In Windows 11, you might have noticed that there are several ways to find apps or files. Almost every option relies on the Windows search function.
The search bar in Windows is a useful utility as it lets you access your favorite apps, settings, and files quickly. What’s more useful is that the Windows 11 search can also fetch results from the web.
However, since Windows 11 is not free from bugs, several users face problems with the Search bar on Windows 11. Few users have reported that they cannot type anything on the search bar.
Some users have also reported that the Windows 11 search not opening at all. If you are experiencing this issue, you are reading the right guide.
9 Best Methods to Fix Unable to Type in Search Bar on Windows 11
In this article, we will list some of the best methods to fix the search bar problem in Windows 11. The methods will be very easy; follow them as directed.
1. Restart the Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer is a very important process of Windows 11 that handles the graphic user interface of several tools & utilities. If this process is not responding, you may experience problems like being unable to type on Windows 11 search.
1. Right-click on the Start button and select Task Manager.
2. On the Task Manager, switch to the Processes tab.
3. Now find the Windows Explorer process.
4. Right-click on the Windows Explorer and select Restart.
That’s it! This will restart the Windows Explorer process. Now open Windows search and type anything. You will be able to type on the Windows 11 search.
2. Run Search and Indexing Troubleshooter
We will use the Search and Indexing troubleshooter to fix the search bar problem in this method. Here are some of the simple steps you need to follow.
1. First, click the Windows 11 start button and select Settings.
2. On the Settings page, click on the System tab.
3. On the right pane, click on the Troubleshoot option as shown below.
4. On the Troubleshoot page, click on the other troubleshooters option.
5. Next, click the Run button behind the Search and Indexing troubleshooter to fix the Search bar problem.
That’s it! You are done. This is how you can fix the unable to type in search bar problem in Windows 11.
3. Restart the Windows Search Service
Windows 11 runs a background service called ‘Windows Search’. It constantly runs in the background, providing property caching, content indexing, and file search results.
Sometimes, the service fails to run correctly on a system, leading to a search bar not working issue on Windows 11. Hence, restarting the Windows Search Service to resolve the issue is necessary.
1. First of all, press the Windows Key + R button on your keyboard. This will open the Run Dialog box, type in services.msc, and hit Enter.
2. On the Windows Services pages, find the Windows Search option.
3. Right-click on the Windows Search service and select Restart.
That’s it! You are done. This is how you can restart the Windows Search service in Windows 11.
4. Run CTF Loader
Well, CTF loader is a process that’s required for text support. You can’t type anything on the Windows Search box if this process is not running. So, in this method, we need to manually run the CTF loader to fix unable to type in the search bar on Windows 11.
To run the CTF loader, press the Windows Key + R button. This will open the RUN dialog box; type in ‘C:\Windows\system32\ctfmon.exe’ and hit the Enter button.
That’s it! You are done. This will run the CTF loader on your Windows 11. Every time you restart your computer, you need to run this RUN command.
5. Rebuild the Search Index
While rebuilding the search index isn’t a sure-shot fix to the problem, doing so will benefit you in multiple ways. You can try rebuilding the search index of Windows 11 to prevent issues like unable to type on Windows search. Here’s what you need to do.
1. Open the File Explorer (This PC) and click on the drop-down icon on the address bar.
2. On the menu that appears, select Control Panel.
3. On the Control Panel, select Indexing Options.
4. On the Indexing options prompt, click on Advanced.
5. On the Advanced Options, click the Rebuild button beside Delete and rebuild index.
That’s it! The process may take a while to complete. Once completed, restart your computer and start using the Windows 11 Search.
6. Run SFC & DISM Command
If the system files of Windows 11 are corrupted, you might face many issues, including the search bar problems. So, to fix corrupted system files, you need to run an SFC scan to restore missing or corrupted files.
1. Press the Windows Key + X button to open the secondary start menu. Then, select the Windows Terminal (Admin) from the option.
2. On the Windows Terminal, type in sfc /scannow and hit the Enter button.
3. The SFC command will run and try fixing the problems. If it finds any problem, you need to run the DISM scan.
4. To run the DISM scan, press Windows Key + X and select Windows Terminal (Admin).
5. Now, enter the following commands on the Windows terminal.
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
That’s it! You are done. This will fix the unable to type in the search bar problem in Windows 11.
7. Re-Register the Default Apps
If you cannot type in the Windows 11 search bar, you must re-register the default apps on Windows 11. Here’s what you need to do.
1. First of all, press the Windows Key + X button and select ‘Windows Terminal (Admin)’
2. On the Windows Terminal, type in the given command and press Enter.
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "*SystemApps*"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}
After running the command, restart your PC. If you cannot type after the restart, follow the steps below.
1. First of all, press the Windows Key + X button and select ‘Windows Terminal (Admin)’
2. On the Windows Terminal, type in the given command and press Enter.
$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest
After executing the command, restart your PC, and the problem will be fixed.
8. Install Pending Windows Updates
Windows updates are very crucial for better stability & security of a device. There is a chance that the version of Windows you’re using has a bug preventing you from typing anything on the search.
The best way to eliminate such bugs is by updating Windows 11 to the latest version. Follow the steps shared below to download & install pending Windows updates.
1. Click on the Windows 11 Start button and select Settings.
2. When the Settings app opens, switch to the Windows Update tab.
3. On the right side, click on the check for updates.
That’s it! Now, Windows 11 will automatically check for available updates. If any update is available, download & install it to fix the issue.
9. Reset Windows 11
If nothing works to fix can’t type in the Windows Search bar problem, the last thing you can try is resetting your PC. You can reset your Windows 11 to the default factory state to fix all problems. However, resetting will erase all Settings saved on the device.
1. Click on the Windows 11 Start button and select Settings.
2. When the Settings app opens, switch to the Windows Update tab on the left.
3. On the right side, click on Advanced Option.
4. On the next screen, click on Recovery.
5. Now scroll down to the Reset this PC section. Next, click on the Reset PC button.
6. On the prompt that appears, select Keep my files.
7. On the next prompt, select Cloud download.
That’s it! This is how you can reset Windows 11 to fix can’t type anything on the Windows 11 search issue.
These are the best possible ways to fix unable to type in the search bar on Windows 11. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also. If you have any doubts, let us know in the comment box below.
