The search box appears grayed out; you can activate the search function using a keyboard shortcut.

Because Win+S still opens Search, Windows Search itself is responding; the failure is limited to the taskbar Search entry or its shell process, especially because restarting File Explorer restores it temporarily. First, right-click the taskbar, open Taskbar settings, change Search to Hide, restart Windows, then return it to Search icon only or Search box. If the icon grays out again, open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc, select Details, end SearchHost.exe, and test the icon; Windows starts that process automatically on the next search. Next, open Settings > Windows Update, install all offered updates, and restart. If the problem continues, use Microsoft's Windows Search troubleshooting guidance and test whether it also occurs in a newly created Windows account. That comparison helps distinguish an account-specific shell configuration issue from a system-wide one. If none of these steps works, submit Feedback Hub feedback under Desktop Environment > Search with screenshots and the repeatable steps.