Windows Search Service Won't Start

[hxl7]

Windows Search in Win7-64 has stopped working. I am using Microsoft Security Essentials for anti-virus.


I am unable to start the Windows Search service. StartUp Type is set to Automatic (Delayed Start). I am not sure but I suspect this started after a recent Windows Update.

1. When I try to start the service, I get a message that says, "Windows could not start the Windows Search service on Local Computer. Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified."However, WindowsSearch.exe is indeed in C:\Windows\System32 folder.
2. When I ran SFC on WindowsSearch.exe and on srvsvc.dll, no problems were reported.
   1. In fact, running SFC on the entire system returned no problems or errors.
3. In Windows Features, Indexing Service is unchecked and Windows Search is checked
4. In /Control Panel/Indexing Options, "Indexing is not running."
5. When I run, "Troubleshoot search and indexing," I get the messages: "Incorrect permissions on Windows Search directories" "Windows Search service not running"
   1. I could not find the Windows Search directories to change the permissions.
6. In Taskbar and Start Menu properties, under Start Menu tab, under "Customize...," under "Search other files and libraries", "Search with public folders" is checked.
   1. Also, the box that says, "Search programs and Control Panel" is checked
7. In Regedit, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search - In the right pane, SetupCompletedSuccessfully value is set to 0 (zero)
   1. Other settings there are: RebuildIndex (2) SystemIndexNormalization (1) UseLowPriorityConfig (1)

I would be so very grateful for help with this ... I'm losing hair rapidly !!!!!!!
Thank you, Bill Wolcott

[JoeP517]

The Windows Search service is SearchIndexer.exe which is normally in System32. WindowsSearch.exe is part of the MSN search toolbar.

Joe

[hxl7]

Thank you,

JoeP517.
SFC indicates there are no problems with that file.
I still am unable to start Windows Search service.

[JoeP517]

have you checked the Event Logs for more details?

Joe

[Just Plain Fred]

Bill,
Hello... Just for fun ( for me things like this are fun) try this free program to see if it will runUltraFileSearch It does not build an index and will search in folders, or however you want.. Regards Fred

[curiousclive]

Windows Search in Win7-64 has stopped working. I am using Microsoft Security Essentials for anti-virus.


I am unable to start the Windows Search service. StartUp Type is set to Automatic (Delayed Start). I am not sure but I suspect this started after a recent Windows Update.

1. When I try to start the service, I get a message that says, "Windows could not start the Windows Search service on Local Computer. Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified."However, WindowsSearch.exe is indeed in C:\Windows\System32 folder.
2. When I ran SFC on WindowsSearch.exe and on srvsvc.dll, no problems were reported.
   1. In fact, running SFC on the entire system returned no problems or errors.
3. In Windows Features, Indexing Service is unchecked and Windows Search is checked
4. In /Control Panel/Indexing Options, "Indexing is not running."
5. When I run, "Troubleshoot search and indexing," I get the messages: "Incorrect permissions on Windows Search directories" "Windows Search service not running"
   1. I could not find the Windows Search directories to change the permissions.
6. In Taskbar and Start Menu properties, under Start Menu tab, under "Customize...," under "Search other files and libraries", "Search with public folders" is checked.
   1. Also, the box that says, "Search programs and Control Panel" is checked
7. In Regedit, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search - In the right pane, SetupCompletedSuccessfully value is set to 0 (zero)
   1. Other settings there are: RebuildIndex (2) SystemIndexNormalization (1) UseLowPriorityConfig (1)

I would be so very grateful for help with this ... I'm losing hair rapidly !!!!!!!
Thank you, Bill Wolcott

In item 3 you say windows indexing service is unchecked. Maybe this needs to be checked for indexing to work although it is unchecked on my win7-HP-64bit and indexing is working for me.

[hxl7]

Joe, I found the following only:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Application' Log - Critical Type
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'System' Log - Critical Type
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Log: 'System' Date/Time: 19/02/2012 11:41:33 PM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 28/01/2012 3:10:53 PM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 06/01/2012 6:15:17 PM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 30/12/2011 5:55:46 PM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 30/12/2011 5:15:25 PM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 21/12/2011 3:52:02 AM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

Log: 'System' Date/Time: 20/12/2011 2:41:10 AM
Type: Critical Category: 63
Event: 41 Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.

[hxl7]

Thank you very much for the suggestion, Fred.
However, I need to get back the ability for the quick folder searches in Outlook.
Bill

[JoeP517]

When a service fails to start that should be logged. It may not be "critical" though.

Joe

[haybarn]

I have same problem (indexing service fails to start, and Windows Search will not run) but it is no longer complete mystery. The details of Event Viewer indicate that indexing service cannot start because the location for index files no longer exists. I realize from this that I had changed the default location to a partition that I subsequently converted for use as a Win 8 test bed. Unfortunately, there is no way, with Control Panel|Indexing all grayed out that I can correct this back to the default location. A full RegEdit search does not locate anything pointing to the now missing indexing location that I can alter. So, I know what the problem is but cannot fix it.

[BruceR]

I have same problem (indexing service fails to start, and Windows Search will not run) but it is no longer complete mystery. The details of Event Viewer indicate that indexing service cannot start because the location for index files no longer exists. I realize from this that I had changed the default location to a partition that I subsequently converted for use as a Win 8 test bed. Unfortunately, there is no way, with Control Panel|Indexing all grayed out that I can correct this back to the default location. A full RegEdit search does not locate anything pointing to the now missing indexing location that I can alter. So, I know what the problem is but cannot fix it.

Try Microsoft's Fix it for Windows Search which includes "What it fixes... Windows Search does not start"?

Bruce

[haybarn]

Try Microsoft's Fix it for Windows Search which includes "What it fixes... Windows Search does not start"?

Bruce

FixiT found issues, applied fixes, and found issues were not corrected. Service still will not start with error 3 (cannot find path)

[haybarn]

I found that my laptop's problem was missing system folders and files. On my desktop,with a fully functional Search service, there was a subfolder Applications under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data. ProgramData is a hidden system file. My laptop's Data folder was empty for reasons I do not understand. I went into an image backup created with Image for Windows (Terabyte Unlimited) and using TBIView, looked at the Data folder there. I restored the Applications subfolder and its files to the above path, rebooted and the Windows Search service started.