Remove uninstalled apps that show up on Windows Search

When using the Start Menu to search something that has been uninstalled, it still shows up there. It does nothing when pressed, and right-clicking doesn't work, even after reinstalling the app.

The apps are present for all users.

I tried searching for the links in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs and %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs, but didn't find anything.

I also deleted the search index and disabled the indexation service; it had no effect.

As a last resort, I tried nuking every path/key that contained the application's name in the registry. I thought I was onto something when I found multiple infracting apps under a certain key, but deleting them proved useless (also, I'm sorry I can't find the key's name; it was something of a non-UWP app listing for the start menu, specifically).

I missed listing CCleaner, but I did run it.

I did reboot multiple times after trying each method, but it's always still there. The issue is, even when Skype is installed and there is a proper link in the Programs folder, if I press the Windows key and type Skype, the search result simply doesn't start it. Only if I manually scroll down to the Skype folder in the start menu and use the link inside it I can get it to start. I also can't right click it.

I mean desktop apps. Here's a gif: Gfycat GIFs GIF | Create, Discover and Share on Gfycat

In the gif I shared, I try to both right-click and left-click. You can see nothing happens.

It clearly says "Desktop App" under the Skype name, it's just in Portuguese.

It's not the only app to which this is happening, I have a couple others. It seems random.

I uninstalled them using Apps & features and/or using Revo Uninstaller. However, the issue appeared the first time whilst Skype was installed. In retrospective, I should've named the thread "Random app search results do not work".

Right now Skype IS installed, and it still shows the behaviour you can see in the gif. If I uninstall it, the same thing will happen, as it is happening with other apps (right now StarCraft is the only one I can tell, but there might be more that I can't recall).

I'm not quite sure why this was moved.

This is clearly an issue with Windows Search/Start Menu. The apps are properly uninstalled and they don't seem to be the cause of the problems.

dalchina said:

You can try this:
Start Menu Troubleshooter in Windows 10 Windows 10 Customization Tutorials

And as a troubleshooting approach you can also try downloading and installing Classic Start Menu (free).
This is an excellent and reliable program which behaves intuitively.

Using that, see if you still see any of the shortcuts you believe should not be there. If they are, rt clicking them should give you more options to find what and where they are.

To return to normal Win 10 just rt click its start button, click exit.

Also, you can try creating a new user for test purposes, and see if you have the same problems with that user. If not, it suggests something related to your current user account.

By Classic Start Menu, do you mean this?

Also, I did mention on the original topic that the issue is present in all user accounts.

The Start Menu diagnostic cab did not find any issue.

So, I installed Classic Shell. The unwanted/uninstalled apps do not show up under the All Programs list, nor do they show up when searching by their name.

Exiting back to the regular Start Menu shows the same erratic behaviour.

Hey there,

I have searched in the 3 locations indicated in that tutorial, already. The fact that it shows up for all users in the local machine suggests it's not in a User folder/setting, so the MS Community tip was lackluster.

The search programs did not locate anything.