Unable to type in W10 Cortana Search or Settings since recent updates

SamRick · 13 Jul 2017

Ever since I allowed a new set of Windows 10 updates to execute and restart a day or so ago, I have found that I can no longer use the search facility (Win-S), and search for specific items in Settings (Win -I), because as I type on those windows, no text appears.

I can type into any other UI that I have used since then - including this one (Google Chrome).

Does anyone have any ideas why this should have happened? I'm guessing that one of the updates changed a setting somewhere, but I haven't the slightest idea where to look.

I have tried looking for a means to manage Cortana and/or the search function, but I cannot find it - it must be there somewhere!

. My frustration isn't helped by the fact that I cannot search for help!!

Help!

Caledon Ken · 13 Jul 2017

Hi SamRick.

Could you please verify your Build number. It appears in specs as Build 10586 which is quite old and maybe be related to issue.

There is a Trouble Shooter for "Search" that may help. In older versions of W10 it is within Control Panel. On V1703 it is a heading with Update and security settings.

Ken

SamRick · 13 Jul 2017

Hi Ken,

Winver reports v 1607, OS build 14393.1480. From memory, I don't believe that has changed recently. I know that the Creator's update will be coming along soon, but it hasn't hit me yet. Is that v 1703?

I should update my specs here!

I'll try to find the Search troubleshooter, and post here if anything significant turns up.

Thanks
Sam

Caledon Ken · 13 Jul 2017

Yes Sam, 1703 is Creators.

If you open Control Panel under the Green heading "Security and Maintenance" one of the sub headings is Troubleshoot common problems.

Ken

SamRick · 13 Jul 2017

Hi again Ken,

No joy with the troubleshooter functions, I'm afraid. In the section for troubleshooting, 3 of the 4 categories didn't look relevant - (old) Programs, Hardware and Sound, Network and Internet.

Only 'Fix problems with Windows Update' and 'Run maintenance tasks' under 'System and Security' seemed to be possibilities, and I tried both, at admin status, but they reported nothing amiss. 'Improve Power Usage', the only other option, didn't seem relevant.

Nada, zilch, nothing at all.

Have you any more inspirations?
Sam

Caledon Ken · 13 Jul 2017

Sorry, go back in. Look over on left, top of column, should be a heading View All.

dalchina · 14 Jul 2017

Hi, I have the same build, no problems with search.

First check search in file explorer. Let's eliminate search indexing issues- I doubt it's that that's the problem. If you like you can go to Indexing Options (Windows key + X, Control Panel, Indexing Options) and add an item to an indexed location and check the number increases.

If that's working, troubleshooting Windows search is not the issue.

Please try creating a new user for test purposes, then check the symptoms you describe. If you have no problems when logged in as the new user, then the problem is related to your current user profile.

If you have the same problems, then try the same in Safe Mode and after a clean boot.

If you still have the same problems, then the problem seems related to the newer Win 10 features and a repair is called for.

SamRick · 14 Jul 2017

Thank you, Caledon Ken and Dalchina, for giving me your time to help me sort this out.

Following on from Ken's additional post about getting more out of the Windows troubleshooter functions, I opened 'View All', and selected 'Windows Store Apps' to examine. Attached are two screen clips of the results;
1) 'Windows Store cache may be damaged', after resetting and opening the Store app, in which window, by the way, I could not type in the search box, as described earlier.
2) Another confirmation of the same.

This suggests to me that somewhere around the working of this cache may be where the problem lies. I don't know, but I wonder if the other functions of Windows that aren't working properly are related to the Windows Store in some way - 'Start' and 'Search'. Can either of you confirm that?

Clearly, at least as the first step, this cache needs cleaning up. Have you any ideas as to how to do that? I'd really like to avoid having to do a Windows reinstall if I can, for very obvious reasons.

Thanks
Sam

dalchina · 14 Jul 2017

I have opened the tutorial list for you
Windows 10 Tutorial Index Windows 10 Tutorials
and searched for cache and found
Clear and Reset Store Cache in Windows 10 Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials

It's worth being familiar with the extensive and professional quality tutorials.

However I'm pretty sure that has nothing directly to do with your other problem, and if so, reiterate my previous post.

SamRick · 17 Jul 2017

Thanks Dalchina.
I opened the tutorial, and followed the simple option; start 'Store service', and run WSreset.exe to clear the cache.
That appeared to run successfully - no errors reported - but the problem remains.

As I mentioned initially, I cannot type from the keyboard directly into the 'Start' window (to search for an app), or into Settings, or any other Store-derived app.

If it's significant - I don't know - I have found that if I type the text I want to enter in a Notepad window, then select and copy that, I can paste that copied text into those windows I cannot type directly in, with a right-click/Paste from the mouse. Somehow, it appears that the keyboard buffer is being locked off from those apps, but only those apps - all other executable programs - non-Store - work as normal.

Does this observation offer any clues? If the Store cache is involved in the input to Start and Store apps, and remains corrupted, or something else is amiss, not being sufficiently knowledgeable about the internals of Windows, it seems a puzzle to me how it is that text can be input from the copy/paste buffer.

Next I will try testing this phenomenon in a new account and while in Safe mode; as you suggest, that may help to tie down where the anomaly is located.