Broken search result links

Hi,
First, do you have System Restore points you can use? (System Restore has been in Windows since XP).
If so, restore your PC to before you installed them, as this was recent, you say.

If not, this will be messier. Start by fully uninstalling them.

Download and install a program called Geek uninstaller (free, easy to find).

Run this- you will see a list of installed programs. Check these are shown.
If they are, right click on 1, and click uninstall.
Wait for the normal uninstall sequence to progress - if it does. (If things are messed up, a program may not uninstall normally).
Wait for Geek U. to perform a scan for remaining items. Choose carefully to approve their deletion.

Repeat for the other program.

Now wait a few minutes with your PC idle for search indexing to hopefully update.

Now try a search for these in the search field.

If they are still found, you may need to check to see if search indexing is working, or rebuild the search index.

Ok so you'll need to try this to check if you have anything related to them.

Using 3rd party uninstallers is far safer than scanning the registry.

Download Revo uninstaller (free) and Locate32 (free). Now Revo won't list these programs 'cos
a. They may not be 'installed'
b. You've hacked the registry- which will most probably make Revo ineffective. However..

But it can be pointed at an exe belonging to the program and then do a scan.
You will use Locate 32 to find any folders related to the programs.


Note: to give you a second chance when things go wrong- or your disk fails- or you're infected with Ransomware - we strongly recommend using disk imaging (e.g. Macrium Reflect (free) + external storage.

With a disk image set, you could have restored an image and have your PC working as it was when you created the image- quite quickly, without technical help. Great tool! All regular contributors here use this or similar,

So this is what I'd do if I were in this mess.

1. Run Locate 32, and tell it to create an index. Wait for that.
Now type Gwent in the search box and see if it finds anything.
See if there are any exe files in the found folders (if any).

2. Run Revo Uninstaller.
Use the Forced Uninstall button

and browse to your exe.

Run Revo to remove what it can.

Repeat for any other remaining exe files.

2. Repeat the above for the other program.

3. Check these start menu folders for any occurrence of the two programs
C:\Users\<your id here>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
and remove any related shortcuts

4. Rebuild your search index

You should probably try a repair install first, and only go with clean install if it doesn't clean up your current situation. This is nicely documented in a TenForums.com tutorial: Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials .
HTH,
--Ed--

Hi, can you search for files if you use file explorer?

I.e. is only a search using Cortana as the front end affected?

If you create and log in as a new user for test purposes, does a Cortana search work then?

If so, an in-place repair install is unlikely to help.

Good point, Dalchina. Hadn't considered those wrinkles. Sometimes, wiping the drive clean and starting over fresh is the only way to solve difficult issues (in a reasonable amount of time, anyway).
Thanks,
--Ed--

Then you'll need to clean install on that basis- nothing else I can suggest.
Unless you have any form of disk image or recovery image you've previously created (we strongly and repeatedly recommend routine disk imaging to protect you from disk failures, unbootable PCs, ransomware, unfixable problems- and oh yes, the user (!) )