Windows 10: Dead! Search the Web and Windows

Something seems to have changed, so that I am no longer able to type anything in to the search space. How may Have caused that to happen? And, please, how do I rectify?

:)

 

Start, search bar and right-click on IE11 all not working

Same problem with start menu, dead. Also search the web and windows bar is dead. Right click on Internet Explorer 11 is dead. Real slow start up. I thank everyone for the suggestions although they didn`t work. Bottom line is, no when to call it quits. Going
back in life seems to be the norm.

Original title: win/10

 

"Search the web and Windows" does not search for what I entered

I searched for 'thunderbolt 3' and this feature decided to search for 'thunderbolt interface'. Why did that happen? That;'s a very basic search and it got what I wanted to search for 50% wrong.

 

Hi, could you clarify, perhaps with a screenshot to be sure, which search space?

Possibilities:
A browser search field
Explorer search
Settings search
Cortana search

Thanks!

 

Reading from your title, I have a feeling your Cortana is NOT enabled.

Before Cortana is enabled, the search bar will say " Search the web and Windows "





After Cortana is enabled, the search bar will say " Ask me anything "





As far as I can remember, if Cortana is not enabled, the search bar will not function.

 

@Both It is the grey version, yet I could enter something there for about a week after entering trial period. May it be relevant that I use Chrome 64 bit as browser, and had to reinstall it a few days ago?

 

What "trial period "?
You are running Enterprise evaluation version ?

I know nothing about Enterprise version.
I apologize and allow me to bow out.

 

Try it : *Arrow Index - Rebuild - Windows 7 Help Forums

Everything is identical for windows 10.

A single go may not work. Try it thrice. Rebuild > Restart > Rebuild > Restart > Rebuild > Restart
Hopefully the seh function will be back at its place.

 

I mean the month in which one can revert to 7 or 8.

 

Oh. Sorry.
I misunderstood.
Is your Cortana enabled ?

 

If you press the Windows key and S, a Cortana window should open. Could you post a screenshot- and how many icons do you see down the left side?

Is any helpful message displayed?

If you open Settings, Privacy, General, do you see any message in red?

Click the Action Centre icon in the system tray - is the Location tile 'lit' (on)?

Have you made any changes to Language settings?

Do you have any system restore points you could use, or other backups (system image or disk image)?

 

@chipwood:
Have you run any kind of 'Anti-Telemetry' applications?
(There are many floating around the web, usually of the 'sketchy' kind)

 

This post is an attempt at a concise composite reply to the questions and suggestions made by everyone on my problem. I hope it is enough to be of use, and await further advice ofbest way forward.
I have run indexing three times and the search box is still grey and inactive. The Windows icon to the left is white, but shows blue momentarily with a mini-brief flash of, I think, the hour glass. Cortana I switched to “on” last evening but the search box did not change attributes. This morning I checked find settings and Cortana is on. Windows-S has no effect.
Action Centre Icon shows “no new notifications”, and, in case it is of use, right clicking to open does nothing. The series of boxes on the desktop is missing too.
Anti-telemetry applications, I have no idea what they are, so I cannot say.
There is no message in red in privacy.
I do have several Sys Res points available, and the disc on to which I burnt the ISO Windows 10 image.
Language before all this happened I noticed it had been rest from UK to US and altered it back.

 

So it is not the seh function only but some other elements of the taskbar are not performing their job.

Do you mean desktop icons by "The series of boxes on the desktop"?

If so, I would say that something has messed up the system/registry. It might be an aggressive disk cleanup tool, it might be a virus, it might be an improper windows update/upgrade.

Whatever, IMHO a clean reinstall will be the easiest way to resolve it.

 

I'll have to read link very carefully. As my computer has quite dated BIOS would it be better to use that or UEFI (presuming I can and can set it up)? Because of time I can't do it today, anways.