Windows 11 Search is supposed to instantly find your Word files, Excel sheets, PPTs, PDFs, apps, videos, photos, audio, and folders. But when Search stops showing results, shows “No items found,” or fails to detect files that clearly exist, the problem is usually broken indexing, a stuck Windows Search service, or corrupted system components. Follow these methods in order. If one method doesn’t fix it, move to the next.
Method 1: Restart the Windows Search Service
Press Win + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
Find Windows Search.
Right-click it and choose Restart.
If it is not running, click Start.
Set Startup type to Automatic.
Close the window and test Search again.
Method 2: Enable Enhanced Indexing (Search entire PC)
Open Settings → Privacy & Security → Searching Windows.
Under Find My Files, select Enhanced.
This allows Windows to index all drives, not just Desktop and Documents.
Method 3: Rebuild the Search Index (Most Important Fix)
Press Win + R, type:
control /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions
Press Enter.
Click Advanced.
Click Rebuild under Troubleshooting.
Click OK and wait. This may take 10–20 minutes.
Do not close the window until indexing starts.
Method 4: Make Sure Your Folders Are Included in Indexing
In Indexing Options, click Modify.
Ensure your user folder and other drives (D:, E:) are checked.
Click OK.
Method 5: Check Drive Indexing Permission
Open This PC.
Right-click your drive (C:, D:, etc.) → Properties.
Tick Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed.
Click Apply → choose Apply changes to drive, subfolders, and files.
Method 6: Run Search and Indexing Troubleshooter
Open Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters.
Run Search and Indexing.
Choose problems like Files don’t appear in search results.
Let Windows fix it automatically.
Method 7: Reset Windows Search Using PowerShell
Right-click Start → Windows Terminal (Admin).
Run this command:
Restart your PC.
Method 8: Repair Corrupted System Files
Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:
Wait for both to complete, then restart.
Method 9: Restart Windows Explorer
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Find Windows Explorer.
Right-click → Restart.
Method 10: Check File Explorer Search Options
Open any folder.
Click the three dots → Options.
Open the Search tab.
Tick Always search file names and contents.
Click OK.
What This Fixes
After applying these methods, Windows Search will properly find:
Word files (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PPT (.pptx), PDF, text files, apps, folders, videos (.mp4), photos (.jpg/.png), audio (.mp3), and all data stored on your drives.
Conclusion
Windows 11 Search issues are almost always caused by indexing problems or a stuck service. Rebuilding the index and enabling Enhanced search fixes the problem in most cases. If not, repairing system files and resetting Windows Search restores normal behavior.
Quick Q&A
Why does Search show “No items found” even when files exist?
Because indexing is broken or incomplete.
How long does rebuilding the index take?
Usually 10–20 minutes depending on data size.
Will this delete my files?
No. These methods only repair Search and indexing.
Do I need to reset Windows?
No. These fixes solve the issue without resetting Windows.
