Windows 10: Windows Start Menu Search not finding WinWord.exe

I have a puzzle.


I am having a problem with Office 365 right now. It caused me to search for WinWord.EXE. When I used the Start menu, it did not find the file. Start menu did find the Word tile. Opening the file location of the Tile gave me the shortcut. The shortcut properties gave me this path:

"C:\Program Files x86\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\WINWORD.EXE"


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So, why did start menu not find the file? What setting would block searching that location?

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I also use a file name search tool called "Everything" from Void tools. It hooks directly into NTFS to do it's searches. It also does not find this file. It does find some other files that match the pattern

:)

 

Windows Start Menu Search not finding WinWord.exe

I have a puzzle.

I am having a problem with Office 365 right now. It caused me to search for WinWord.EXE. When I used the Start menu, it did not find the file. Start menu did find the Word tile. Opening the file location of the Tile gave me the shortcut. The shortcut
properties gave me this path:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\WINWORD.EXE"

.

So, why did start menu not find the file? What setting would block searching that location?

.

I also use a file name search tool called "Everything" from Void tools. It hooks directly into NTFS to do it's searches. It also does not find this file. It does find some other files that match the pattern

 

Windows Start Menu Search not finding WinWord.exe

Sorry Elise, that is a totally irrelevant reply. Windows file search problems have nothing to do with the Office installation, which is Working just fine. For the most part.

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The issue arose due to a change in the way in how 365 works, or to the point no longer works, when I sign out. That problem is documented in this ongoing question.

Why does signing out suddenly de-activate office?

The point is, as part of my trouble shooting I searched for WinWord.EXE using the Win10 Start menu. It does not matter if I am signed in to 365 or not, the 365 WinWord.exe file is never found by the start menu. That appears to be another change, because
I have done that in the past. Irritatingly, the start menu does find my 2010 Winword.exe, so it does know how to search system application folders.

 

Windows Start Menu Search not finding WinWord.exe

Good question. I didn't think to try it.

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Just tried, it found NONE, not even the 2010.

Even searching for just Word, does not find the shortcut used in the start menu. MS search sucks. They just can't do a decent search anywhere, not in Windows not in Bing.