Fixing Disabled Search Bar In Windows 10

Windows 10, albeit great, has its flaws

Anda berbicara bahasa Indonesia? Baca artikel terjemahannya di sini!

Let's face it. Even though Windows 10 is great, it obviously is not bug-free, even after a couple of major updates. Personally, I found two bugs that annoy me the most: missing text and disabled search bar. I solved the missing text problem here. This article is intended to solve the latter.

Windows 10 Universal Search in action.
One of the key features in Windows 10 is its universal search. Coupled with the right hardware (SSD drives), it can be a powerful tool to finding your files/app/configuration in a snap. That's why losing this means losing the essence of using Windows 10. Anyway, after spending quite a while finding out the fix, it turns out that it is not that difficult.

Let's head after the break to find out.

In my case, this bug is related to an executable named ctfmon.exe. After a brief research, it turns out that this particular application has something to do with language and speech. Since Windows 10's Cortana requires speech, maybe it's why this service is needed. Confusingly, though, in some of my PCs, I don't have it running, yet the search bar works fine. Well, at least activating that service solved my problem... regardless of why.

The ctfmon.exe file.

Make ctfmon.exe Run At Startup

The ctfmon.exe is located on C:\Windows\system32\ctfmon.exe or in other words, in your system32 folder. In order to make it to run at startup, just copy and paste the shortcut in one (or more) of these folders depending on your needs:

If you want it to automatically run at startup for a specific user, copy the file's shortcut
into the user's startup folder.
  • If you want the service to start for all users, paste the shortcut in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
  • If you want the service to start for a specific user, paste the shortcut in C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
P.S. you might need Administrator privileges and hidden files viewed.

Reboot your computer, and you should be able to type in the search bar, be it in the Start Menu, or within Settings or other search bars. Neat, right?

Well, I guess that's all for now, Folks. I hope this article can be of use to you. I apologise for the delay of new articles (again) since I've become quite busy with my job. But, I still intend on immediately sharing useful tips and reviews like this should opportunity arises. Very well, as usual, thanks for reading and I'm looking forward to your next visit. :D

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BOLT! 4G Mobile Wi-Fi Review

Image
If you're a guy who always follows how technologies advance, then you must know 4G. Yes, the next generation of GSM network (and also CDMA) promises clearer voice quality and significantly faster data transfer. Though that sounds fantastic, the availability of such network is currently limited to a handful of countries. Heck, even the next generation 4G (like LTE-A and 5G) is currently being deployed and developed respectively as we speak. BOLT! is the first operator to offer 4G network in Indonesia One of the countries that is currently preparing for 4G network is Indonesia. No offense, but I'm kind of pessimistic, since the 3G networks here suck pretty bad. But it's not that all bad. While telco operators are testing 4G networks in various locations, there's already one new kid on the block offering the sweetness of 4G network. Well, Folks, let me introduce you to BOLT!, a new operator which focuses on delivering 4G data. Unfortunately, it's currently av
Read more

Logitech mk240 Mouse Combo Review

Image
What do you do when you have a Windows tablet that doesn't include a keyboard dock? No, you neither throw it into the trash can or merely play games with it. You'll buy a set of wireless mouse and keyboard and of course, a USB OTG cable and put them together. That way, you'll have yourself a complete 'hybrid' notebook, albeit cheap. Now, I'm pretty certain that you're thinking that there's no such set that has the right size for your tablet. It'd make you look very ridiculous, and you'll be ashamed to bring it with you, even to your favorite café. Fortunately, I have a solution that I recently found. The Logitech mk240 Keyboard + Mouse Combo. It's not the best solution, but at least it can save you some cash and a little bit of embarrassment. Logitech mk240 Mouse Combo Official Shot (White) With the width almost equal to a widescreen 10" tablet, this might be the closest-to-perfection keyboard to pair with yo
Read more

Which WinRAR Compression Do You Need? [GUIDE]

Image
Okay, this is finally the time when I write a serious (and perhaps useful) post. The last time I wrote a post was about the first anniversary for Steve Jobs' passing. You can read it below this post. He was one of great people that mankind will miss. Anyway, the post before the anniversary was already weeks ago. Thanks to the busy routines and tons of assignments in my lecture, I almost abandoned by beloved blog. Today, though... marks the day for my return. Hit the break if you're interested about the meaning behind 'Store', 'Fast', 'Best', etc. :D
Read more