Running the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter
If you’re pulling your hair out because your Windows search won’t work and keeps showing that pesky “Indexing is not running” message, you’re not alone. I’ve been there myself. I tried fiddling with various settings, but nothing did the trick. Turns out, sometimes Windows just needs a nudge with its built-in troubleshooter. Honestly, this tool has saved me more times than I can count when dealing with weird search glitches. It’s a bit tucked away, which can be a bit frustrating.
The easiest way I’ve found is to run the troubleshooter through Command Prompt with admin privileges. First, press Win + R, type cmd, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter — this opens Command Prompt as an administrator. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), just click Yes. Once the elevated command prompt is open, you can run a specific command that opens the built-in Windows troubleshooter for search and network issues.
Type this in:
msdt.exe -id Windows.Search.NetworkConnectivityTroubleshooter
If you prefer using the GUI, you can also access the troubleshooter via Settings: Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Search and Indexing. Depending on your version of Windows, some options might be a bit tricky to find — they could be buried in different menus or in the Control Panel (just search for “Troubleshooting” there). Trying the troubleshooter is a good starting point because it automatically scans your system and suggests fixes for common problems.
Once you start the process, just follow the on-screen prompts. It’ll check issues like the search service not running, incorrect settings, or network problems blocking indexed locations. Sometimes, it fixes everything automatically; other times, you’ll need to do some manual troubleshooting afterwards. The process usually takes a few minutes, but what finally clicked for me was realising this can fix those annoying little glitches that prevent proper indexing.
Making Sure the Windows Search Service Is Set Up Correctly
Another common hiccup is the Windows Search service stopping unexpectedly or not being set to run automatically. Checking and fixing this is pretty straightforward, but easy to miss. If you’ve experienced this, let me know in the comments!
Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter. This opens the Services window. Look for Windows Search — it’s often tucked somewhere in the middle or towards the bottom. Double-click on it to view its properties. Check the Status: if it’s stopped, click the Start button. If it’s already running, all good. The most critical setting is the Startup type: it should be set to Automatic.
Sometimes, it’s set to Manual or Disabled, which will stop your search from working altogether. Change the setting to Automatic using the dropdown menu, then click Apply and OK. After that, restart your PC — a quick reboot often sorts things out and gets the service running smoothly. I’ve been caught waiting for the search to kick in before realising a simple reboot did the trick. If it’s still not working after that, double-check the service status again.
Rebuilding the Index – The Last Resort
If none of the above steps do the trick, you might need to rebuild your search index. It’s a bit time-consuming, especially if you’ve got lots of files, but more often than not, it sorts out stubborn search issues that refuse to fix themselves.
Open Settings with Win + I, then navigate to Privacy & Security > Searching Windows. Here, you’ll find a link called Advanced indexing options — it can be tucked away in some versions. Click it, and a window will appear showing what locations are being indexed. At the bottom, there’s a button called Rebuild. If it’s greyed out, Windows is probably already busy with a rebuild or the index is in the process of updating — just give it some time. If it’s clickable, go ahead and click it, and Windows will start deleting the old index and creating a new one from scratch.
This process can take quite a while, especially if you have a lot of data. During the rebuild, search may not work well or might seem completely frozen — that’s normal. Just let it run its course. Once it’s finished, a quick reboot can help finalise everything. Often, after rebuilding the index, Windows Search will spring back to life and stop throwing the “Indexing is not running” warning.
I’ve tried pretty much everything: restarting services, rebuilding indexes, running troubleshooters, tweaking advanced settings — you name it. It can be frustrating, but with a bit of patience, it usually pays off. If your search still isn’t cooperating, double-check that the Search Service is running, that the index has been rebuilt successfully, and that there aren’t any network issues or policies blocking it. Hopefully, this guide saves you the hassle — it took me ages to get it sorted! Good luck, and I hope your search is up and running again soon.