Home » How-To » How to Fix Can’t Type in Windows Search Bar

How to Fix Can’t Type in Windows Search Bar

Lim How Wei
June 29, 2023

Accessible from the taskbar, Windows Search is a robust tool that enables users to swiftly locate apps, files, and other items.

It offers convenient access to features like time zone conversions, fact lookups, trending searches, and website navigation.

The search box regularly refreshes with captivating illustrations, providing a glimpse of the expanded content in Search Home.

Search Home offers a comprehensive overview of online events, highlights, and recently accessed items.

Users can access it through a keyboard shortcut or by hovering over the search box illustration.

The search results contain both the PC and the web, accompanied by suggestions and categorized options for efficient searching.

In this guide, you’ll learn why you can’t type in the Windows Search Bar for Windows 10 or 11 and how to fix it.

How to fix can’t type in Windows Search Bar

If you can’t type in the Windows Search bar, you need to restart Windows Explorer from the task manager.

You can also try disabling Bing, opening ctfmon, or verifying the system files.

Method 1: Restart Windows Explorer

  1. Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to open the Task Manager.
  2. Scroll down, right-click “Windows Explorer”, and select “End Task”.
  3. Select “File” followed by “Run new task”.
  4. Type “explorer.exe” and select “OK”.
  5. Try using the Windows Search bar.

Method 2: Disable Bing

  1. Press the WIN + R key on your keyboard.
  2. Type “regedit” in the search bar and select “OK”.
  3. HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft.
  4. Windows > CurrentVersion > Search.
  5. Right-click on the folder > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  6. Name the value “BingSearchEnabled”.
  7. Double-click “BingSearchEnabled” and set the Value Data to “0”.
  8. Try using the Windows Search bar.

Method 3: Open ctfmon

  1. Open the File Explorer and select “Local Disk (C:)”.
  2. Windows > System32 > ctfmon.exe.
  3. Right-click “ctfmon.exe” and select “Run as administrator”.
  4. Try using the Windows Search bar.

Method 4: Verify the system files

  1. Press the WIN + R key on your keyboard.
  2. Type “cmd” and select “OK”.
  3. Type “dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth” and press enter.
  4. Type “sfc /scannow” and press enter.
  5. Restart your computer and try using the Windows Search bar.

Further reading

How to Fix Search Not Working in Windows 11

How to Fix Windows 10 Search Not Working

How to Fix “There is an issue with your account or order” on Microsoft Rewards

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About the author

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Lim How Wei

Lim How Wei is the founder of followchain.org, with 8+ years of experience in Social Media Marketing and 4+ years of experience as an active investor in stocks and cryptocurrencies. He has researched, tested, and written thousands of articles ranging from social media platforms to messaging apps.

Lim has been quoted and referenced by major publications and media companies like WikiHow, Fast Company, HuffPost, Vice, New York Post, The Conversation, and many others. One of his articles about the gig economy was quoted by Joe Rogan who hosts The Joe Rogan Experience (arguably the most popular podcast in the world), in the This Past Weekend podcast by Theo Von.

In his free time, Lim plays multiple games like Genshin Impact, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Hearthstone, RuneScape, and many others. He creates guides, walkthroughs, solutions, and more on games that he plays to help other players with their progression.