Windows 10: Cortana process is missing, no search available

This is the results from the CHKDSK. The computer was shut down, and restarted, but it seems to have done the job.
Code: Checking file system on C: The type of the file system is NTFS. A disk check has been scheduled. Windows will now check the disk. Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ... 473600 file records processed. File verification completed. 15983 large file records processed. 0 bad file records processed. Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ... 563254 index entries processed. Index verification completed. 0 unindexed files scanned. 0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found. Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ... Cleaning up 16706 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9. Cleaning up 16706 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9. Cleaning up 16706 unused security descriptors. CHKDSK is compacting the security descriptor stream Security descriptor verification completed. 44828 data files processed. CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal... 41417408 USN bytes processed. Usn Journal verification completed. Correcting errors in the master file table's (MFT) BITMAP attribute. Correcting errors in the Volume Bitmap. Windows has made corrections to the file system. No further action is required. 487821311 KB total disk space. 148533680 KB in 281569 files. 206000 KB in 44831 indexes. 0 KB in bad sectors. 598739 KB in use by the system. 65536 KB occupied by the log file. 338482892 KB available on disk. 4096 bytes in each allocation unit. 121955327 total allocation units on disk. 84620723 allocation units available on disk. Internal Info: 00 3a 07 00 05 fa 04 00 7e 01 09 00 00 00 00 00 .:......~....... 2f bf 00 00 28 7e 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 /...(~.......... Windows has finished checking your disk. Please wait while your computer restarts.[/quote] How do you initiate the verification?

 

Hi, good. I launched Macrium's help, typed 'verification' in the search box:
Verifying image and backup files - KnowledgeBase - Macrium Reflect Knowledgebase

 

Good job at hinting at my own responsibility to find that myself.. Sorry. Thanks for your help. I started the verification. Once we get a second computer (coming next week) I will reinstall Windows. I don't want to do it now because this is now our only computer since our main one crashed.

Another thing: This computer has problems starting up. Sometimes instead of Windows starting, there will be a log displayed of things happening. I don't remember it all, but some of it has to do with "watch dog" I think. The last line is always "finished" and nothing more happens. after several force-reboots, Windows finally loads. Dunno if this is connected to search not working and divers other minor glitches...

 

Ok, best wait 'til then. You can still try an in-place upgrade repair of course.. there are other options, but sometimes those don't work. But if a clean install is easy (not many programs or things to configure) then go for that.

 

What's the difference? Then maybe it's the in-place upgrade repair that I had in mind. Using this page: Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

BUT: the wackiest thing of all is that search is working again. I was trying to find how to boot in safe mode, and tweaked only one (if I remember right): disabling Quick boot. Other than that, I don't think I made any changes. I did notice yesterday in Event Viewer, a whole list of errors relating to cortana not starting. Seems Windows tried to start it muliple times. If the problem persists (which seems likely to me) I will take further steps.

 

Some people find disabling fast startup useful- usually related to certain driver problems.

A clean install means- you have to re-download all non-Window store apps, configure settings, copy back data, reinstall desktop apps...

A repair install means you keep all your progs and most settings and all your data.

The first is longer- sometimes MUCH longer.
The second may solve problems- but not if corrupt or problematic settings are not overwritten, or the problem is related to an installed program.

 

Hi @dalchina
Now I cannot start that machine (using a laptop to send this). When I click on the lock screen, it darkens a little like it's supposed to, but no password box appears. Nothing at all except the three icons in the corner, power, ease of access, and network.
What do you suggest I do?

Thanks again for all your helpful knowledge.

 

Hi, click on the power button, press SHIFT and left click on restart. Navigate the lengthy set of prompts via a restart to Safe Mode and see if you can log in.

 

Holding Shift and clicking restart does not seem to be any different than a normal restart... I can't seem to be able to find a way to boot in safe mode. I did boot in safe mode earlier today, by mistake (I think because I had set that in msconfig) Then I tried to boot normally, and this new problem started. Numerous reboots, still not working. I was gone today, and my brother found it working, but Word would not open. He restarted it, and now it will not work... F8 is supposed to be the key to open the screen where you can select safe mode, but on this computer it opens the boot sequence list.

Would using the media creation tool to create a bootable USB reinstall Windows completely? All my programs lost? Could I use the Macrium image to recover my programs? Would it have been best if I had prepared a Rescue media?

I'm still hoping I can get this Windows to work long enough for me to do the in-place upgrade once the new computer comes. If this problem is related to the others this PC has been having, it's just a temporary belly-ache. But I have doubts.......

 

@dalchina
Can you give further suggestions? Attached is the screen that appears sometimes, and others times i try booting it, the lock screen comes, without the username, user picture, or password entry box. Sorry to seem impatient, I know you are very busy.

 

You could try booting from a win 10 boot medium, and navigating to select safe mode that way.
Safe Mode - Start Windows 10 in - Windows 10 Forums
Advanced Startup Options - Boot to in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
and for future reference you may find this of interest:
Safe Mode - Add to Boot Options in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Feel free to explore the many very practical, clear tutorials.

 

Hi,
After removing Avg, some of the problems have cleared up. Now since I still wanted a refresh, I tried the inplace upgrade that you recommended. This failed. I also tried the push button reset option, but that did not work since i could not use my mouse nor my keyboard at the screen "choose your keyboard layout. What do you think of all that?

 

If you have all your data backed up, time for a clean install.

 

Hi dalchina

I thought I'd come back to let you know that I did the clean install. Worked slick, spent a couple days setting up all my programs, and we're back to normal. Such an experience is always a great bother, but I learned a lot through it, almost more than I'll be able to remember.

Thanks again for your willing help! *Biggrin

Derek

 

I would have recommended a clean install myself, but looks like you got it sorted out. Good luck *Smile