How to fix ‘Windows Could Not Start the Windows Search Service’ issue

This article will show you how to fix ‘Windows Could Not Start the Windows Search Service’ issue. When you install a bad Windows update, Windows search usually stops giving you search results. This means you can’t use the Windows search utility. It can be fixed quickly by clicking on the empty space in Windows Search, but this isn’t a long-term fix. To fix this problem for good, you need to do the things below. If you don’t get better with one of the solutions, try another one. They’ve all helped other people in different situations.

The Windows Search Service is a powerful tool that comes with the Search app. It helps organize the extracted features of a group of documents and simply show search results in a better way. This service, called WSS, handles files by looking at a group of documents, pulling out useful data, and then organizing that data to return the properties of the documents in response to queries that are made. Here are the ways how to fix ‘Windows Could Not Start the Windows Search Service’ issue.

Causes of the ‘Windows Could Not Start the Windows Search Service’ Issue

1. Service Configuration Issues: The Windows Search Service might have incorrect configurations or dependencies. Misconfigurations can prevent it from starting properly.
2. Corrupted System Files: Damaged or missing system files can disrupt the operation of the Windows Search Service. Corruption can occur due to various reasons, including software conflicts, malware infections, or hardware issues.
3. Third-Party Software Interference: Certain third-party software or utilities might interfere with the Windows Search Service. This can happen if they modify system files or settings related to search functionality.
4. Insufficient System Resources: If your computer has low system resources (CPU, RAM, or disk space), it might struggle to run essential services like Windows Search.
5. Malware or Viruses: Malware or viruses can infect and compromise system files and services, including the Windows Search Service. They might be intentionally disrupting its operation.
6. Indexing Problems: The Windows Search Service relies on an index of files to provide fast search results. Issues with the indexing process, such as a corrupted index or incomplete indexing, can lead to errors.

Fix ‘Windows Could Not Start the Windows Search Service’ issue

Delete Files in the Windows TxR Directory

1. Press Win + E to open the File Explorer.
2. Find the TxR folder at C:\windows\system32\config\TxR. It will say “This folder is empty” the first time you open it.
3. In the File Explorer, click on View in the menu bar at the top. Then, go to Show and check the box next to Hidden items.
4. In the same way, click on the menu with three dots at the top. Go to View > Options. Scroll down and uncheck or turn off the box that says Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).
5. You should now be able to see all the files in the directory. Please press Ctrl + A to select all the files and then delete them.

Fix Incorrect Group Policy Settings

1. Start up Windows and open the Group Policy Editor.
2. To get to all the settings for Windows search, go to Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.
3. When you double-click on Fully Disable Search UI, you can choose “Not Configured.” To save the changes and leave the settings wizard, click OK.
4. For each of the following policies, you need to double-click, choose “Not Configured,” and then click “OK.” Set up search on the taskbar, Don’t let web search happen, and Let search highlights happen.

Enable Windows Search Service via MSConfig

1. Press Win + R to open the Run box again.
2. Type msconfig into the box that says “text.” To open the MSConfig utility (System Configuration wizard), press the Enter key.
3. Click on the Services tab at the top of the wizard.
4. Find the Windows Search service by scrolling down the list.
5. If the box next to Windows Search isn’t checked, check it to turn it on. Then click Apply and OK.

Restart the Relevant Windows Services

1. The Run box will appear when you press Win + R.
2. Put services.msc into the box that says “t”. Press “Enter” to run the shortcut and open the Services app window.
3. If you want to restart the Background Tasks Infrastructure Service, Remote Procedure Call (RPC), or Windows Update, right-click on each one and choose “Restart.”
4. Now restart your computer and look for the search error.

Conclusion

The search bar in Windows makes it easy to find videos, photos, other files, and programmes really quickly. However, the search bar has some bugs from time to time. Many people have been getting the error message “Windows could not start the Windows Search service on Local Computer” lately when they tried to search for something. This error usually happens when Windows search services are not turned on, there are too many cache files, the group policy settings are wrong, system files are damaged, or something else. Read on to learn how to fix this issue. If you want to know more information about this issue so you can visit Microsoft Official Website.

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