#Requires -Version 5.1 <# JbTecWiz Support Centre -- generated fix script Fault : Windows Search finds nothing, or the Start menu does not open Fix : Rebuild the search index Source: https://jbtecwiz.com/support/win-app-store-reset Run as : Elevated PowerShell Expect : 20 minutes plus rebuild time Risk : low Reversible : yes WHEN THIS IS THE RIGHT FIX Search returns nothing but Start opens normally. HOW TO UNDO IT Nothing to roll back -- the index is derived data. This script walks the fix one step at a time and asks before each one. Steps with no command are things you do yourself -- it prints those and waits. Run with -DryRun to print without executing. -------------------------------------------------------------------- NO WARRANTY - USE AT YOUR OWN RISK This script is provided by JbTecWiz as-is and with no warranty of any kind, express or implied. You run it entirely at your own risk. JbTecWiz accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from its use, including but not limited to data loss, downtime, or configuration changes that turn out to be wrong for your system. You are responsible for reading this script before running it, for satisfying yourself that it suits the machine in front of you, and for having a working backup first. Some steps cannot be undone. -------------------------------------------------------------------- #> [CmdletBinding()] param( # Print every step and command without running anything. [switch]$DryRun, # Do not ask before each step. Read the script first if you use this. [switch]$Unattended ) $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop' $script:Failed = 0 function Write-Rule { param([string]$Text) Write-Host '' Write-Host ('-' * 70) -ForegroundColor DarkGray if ($Text) { Write-Host $Text -ForegroundColor Cyan } } function Show-Prose { param([string]$Text, [string]$Colour = "Gray") if (-not $Text) { return } $words = $Text -split "\s+"; $line = " " foreach ($w in $words) { if (($line.Length + $w.Length) -gt 74) { Write-Host $line -ForegroundColor $Colour; $line = " " } $line += "$w " } if ($line.Trim()) { Write-Host $line -ForegroundColor $Colour } } function Invoke-Step { param( [int]$Number, [string]$Do, [string]$Why, [scriptblock]$Command, [switch]$Manual, [string]$Shell = "powershell" ) Write-Rule " Step $Number of 4" Show-Prose $Do "White" if ($Why) { Write-Host ""; Show-Prose $Why "DarkGray" } if ($Manual) { Write-Host '' Write-Host ' -> Do this yourself, then press Enter to carry on.' -ForegroundColor Yellow if (-not $Unattended -and -not $DryRun) { [void](Read-Host) } return } Write-Host '' foreach ($l in ($Command.ToString().Trim() -split "`n")) { Write-Host (" " + $l.Trim()) -ForegroundColor Green } Write-Host '' if ($DryRun) { Write-Host " (dry run -- not executed)" -ForegroundColor DarkGray; return } if (-not $Unattended) { $a = Read-Host " Run this step? [Y]es / [S]kip / [Q]uit" if ($a -match "^[Qq]") { Write-Host " Stopped at your request."; exit 0 } if ($a -match "^[Ss]") { Write-Host " Skipped." -ForegroundColor DarkGray; return } } try { & $Command } catch { $script:Failed++ Write-Host (" Step $Number failed: " + $_.Exception.Message) -ForegroundColor Red Show-Prose "The rest of the fix may depend on this. Read the write-up before carrying on." "Red" if (-not $Unattended) { $c = Read-Host " Carry on anyway? [y/N]" if ($c -notmatch "^[Yy]") { exit 1 } } } } Write-Rule Write-Host ' Windows Search finds nothing, or the Start menu does not open' -ForegroundColor White Write-Host ' Rebuild the search index' -ForegroundColor Cyan Write-Host '' Write-Host ' Risk: low Reversible 20 minutes plus rebuild time' Write-Host '' Show-Prose 'No warranty. Use at your own risk - JbTecWiz accepts no liability. Read it before you run it, and have a backup.' 'DarkYellow' Write-Rule if (-not $Unattended -and -not $DryRun) { $go = Read-Host ' Ready? [y/N]' if ($go -notmatch "^[Yy]") { Write-Host " Nothing was changed."; exit 0 } } Invoke-Step -Number 1 -Do 'Check the service and the index size.' -Command { Get-Service WSearch | Format-List Status,StartType Get-Item "$env:ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\Windows.edb" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Format-List Length,LastWriteTime } Invoke-Step -Number 2 -Do 'Stop the service and delete the index database.' -Why 'A rebuild is the only reliable repair for a damaged index. It takes a few hours on a large profile and the machine should be left on, but it does not touch any of the files being indexed.' -Command { Stop-Service WSearch -Force Remove-Item "$env:ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows\Windows.edb" -Force Start-Service WSearch } Invoke-Step -Number 3 -Do 'Check what is included. Indexing Options -> Modify -- if Outlook or a data folder is missing from the list, results for it will never appear.' -Command { cmd.exe /c 'control srchadmin.dll' } Invoke-Step -Number 4 -Do 'Leave it to finish. Search results are incomplete until the rebuild completes.' -Manual Write-Rule " Confirm it worked" Show-Prose 'Indexing Options reports indexing complete, and searches return results.' 'White' Write-Host '' if (-not $DryRun) { cmd.exe /c 'control srchadmin.dll' } Write-Rule if ($script:Failed -gt 0) { Write-Host (" Finished with " + $script:Failed + " failed step(s).") -ForegroundColor Yellow Show-Prose 'Read the full write-up at https://jbtecwiz.com/support/win-app-store-reset' 'Yellow' } else { Write-Host ' Finished.' -ForegroundColor Green } Write-Host '' Show-Prose 'To undo: Nothing to roll back -- the index is derived data.' 'DarkGray' Write-Rule