After a long update (not Creators yet) nothing seemed to have changed apart from Cortana and Search, neither of which now work. Clicking the Cortana icon has no effect. I can set the Search window to display but it is grayed out and I am unable to enter anything. However, the Ask Cortana function in Edge does still work. How can I get the missing items back?
Hi, does this work if you create a new user account for test purposes?
If so, it's a problem particular to your user account. You can then try:
Reinstall and Re-register Apps in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials
- choosing between all accounts and your user account based on the outcome of the above.
If no luck, then
Download and run Hard Disk Sentinel (trial) to check your disk.
If ok then check your file system:
From an admin command 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:
How do I see the results of a CHKDSK that ran on boot? - Ask Leo!
Make sure the result is clear or fixed- else do not proceed.
If ok then from an admin command prompt run
SFC /SCANNOW
and post back the summary on screen.
Also advise state of Cortana again.
Last edited by dalchina; 24 Apr 2017 at 09:07.
Thanks for your response. I am a little confused, I presume you mean if it (ie.Cortana & Search) 'does not work'. It does not work in my Test account. I have rarely used other accounts --- it is interesting to see that some apps do and some do not work --- the reasons for the difference are not obvious to me.
Regarding the link to the HDD Scan utility, do you know if it is compatible with eMMC drives? I find no mention in the website and suspect not. My eMMC does not use SMART.
The ChkDsk of C drive reported no errors (I have been trying to find how to stop it scanning my D drive (SD card) automatically every time).
Sfc/scannow reports: "Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service." Sometimes it works, sometimes it works ---- when it does work it usually finds some corruptions it cannot repair and provides links to logs which for me are totally incomprehensible.
I don't know where this leaves me now!
1. Disk check. Chkdsk can pass if a disk is failing. Sorry, didn't note your technology - just noted laptop and proceeded accordingly.
Let's assume it's ok.
2. SFC .... so given that, I would suggest you try an in-place upgrade repair install. This follows the manner of a Windows installation or upgrade, and leaves things intact.
An In-place upgrade repair install will fix many things, but not those where the settings are not changed by the procedure.
For this you need an installation medium with the same base build as you have installed, and x64 if you have a 64 bits OS, else x86 (32 bits).
You should also make sure there's at least 500Mb of unallocated space on your system disk.
Recommendation:
Before you perform the following major repair procedure, do create a disk image (see below).
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade - Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials
- this includes a link from which you can obtain a Windows 10 iso file (" download a Windows 10 ISO"), or create a Win 10 bootable medium.
I would recommend creating the bootable medium, as this can be used
- for any future in-place upgrade repair install
- to boot from and use its recovery options should Windows become unbootable.
- to clean install Windows
This will refresh Windows, after the manner of a Windows installation.
- you keep all your programs
- you keep all your personal data
- However: if you have installed some on a 2nd drive, these must be uninstalled or reinstalled on C: - else you will get an error message that you can not keep your apps because they are in an unsupported directory.
"You can't keep Windows settings, personal files and apps because your current version of Windows might be installed in an unsupported directory"
- all/most associations will be unchanged
- you will lose any custom fonts
- you will lose any customised system icons
- you may need to re-establish your Wi-Fi connection
- you will need to redo Windows updates subsequent to the build you have used for the repair install
- Windows.old will be created
- system restore will be turned off- you should turn it on again and I recommend you manually schedule a daily restore point.
- you will need to redo any language downloads including the display language if you changed that)
- inactive title bar colouring (if used) will be reset to default
- if Qttabbar is installed, you need to re-enable it in explorer (Options, check Qttabbar)
This is one of the better features of Win10: as each major build comes out, that's your updated reference build, and as updates are mostly cumulative, there will be few to do.
Please consider using disk imaging regularly. It's a brilliant way to
- preserve your system (and your sanity)
- back up your data
- restore your system to a previously working state in a relatively short time
Recommended: Macrium Reflect (free/commercial) + boot disk/device + large enough external storage medium.
Thanks for all that guidance --- I will print it to keep until I am in a position to carry it out, if I have to. It is more than likely too optimistic but it has been suggested a major update (Creators?) could cure some of the issues I have (as long as they don't foul up the download). In particular I have not been able to download or update from the Store for some time --- the Cortana Search problem is much more recent, it seemed to be caused by the April cumulative update. Apart from that I can do most of the things I need to despite various gremlins. Downloading programs from WWW works fine.
You can of course try the upgrade instead of using a 1607 iso or boot disk- it's effectively the same except the build you get is different. Either way, we strongly recommend disk imaging.
If you are considering the Creator's upgrade, which will basically be inevitable at some point, first have a look through some of the lengthy threads here. My view: it's not quite ready for problem-free release, and needs some technical support.
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