Windows 10: Windows Explorer Search no longer functioning

My windows search has stopped working. It cannot find any files. For example, if I go to C:\Temp and try to find a file called example.txt it cannot find the file nor any other file.


If I go to Index Options, the dialog is blank and although it says waiting to receive indexing status it never returns with any values after several hour. If I click on the "Advanced" button the dialog locks up and I need to kill the process in task manager or reboot my PC.




The registry looks like this


It there a way to blow away the WSearch process and completely reset it so that it rebuilds all its files? I have been searching for solutions but have not found any that worked. BTW, sfc /scannow returns nothing. The troubleshooter also returns nothing. To me, the troubleshooter is NOT looking at everything that could be wrong nor does it have a way to reset search WHICH it should.


Looking for help, anyone have any possible solutions?


When I try to delete all the search files, it fails. Should I be shutting down the WSearch service first? Is there a command line command(s) to make this easy to do in a batch?

:)

 

WINDOWS EXPLORER SEARCH FUNCTION

Just a follow up to my original question. None of the suggestions have helped. Explorer Search function still just searches forever with no results. Thanks, Harry

 

setting default view for Winodws Explorer Search Reasults

Thank you for the detailed response. To change the search result's view from content to list, we suggest following the steps below:

• Open the File Explorer and try to search for files.
• In the toolbar, open the View tab and click List
  to change the view.
• Once changed, close the File Explorer.
• Open the File Explorer again and try to search to see if the setting has been retained.

After performing the steps above, reply back to us so we can provide additional help.

 

File Explorer Search Not Working


I am trying to search in File Explorer (Windows Explorer, My Computer) and it will not find anything. I can copy text from a name in the list and paste it in the search box and it still finds nothing. I have looked at the suggestions that have been posted and nothing I find that is relative to this works. Anyone have any suggestions? I am running Win 10 Pro on an I3 coustom desktop computer.