Windows 8.1 64-Bit, Search function not working

[AndrewL]

Hello there

I am running Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit.
A couple of weeks ago I noticed the search function had just stopped working altogether, this includes searching in File Explorer, the Windows 8 Start Menu and even in Outlook.
I can no longer search anywhere - I type my search term, but it does not do anything at all, it doesn't even start the search.

• I have checked my services and the services for Windows Search is set to automatic delayed start up and is currently running.
• I have ran the troubleshooter for Windows Search and Index and it detects no problems.
• My Indexing Options seem fine, my Drives and Outlook are indexed.
• I have tried disabling the index and enabling it.

Does anyone have any other suggestions to try? Can there be group policies preventing this, or settings applied on the domain/network?
Are there any known conflicts with firewall rules or anti-virus that can prevent this?

Thanks.

 

[AndrewL]

Hello

Does anyone have any ideas at all?

 

[AndrewL]

Sorry to bump again, but this is a real problem for me.
It is incredibly tedious to have to sieve through hundreds of e-mails to find an old one without the search feature.
Also just having to scroll through 'All Apps' in Windows 8 Start is a pain rather than typing a couple of letters to select the program I want to open.

Surely there must be someone who might know why all search facilities seem to have stopped working?

Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[DeaconFrost]

I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that this was stopped in Windows 8/8.1. Windows 7 can still search through an Outlook mailbox, but not anything newer. For that, you'll want to use Outlook's search. It's annoying in some ways, but Outlook's search works very well.

 

[AndrewL]

I don't think it was stopped in Windows 8/8.1 as I have always had the facility to search in Windows 8.1 up until a few weeks ago, I haven't even ran any Windows Updates as I have them turned off.

 

[DeaconFrost]

It's been dropped completely in Windows 8. I thought I remembered that, but I wanted to find a link. Hasn't been a big deal for me, but it was nice being able to find a file, especially if I didn't save it from the e-mail it came in from.

Searching for Outlook items from the Start Screen, Start Menu or Explorer - MSOutlook.info

 

[AndrewL]

I am not referring to searching for e-mails within the start screen.
I cannot search for ANYTHING on my computer in every possible place I can search.

Windows File Explorer > does nothing when I search, does not even try to search:


In Windows Start Menu > No results when searching, doesn't even try and search.


In Microsoft Outlook 2013, Shows no results what so ever:



All of this used to work a few weeks ago, I do not believe this facility was dropped from Windows 8, otherwise it would never have worked for me and other people I know do not have this issue.

 

[hydranix]

I had the same problem, and stumbled across the answer completely at random the other day.

Give me a bit to back track to the answer.

 

[AndrewL]

If it helps, I found this in my Windows Event Viewer, it is there many times with a different source file every time.


Crawl could not be completed on content source <file:C:/>.

Context: Application, SystemIndex Catalog


Details:
A word breaker was not found for the given language. Check your current language settings and ensure that search supports the current language. If the problem persists, reinstall search. (HRESULT : 0x8004110a) (0x8004110a)