Cannot Type in SearchBar

Guide to troubleshooting and fixing the issue where you cannot type in the Windows Search bar, Start Menu, or UWP apps.

Common Causes

• CTF Loader (ctfmon.exe) not running.
• SearchHost.exe process is frozen.
• Cortana/Search app is corrupted.
• Keyboard driver issues.

Solution 1: Restart SearchHost.exe

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Go to the Details tab.
3. Find SearchHost.exe (or SearchUI.exe).
4. Right-click and select End task.
5. Try typing in the search bar again (Windows will restart the process automatically).

Solution 2: Run CTF Loader Manually

The CTF Loader manages text input for Windows.

1. Press Win + R.
2. Type C:\Windows\system32\ctfmon.exe and press Enter.
3. Try typing.

Fix permanently: If this works, ensure it starts with Windows:

1. Open Registry Editor (regedit).
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
3. Create a new String Value named ctfmon.
4. Set value to C:\Windows\system32\ctfmon.exe.

Solution 3: Re-register Windows Apps via PowerShell

This resets the Shell experience.

1. Right-click Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
2. Paste the following command and press Enter:

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

1. Ignore red error text if it appears (this is normal for running apps).
2. Restart your computer.

Solution 4: Restart Windows Explorer

1. Open Task Manager.
2. Find Windows Explorer in the Processes list.
3. Right-click and select Restart.

Solution 5: Reset Search Index

1. Go to Control Panel > Indexing Options.
2. Click Advanced.
3. Under Troubleshooting, click Rebuild.
4. This may take some time.