Windows 10: cortana / search not working properly

Spent all day with new laptop getting it setup. Apart from some hiccups all gone well but one glitch. Cortana works pretty much fine but the search facility isn't working properly. Say I want to 'create a restore point'. I'll type 'res' and it gets found by Cortana as per the first screenshot. But when I click the best match 'Create a restore point' I get the second screen. So it never finds it and opens it. Been like it all day even after allowing the laptop plenty of idle time. Funny thing is it's only doing it for the new settings GUI functions, you know those that have the cog wheel icon next to them. Everything else that is found can be opened, ie. word, old style control panel, files etc etc. Any ideas?

Cheers,
Wayne

:)

 

Cortana search is not working properly

Solution found!

Run the below in PowerShell:

Solves the issue right away, without any restart.

 

Cortana search is not working properly

did you do this from Cortana's search box? fount paint strait away for me just now.

 

Hello Wayne,

The thing that is odd is that the Create a Restore point should not be associated with the new Settings GUI but is actually a control panel function. Here is what I see on mine:




It looks like your search has made a wrong association and maybe you need to reset the search index. To do this type index in the search box and you should be able to open the control panel index options.





Then click on advanced and this will allow you to rebuild the index.





Cheers,
Phil

 

Thanks Phil, I'll give that a go. Your certainly right about the association looking slightly wrong. Although I do get the same problem for correctly associated new GUI settings like 'Reset this pc' 'Lock Screen' etc

I did google extensively the 'search results aren't quite ready yet' phrase and struggled to find anything succinct. A lot of people have had the same problem or similar. It's suggested that it could be down to the language / regional settings - although my machine is set to UK for everything. I did have to download UK language pack etc after initial setup, it seems Windows 10 likes to default to US despite selecting UK during the first time login setup phase. I'll take a system image of my laptop in the next day or two, having worked so long yesterday on bringing it upto speed and after that give your suggestion a try.

 

Hi, it's not just one download to set up UK language fully for Cortana to be happy as I recall. Speech too (it will warn you about the need to do so - a download).
There are several things to do- the one thing that's not important (to Cortana) is the keyboard.

Found my post when I struggled with this..
Solved Settings: (UK - US ok) - Windows 10 Forums

On my new laptop, it was 'easy' - maybe 'cos I knew what to expect and look for.
E.g. Control Panel, Region (or Settings equivalent); Settings/Region & Language Settings/Speech, Location...



See Setup Tab:
why isn't cortana available on my windows 10 pc - Bing

Note that an in-place upgrade repair install will lose your language downloads...(!)

 

Thanks I'll look at this too. I wanted to take a system image last night so didn't look into this further yet. I am pretty convinced I already downloaded the above items already (apart from handwriting) but I guess I should check again and then ensure everything is on UK (I am pretty sure it is).

I am convinced my issue is language related (although I will try the index rebuild too) - I just find the whole Windows 10 setup process strange. During first time boot of my PC it asked me about region which I set as UK. Yet despite this it defaults certain things to US - I would of thought as part of first time setup it should set Cortana's language to match and automatically download the relevant language pack. Seems we have to jump through hoops to get things working as they should. My other desktop PC works correctly on the search. I may need to compare the two machines side by side.

Cheers,
Wayne

 

Yep, it's messy, untidy, ill-coordinated. At one point after changing it to UK, for several days my keyboard setting would seemingly randomly toggle. (It's been stable for weeks now).

As to your search, Cortana search of Settings relies on indexed search, as you know, so if Indexing Options shows your index is incomplete as I'd expect it would, that could explain the odd behaviour.

Under Indexing Options you could try Troubleshooting...

 

I didn't do the index rebuild yet but after playing with the language settings over and over tonight I got an improvement as per the screenshots. I added the US language back in but didn't set it as default. Maybe that had an affect or changing overrides and then back again. Anyway search within settings now works and the Cortana search looks more sensible. Although in the second screenshot clicking 'Best Match - Reset this pc' as a test does nothing. So it's better but still not 100% but I'll take it. Other user accounts still have the same issue even though I applied settings to welcome screen, all user accounts and new user accounts. It's pretty hit and miss but seeing as I am the one using this laptop 99% of the time I guess it's important my user account is functioning best for this. I may try the index rebuild soon, but my wife is on verge of throwing the laptop out the window the amount of troubleshooting and time I spend on it - so I better stay off it for a couple days if I can resist, lol.

 

The worst thing may be if your wife starts talking to you and you then tell her sthg about PC problems without acknowledging what she says... *chuckle

 

Lol. Yep they don't seem to understand. To her everything just works! And she'd soon get cross if the internet went down or something wasn't working correctly, but has no idea the amount of effort I put into all the tech we have in the house. I'd rather be relaxing than battling a cortana search issue that's for sure.

 

I tried the indexing rebuild but it doesn't seem to do anything or kick anything off. Just says about how it might take a long time, I click Ok and then back to the screen attached straight away, Any other ideas?



.

 

Hi, can you confirm you are not now getting "search results are not complete" as per your first post, given the indexing is complete?

Now, considering Indexing Options in the Control Panel - here's mine



- pretty much default - just the 'Test Search' added.

So is your problem still the response to clicking on what's found? Not sure where we're up to here..

It does look as though you've made changes to what's indexed. It's important to leave some part of what's in Users alone, as that indexes Settings, for example.

 

No I have never touched it before. I get the same issues as in my very first post/screenshot unfortunately

 

Indexing is something that goes on in the background, I can't believe it actually re-indexed that fast! I'd be a bit suspicious either that the index rebuild was not triggered or that it is still happening in the background and you will not see the benefit until it has finished.