File Explorer find not working in some directories

1. Quick fix steps
Try these actions immediately:
Rebuild the search index
Open Settings > Search > Search Windows > Advanced indexing options
Click “Rebuild” → Wait for it to finish (takes 10-30 minutes)
Restart File Manager
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc → find “Windows Explorer” → right-click “Restart”
2. Targeted solutions
 Scenario A: A specific folder cannot be searched
Right-click the target folder → Properties → Advanced
Uncheck “Allow files to index content” → Confirm → Re-check
Scenario B: Search box is grayed out
Run CMD as administrator:
cmd
reg add “HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced” /v Start_SearchFiles /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Reboot your computer
3. System Level Repair
Check the Windows search service:
Press Win+R and type services.msc
Find “Windows Search” → Make sure the status is “Running”.
Right-click → Properties → Change startup type to “Automatic”.
4. Reset file manager settings:
Open Registry Editor (regedit)
Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileAssociation  
Delete the “UserChoice” key value (after backup)
5. Ultimate Solution
Create a new user profile:
Settings > Accounts > Other Users → Add local account
Log in to the new account to test the search function
System Restore/Reset:
Fall back to a restore point before the update (Settings > System > Restore)
or perform a non-destructive system reset (preserving personal files)