Windows 10 Search Is Broken and Shows Blank Results, How to Fix

Update  #1: Microsoft has stated that they have pushed out a fix and that it should be resolved for "most' users. If you already implemented the fix below, you can enable Bing search again (instructions below) and see if the issue is resolved for you. If it is not, you will need to use the fix again and wait for Microsoft to resolve the issue.

Update #2: Microsoft has stated that the issue should be resolved and that users need to restart their computers for the fix to work. More info below:

"This issue was resolved at 12:00 PM PST. If you are still experiencing issues, please restart your device. In rare cases, you may need to manually end the SearchUI.exe or SearchApp.exe process via Task Manager. (To locate these processes, select CTRL + Shift + Esc then select the Details tab.)"

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A bug in the Windows 10 Search is causing blank results to be shown in both the Start Menu and in File Explorer.  This is making it impossible to search for and launch an application from the Start Menu.

Starting today, Windows 10 users all over the world have discovered that when they attempt to use Windows Search from the Start Menu to search for a file or application, the results just come up blank.

This same behavior occurs when users try to perform a search within File Explorer as it too utilizes the Windows Search feature.

This issue is being caused by the integration of Bing search into Windows Search and the only way to fix it at this time is to disable this functionality.

If you do not utilize search often or do not find this bug to be a problem, it is suggested that you wait for Microsoft to push out a fix rather disabling Bing integration.

Update 2/5/20: Microsoft has stated that they are aware of the issue and have issued a fix and that it should be resolved for most users.

"We are aware of a temporary server-side issue causing Windows search to show a blank box. This issue has been resolved for most users and in some cases, you might need to restart your device. We are working diligently to fully resolve the issue and will provide an update once resolved. "

How to fix blank results showing in Windows 10 search

To disable Bing search in Windows Search we need to configure the following Registry values.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search]
"CortanaConsent"=dword:00000000
"BingSearchEnabled"=dword:00000000

Below we have provided a simple method that you can use to quickly add these values to the Registry so that you can get Windows Search working again.

Method 1: Use premade Registry file to disable Bing search

BleepingComputer has created a Registry file that you can use to import the required changes into your Registry.

To use this Registry file to disable Bing search, please follow these steps:

1. Download disable-bing-search.reg to your computer. Once downloaded, double-click on the file.
2. When you double-click on the file, Windows 10 will display a UAC prompt asking if you would like to allow Registry Editor to make changes to your system. Click on the Yes button to continue.
3. You will now be shown a prompt from Registry Editor asking if you wish to continue. Please click on the Yes button to configure the required Registry values.

   

4. You should now restart your computer or restart Windows Explorer for these changes to go into effect and for Windows Search to work again.

Method 2: Use the Registry Editor to disable Bing integration

If you do not wish to use the premade Registry file, you can disable Bing's integration with Windows Search via the Registry Editor.

1. As you cannot launch programs via Windows Search, we need to launch the Registry Editor via the Run: dialog. To do that, press the Windows key + the R key at the same time to open the Run: dialog and then type Regedit and press the OK button.
2. Windows will display a UAC prompt asking if you wish to allow the Registry Editor to make changes to the system. Press the Yes button to continue.
3. Navigate to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search key.
4. Right-click on Search and select New and then DWORD (32-bit) Value as shown below.

   

5. You will be prompted to enter the name of the new value. Type BingSearchEnabled and press Enter on the keyboard. A new value will be created that should automatically be set to 0. If not, double-click on BingSearchEnabled and set the value to 0 and then press the OK button.
6. Now look under the Search key for a value named CortanaConsent. When you find the value, double-click on it and set its value to 0 and then press the OK button to save it. If the CortanaConsent value does not exist, create it using the steps above and set its value to 0.
7. When done, you should have both the CortanaConsent and BingSearchEnabled values created and set to 0.
8. You can now close the Registry Editor and restart Windows Explorer or restart your computer.

Regardless of the method used, once restarted, the Start Menu and File Explorer search results will no longer be blank.

Enable Bing integration again

Once Microsoft releases a fix, you can enable Bing integration with Windows Search by downloading the enable-bing-search.reg registry file.

This Registry file will delete the BingSearchEnabled value and set the CortanaConsent value to 1 under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search Registry key.

Once downloaded, you can double-click on the file to import the changes and restart Windows to enable Bing again.

While I strongly suggest that you use the premade Registry file for ease of use and to avoid mistakes, you can also make these changes via the Registry Editor.