Windows could not start the Windows Search service
Jun 30, 2025 pm 04:05 PMWhen encountering the problem of "Windows could not start the Windows Search service", you can solve it by the following methods: 1. Use the administrator command prompt to run the sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command to repair the system files; 2. Stop the service through services.msc and enter the Windows Search installation directory to execute rundll32.exe WSearchAssistant.dll, ResetToDefaults reset service; 3. Update or roll back the graphics card driver in the device manager, and manually install the latest version if necessary; 4. Temporarily close the third-party antivirus software or firewall to eliminate conflicts. Checking one by one in order can usually restore the normal operation of Windows Search services.
Many people will have headaches when encountering the problem of "Windows could not start the Windows Search service". Especially when you rely on the search function to quickly find files, applications or settings, problems with this service really affect efficiency.

Here are some common troubleshooting and solutions that apply to most Windows versions (including Win10 and Win11), you can try it in order.

1. Check whether the system files are corrupted
System file corruption is one of the common reasons why Windows Search service fails to start. Built-in tools can be used to fix:
- Open a command prompt (run as administrator)
- Enter the following two commands, and enter the next one after each:
-
sfc /scannow
-
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
-
These two commands are used to scan and repair system files and repair system images respectively. The whole process may take several minutes. After completion, restart the computer to see if the problem is solved.

2. Re-register Windows Search Service
Sometimes the service itself is not registered correctly, which will cause the startup to fail. You can try resetting it manually:
- Press
Win R
to open the run window, enterservices.msc
to enter to enter - Find the "Windows Search" service, right-click and select "Stop"
- Open the command prompt again (administrator permissions) and enter the following command:
cd /d %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Search
- Then enter:
rundll32.exe WSearchAssistant.dll, ResetToDefaults
- Finally restart the computer
This operation will restore the Windows Search service to the default state, which can solve the problem in many cases.
3. Update or reinstall the driver (especially graphics card driver)
You may not have expected that some hardware driver incompatibility can also cause Windows Search services to crash. Especially the problems with graphics card drivers are relatively common:
- Open Device Manager (right-click Start Menu → Device Manager)
- Expand "Show Adapter", right-click your graphics card device → Update driver
- If there is an option to say "rollback driver", you can also try whether the old version is more stable
- Or go to the official website to download the latest driver and install it manually
If you are not sure if it is a driver problem, you can temporarily disable the graphics card driver to test it (advanced operation, be cautious).
4. Turn off third-party antivirus software or firewall
Some third-party security software can interfere with system services, such as Kaspersky, Turfender, Bitdefender, etc.:
- Temporarily turn off antivirus software or firewall
- Then try to start the Windows Search service in Service Manager
- If it can be started normally, it means it is a security software conflict
It is recommended to use Windows Defender as a temporary alternative in this case, or to uninstall conflicting security software.
Basically these common solutions. Although it seems that there are a lot of steps, it is actually not complicated. The key is to check step by step in order. In many cases, it is a problem with the system files or drivers, and it can be restored to normal after repair.
The above is the detailed content of Windows could not start the Windows Search service. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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