Running the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter
So, here’s where I got seriously stuck — my Windows search simply refused to work, and I kept seeing that annoying “Indexing is not running” message. Tried messing with settings, but nothing fixed it. Turns out, sometimes Windows just needs a little nudge via its built-in troubleshooter. Honestly, this tool has saved me more times than I can count in weird search issues. It’s kind of hidden, though, which is annoying.
The easiest way I found is to run the troubleshooter via Command Prompt with admin rights. Before that, I’d open Win + R, type cmd, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter — that way, it opens as an administrator. If a UAC prompt appears, just accept it. Once you’ve got that elevated command prompt, you can run a specific command that kicks open the built-in Windows troubleshooter for search and network issues.
Type this in:
msdt.exe -id Windows.Search.NetworkConnectivityTroubleshooter
If you prefer GUI, you can also go through Settings: Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Search and Indexing. Depending on your Windows version, these might be a bit hard to find — sometimes buried under different menus or hidden in the Control Panel (just search for “Troubleshooting” there). Either way, running the troubleshooter is a good starting point, because it automatically scans your system for problems and offers fixes.
Once you start the process, just follow the prompts. It’ll check for common issues like the search service not running, misconfigured settings, or network problems blocking indexed locations. Sometimes, it fixes everything on its own, but other times, you might need to do more manual fixes after it’s finished. It usually takes a few minutes, but what finally got me was the realization that this can fix those odd little glitches that cause search not to index properly.
Making Sure the Windows Search Service Is Set Up Right
Another thing I ran into—sometimes, the Windows Search service either stops randomly or isn’t set to run automatically anymore. Checking and fixing this is straightforward, but it’s easy to overlook. So, comment below if you’ve seen the same issue.
Hit Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. This opens the Services list. Now, look for Windows Search, which is often buried somewhere in the middle or near the bottom. Double-click it to open its properties. Check the Status: if it’s stopped, hit the Start button. If it’s already running, good. But what’s most important is the Startup type: it should be set to Automatic.
Sometimes, it’s set to Manual or Disabled, which will totally kill your search functionality. Change it to Automatic from the dropdown, then click Apply and OK. After that, restart your PC — yeah, a simple reboot often resets everything and helps the service start correctly. I’ve been there, waiting for the thing to kick in, only to realize a quick reboot fixed it. If it’s still not working after that, double-check the service status again.
Rebuilding the Index – The Nuclear Option
If the above steps didn’t help, you’ll probably need to rebuild the search index. This can be a pain because it takes a while, especially if you have tons of files, but it often solves stubborn issues that nothing else fixes.
Open the Settings with Win + I, then go to Privacy & Security > Searching Windows. Here, you’ll see a link called Advanced indexing options; it’s kinda tucked away in some versions. Click it, and a window pops up showing what locations are being indexed. At the bottom, there’s a button called Rebuild. If that button is grayed out, it’s probably because Windows is already managing a rebuild or is busy, so wait a bit. If it’s active, click it, and Windows will start deleting the current index and rebuilding from scratch.
This process isn’t quick, especially if you’ve got a lot of data — the rebuild can take ages. During the rebuild, search probably won’t work well or might seem totally dead, but that’s normal. Just let it run. When it finally finishes, and the rebuild is complete, a reboot might help finalize the process. Sometimes, after this, Windows Search seems to come back to life and stops throwing the “Indexing not running” warning.
Honestly, I’ve tried all sorts of things: restarting services, rebuilding indexes, running troubleshooters, and even poking around in advanced settings. Sometimes, it’s frustrating, but persistence pays off. If your search still isn’t working after all this, double-check that the Search Service is running, the index is rebuilt, and there are no network issues or weird policies blocking it. Hope this helped — it took me way too long to finally get this sorted out. Anyway, good luck, and I hope your search is back soon!