninstall updates I get "An error has occured. Not all of the updates were successfully uninstalled"

dalchina · 29 Jul 2020

Thank you for your reply.

Best try a couple of basic checks:
a. check your disk e.g. Crystal Disk info- smart parameters.
b. if ok, from an admin command or Powershell prompt run
chkdsk c: /scan

If ok proceed with an in-place upgrade repair install as above.

As you haven't commented on disk imaging, I assume you haven't been using it to protect your PC, your data and - in the worst case- your sanity. (I've seen people in tears when forced to clean install).

Roadster1950 · 29 Jul 2020

I do have an EaseUS Todo backup.

I'll persue the other avenues first.

dalchina · 29 Jul 2020

Thank you for your reply. If your image is not recent, restoring it could affect your data significantly. An in-place upgrade repair install would affect neither progs nor data, and may help.

Roadster1950 · 30 Jul 2020

dalchina said:

Thank you for your reply. If your image is not recent, restoring it could affect your data significantly. An in-place upgrade repair install would affect neither progs nor data, and may help.

I'll try that tomorrow.

Thanks for the help so far.

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Inplace upgrade repair has done the trick. Everything seems to OK on first look.

Many Thanks!