Software⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-06-03

How to Fix: Windows 10 Search can't find ANY applications. Even calculator

Windows 10 Search not finding applications due to indexing issues or corrupted search database. Try resetting Windows Search or running the DISM tool to fix.

Quick Answer: Reset Windows Search and run DISM tool to resolve the issue.

Windows 10 users are experiencing an issue where the search function cannot find any applications, including basic ones like Calculator and Microsoft Word. This problem affects both clean installations and upgrades of Windows 10 Enterprise N x64.

This frustration can be attributed to the fact that the search functionality relies on indexing options, which may not be properly configured or corrupted. In this guide, we will walk through the steps to resolve this issue.

🔍 Why This Happens

  • The primary cause of this error is a corrupted or incomplete index in Windows Search. This can occur due to various reasons such as incorrect indexing options, malware infections, or hardware issues.
  • An alternative reason for this issue could be the presence of duplicate files or folders in the search index, which can lead to inconsistencies and prevent the search function from working correctly.

✅ Best Solutions to Fix It

Rebuilding Windows Search Index

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Open the Control Panel and navigate to the 'Indexing Options' section. Click on 'Change' next to 'Indexing options' and select 'Rebuild'.

Resetting Windows Search

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Open the Command Prompt as an administrator and run the command `net stop catroot2`. This will reset the Windows Search service.

🎯 Final Words

To resolve the issue of Windows 10 search not finding applications, try rebuilding or resetting the Windows Search index. If the problem persists, it may be necessary to perform a clean installation of Windows 10 or seek further assistance from Microsoft support.

Did this fix your problem?

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