Windows search doesn't always work

Sometimes when i search for a program or a file on my computer, windows finds nothing, even though the program is installed on my computer.

Instead of struggling with Cortana and Windows Search my preference is to use third party software.
Everything and UltraSearch can search one or more drives if wanted, with UltraSearch you can very quickly include and exclude drives from the search
Both are small, fast, reliable, very efficient and free
Both have portable versions (which I use) so you can test them without installing them.

Everything Search
UltraSearch

Good luck :)

Steve C said:

Eagle51 posted this fix for search problems last week - may be worth a try? Also, check your indexing option in Control Panel include the folders you want to index.

Try resetting the Search Index by doing the following.
Open regedit and navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search change SetupCompletedSuccessfully to 0 and reboot PC.

I also have search probs but there is no SetupCompletedSuccessfully should i add the key?

forget about it, i found it

Steve C said:

Eagle51 posted this fix for search problems last week - may be worth a try? Also, check your indexing option in Control Panel include the folders you want to index.

I'm not sure if im doing it right, but i have checked the options to include system folders and compressed files. I have also checked the option to always search for file names.

FrillyBits said:

Instead of struggling with Cortana and Windows Search my preference is to use third party software.

Alright, so I just tested both of these programs, and they find everything that windows doesn't find, so windows search is definitely buggy. Still, I would like to fix windows search so I can search from the start menu, I have been doing that for years and Im used to doing it that way.

if I search for "Warcraft 3" windows will say that it found nothing even though the game is installed on my C drive.

Does Warcraft 3 appear in Win 10's Start Menu? And does it appear in the same folder as the other shortcuts that are indexed?
Have you tried this option (top left?)

Bear in mind that Cortana search seems limited to what's been indexed- for deeper search it refers you to file explorer.

Want a problem free start menu? Use one that really works. Classic Shell (free) which also uses Windows search and is customisable.

Steve C said:

Try resetting the Search Index by doing the following.
Open regedit and navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search change SetupCompletedSuccessfully to 0 and reboot PC.

This caused windows to crash, and i coudnt recover windows afterwards. I have tried all the solutions offered by windows to recover my old installation, but windows didnt want to coorporate. I have been working really hard yesterday and today to try and get windows working again.

xpclient said:

Yes Classic Shell's search is better as well as its menu navigation and all of its amazing customization. There are now many reasons to use it - the Windows 10 menu is worse at everything if you do an objective comparison.

I have been using classic shell for about a year, its amazing and i couldnt live without it.