Windows unable to to search for any files (even searching directly in a folder)

Hello Gr8rgud,

The search issue you're experiencing on Windows 10 might be caused by a corrupted user profile. That being said, I'll need more information to properly address your concern. Kindly verify the following:

• When did the issue start?
• Did you notice any system setting changes prior to the issue?
• Are you getting any error messages?
• Can you tell me the current OS Build of your Windows 10 system? You can find this information by clicking the Start button, type About your PC, press Enter, and then scroll down to Windows specifications.

The SFC tool is designed to scan your system for corruptions in Windows system files and restores corrupted files. For further troubleshooting, I recommend running the DISM command-line tool. This tool will scan your Windows system image to determine if there are any corrupted system components. Just like the SFC tool, you will need administrative permission to run this tool. Please refer to this support article for the steps on how to run the DISM command-line tool.

We're looking forward to your response.

Thank you for a fast response.

Further details:

-I am not sure on exactly when I noticed when this issue started but have come to knowledge it recently. I originally brushed it off as something   minor a few months ago. Due to this I think it might have occurred when I cloned my OS drive to an SSD. The software I used was Macrium.

-There are also not error messages at the moment either.

-Another thing I should mention is that using the start menu search can find installed programs (newly installed or installed since I had my PC)

-OS BUILD: 16299.402 

As for the DISM tool I will give it a try.

Thanks!

I tried the DISM and nothing changed. Also this problem spans across all accounts new or old.

Thank you for that information. If the issue is happening across different user profiles, it is possible that it caused by a misconfiguration of one of the system services. For further troubleshooter, I suggest running the troubleshooter for search and indexing You will need administrative permission to perform this procedure.

1. Select the Start button.
2. Type Troubleshoot and then press Enter.
3. Choose Search and Indexing under Find and fix other problems.
4. Click Run the troubleshooter.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

I also advise checking if Windows Search service is enabled on your system. This service handles the indexing, property caching, and search results for your emails, documents, and other files.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Type Services and then hit Enter.
3. Locate Windows Search.
4. Right-click Windows Search.
5. Go to the General tab.
6. Change the Startup type to Automatic.
7. Click Apply and then OK.
8. Restart your PC.

Please respond back with the results.

Thank you for the quick reply

Using the trouble shooter yielded no results and just said there were no problems found.

I have already set the Windows search to automatic before writing this. 

None of these worked so far but hope to find a solution

Thnaks

I have just made an important recent discovery which can change all of this.

The windows Indexing Options won't index the C: drive. the summary will not show the main OS drive as the one being indexed. Even though it IS selected.

Screenshot:

I hope this can give better insight into what is actually happening. The problem now only seems to occur on the main C: drive.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Thank you for clarifying the situation. You should still be able to search files from your Local Disk even it is not indexed. It's just that search process will take longer.

Before we proceed further, I would like to check if the paging file is enabled on your Windows 10 system. The paging file acts as an additional RAM for your system. If this is disabled, some functions of your computer might be limited.

1. Click the Start button, type sysdm.cpl, and then hit Enter.
2. Go to the Advanced tab, click Setting under Performance.
3. Go to the Advanced tab, click Change under Virtual memory.
4. Make sure that the check box for Automatically manage paging files size for all drives is selected.

To eliminate the possibility of a software conflict, you can perform a clean boot. A clean boot is performed to start Windows by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This helps eliminate software conflicts that occur when you use your Windows device. You can watch our YouTube video

We'll be waiting for the results.