Ytdyklly

I am having an odd issue with Windows 10 and it seems to have started about a month ago. When opening an application, I usually just click in the Cortana search bar and type a few letters of the application I am wanting and Cortana usually finds the application I want, like in this image:

As you can see, just by typing "wo", it found the "Word 2016" application, just like I wanted.

For some reason though, it can't find 85% of my other applications. Here's an example of me trying to load up Excel:

As you can see, Cortana is just not finding the desktop application. It is in my start menu though (just like Word 2016 is):

So I am trying to figure out why some applications Cortana finds and other's it does not. Cortana used to find all my applications 100% of the time until about a month ago or so. I did try reindexing, per a Google search I found, but it did not help. Any help on this would be appreciated.

There are two solutions I can think of:

1. 
   

   Easy Method:
   
   If there are just a few applications you want to ensure showing up

   
   
   
   
   

   • Go to %USERPROFILE%AppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuPrograms

   
   

   • Add a shortcut to the .exe of these applications.

   
   
   
   


2. 
   

   Advanced Method:

   
   
   
   
   
   • Re-index your search by going
     to "Control Panel" → "Indexing Options" → "Advanced" (requires admin) →
     "Rebuild Index".
   
   
   • You can also modify the indexing options to include
     folders that are not currently in scope, as this may affect you if
     you have separate/partitioned drives, etc.
   
   
   
   

There are so many problems with Cortana and Windows Search, that it's worthwhile
looking into third-party replacements like
Open Shell Menu (Classic Shell),
Everything and
Agent Ransack.

Below is a collection of all the workarounds I could find, but more probably
exist.

• Ensure Windows 10 is fully updated.




• Running
  Control Panel > Troubleshooter > View All > Search and Indexing
  or download and run the
  Windows Search Troubleshooter.



• 
  

  Re-install Cortana using elevated PowerShell:

  
  
  

  Get-AppXPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.Cortana | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}
  
  

  
  


• 
  

  Reinstall all apps using elevated PowerShell:

  
  
  

  Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage
  
  Get-AppxPackage -allusers | foreach {Add-AppxPackage -register "$($_.InstallLocation)appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode}
  
  

  
  


• 
  

  Re-register all apps using elevated PowerShell:

  
  
  

  Get-AppxPackage -allusers | foreach {Add-AppxPackage -register "$($_.InstallLocation)appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode}
  
  

  
  



• Repair the missing applications (if only a few), using:
  Settings > Apps > Apps & features > select app > Advanced options link > Repair.



• 
  

  Repair all applications using elevated PowerShell:

  
  
  

  reg delete "HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionTileDataModelMigrationTileStore" /va /f
  
  get-appxpackage -packageType bundle |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "appxmetadataappxbundlemanifest.xml")}
  
  $bundlefamilies = (get-appxpackage -packagetype Bundle).packagefamilyname
  
  get-appxpackage -packagetype main |? {-not ($bundlefamilies -contains $_.packagefamilyname)} |% {add-appxpackage -register -disabledevelopmentmode ($_.installlocation + "appxmanifest.xml")}
  
  

  
  


• 
  

  Perform a system scan in an elevated Command Prompt:

  
  
  

  sfc /scannow
  
  

  
  



• Create and use another user account.




• Reset Windows 10.

lot of users having this issue and looking solution on web or in Microsoft technical support. i was also victim of this issue and manage to solve it completely by using this tutorial.

please take a look in this well written article

https://win10faq.com/windows-10-search-not-working-fix/

please feel free to ask anything in comment section if you are still unable to solve this issue.

After trying all the suggestions on here, nothing seemed to work. But apparently, the issue has fixed itself. I don't know if it was a Windows Update that did it or what happened, but the issue is resolved and my search is working again. I did have updates that came through recently, so I can only assume one of those updates resolved. Recently KB4476976 came through and it seems to work after installing that, although, I didn't see anything specific in the KB notes that seemed to address the issue. Anyway, thanks for everyone's suggestions!