You can also face this issue if the Windows search service is not running in the background. Hence, you can try restarting your computer, which basically is the best way to restart all the essential Windows services that are responsible for executing the various different tasks. However, restarting the computer might not fix this issue permanently, so it is recommended to follow the methods listed in this article.
1. Add Ctfmon.exe to the startup programs
CtfMon.exe, also known as Collaborative Translation Framework Loader, is an essential background process that allows input devices such as a keyboard, touchpad, and many others to take input for speech recognition, handwriting recognition, etc. If this process is not starting at the startup of Windows, adding it to startup programs will fix this issue. To add Ctfmon.exe to the startup programs:
2. Restart the Windows Search service
Windows search service is responsible for giving the search results of documents, applications, and among others. It also provides content indexing and property caching. Thus, if this service is not running or set to manual or disabled, you cannot be able to type or search in the Windows search bar. Therefore, it is important that the Windows search service is running properly in order to use Windows search. To restart the Windows search service:
3. Re-register and Reinstall Appx Packages
Appx packages contain the list of applications and programs that Windows requires for the necessary features to run properly, such as the Start Menu. You can get your Windows search in a working state if you reinstall or reregister Appx Packages. Therefore, try reinstalling or registering the Appx packages by following the steps.
4. Rebuild Your Start Menu index
Rebuilding indexing means you are going to delete the whole database of Windows search and create a new one by triggering the search indexing services. This will take all the data from your drives and makes a new database. This often fixes issues where the start menu Windows search stops responding suddenly. To rebuild the indexing, follow the steps:
5. Run Search and Indexing Troubleshooter
Search and Indexing troubleshooter will automatically fix the problems by resetting Windows search to their default. Thus, if there is a problem in Windows search services, it will be automatically fixed. Therefore, try running the Search and Indexing troubleshooter by following the steps:
6. Run the System File Checker
Since the ctfmon.exe process is essential for Windows search to work properly and is located under system32, we can try deleting and restoring it using System File Checker. System File Checker or SFC is a command that is used to restore and fix corrupted files from the cache folder located in %WinDir%\System32\dllcache, such as DLL files. First, we will delete the ctfmon.exe file. Since it is located in system 32, we will need to take permission from a trusted installer to delete the file. Once you have the permissions, you will be able to remove the ctfmon.exe file. To do so, follow the steps:
7. Create a New Windows User Account
If you still cannot type in Windows search, you can try creating a new user account which will recreate all the necessary system files for a new profile. Hence, if there are corrupted system files preventing you from typing in the Windows search bar, creating a new user profile will help fix this issue. After creating a new user account, you can transfer the data from the old account to the new one if the issue is fixed. To create a new user account:
8. Use a System Restore Point
Since ctfmon.exe is located under system32, it can be restored by using a system restore point. If you have created a system restore point in the past, then you can restore the previous version of Windows to fix this issue. But, if you haven’t created a restore point, we recommend checking the restore point, as it can be created by a third-party application or Microsoft redistributables such as visual C++. System Restore utility creates a restore point to save the current state of Windows by taking a snapshot of system files such as drivers, registry files, and crucial system files. Thus, if you restore Windows using a system restore point, you will be able to restore the ctfmon.exe file.
9. Reset or Reinstall Your Windows
If you don’t have a restore point, you can try resetting or reinstalling your Windows. Resetting or reinstalling Windows is the final way to get your Windows search bar working. If you plan to reinstall Windows, visit Install Windows on your PC, but if you want to reset Windows, then follow the steps.
