8 Ways to Fix Windows Search Bar Is Missing Issue

Windows 10 brought numerous tweaks, including a search bar that was absent in earlier versions. Prior to this, users had to open the Start menu to initiate a search. However, it seems that some users are experiencing a missing search bar on their computers.

This could indicate two possibilities: either the search bar is inactive or there is an error. Either way, searching for anything becomes cumbersome without a prominently visible search bar. Therefore, we will examine both scenarios and determine which suggested solutions are effective for you.

1. Windows Search Keyboard Shortcut

The search bar on the Taskbar takes up a lot of space, which some people don’t like. This can be a problem if you have many app icons and shortcuts beside it. To access the search window with frequently used apps, last used files, and shortcuts, simply press Windows key+S.

You no longer need the Windows search bar in the Taskbar.

2. Disable Tablet Mode

Do you have Tablet Mode enabled on your screen? That will remove the Windows search bar to save screen estate for everything else in tablet mode. Disable it from the Action Center. You can launch the Action Center with the Windows key+A keyboard shortcut.

3. Taskbar Settings

Let’s review the Taskbar settings to ensure proper setup.

Right-click on the Taskbar and make sure Show search box is selected under Search. If it is hidden, that’s why the search bar is missing in your Windows 10 computer. I have selected Show search icon, which shows a small icon instead of the full search bar. It takes less space and looks clean.

Right-click on the Taskbar and select Taskbar Settings. Disable Use small taskbar buttons to reduce eye strain and remove the Search bar.

Do you have multiple displays and the Taskbar is missing on the second display? Scroll in Taskbar settings and enable Show taskbar on all displays.

4. Restart Windows Explorer

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys on your keyboard to open the Task Manager. Find the Windows Explorer process in the Processes tab, right-click on it, and choose Restart.

Note that all open windows will be closed, so save all work before proceeding. Restarting Windows Explorer may help restart various processes, such as the Taskbar and Windows Search button.

Press Windows key+I on your computer keyboard to open the Settings app and search for Find and fix problems with Windows Search. Click to open a pop-up window.

Click on Apply repairs automatically under Advanced and then click on Next to continue. Windows will now look for and repair known errors and bugs automatically if found.

Follow the on-screen instructions and reboot your computer to check if the Windows Search bar is still missing.

6. Display Driver Update

A Microsoft volunteer suggests updating display drivers to solve the missing Windows search bar issue. Some research suggests that outdated drivers may cause various problems. Updating the drivers is a harmless solution. If you don’t like the new drivers, you can always revert to the previous version. To update the display drivers, search for and open Device Manager.

Double-click on Display adapters and Monitors. Update the drivers of these devices by right-clicking and selecting Update drivers.

If you are unsatisfied with the update, right-click and select Properties. Click on the Driver tab and then the Roll Back Driver button. Reboot your computer after the process is complete.

7. Create Local User

Press Windows key+I to open Settings and go to Accounts > Family & other users. Click on ‘Add someone else to this PC’.

Select ‘I don’t have this person’s sign-in information’ in the pop-up that follows.

Click on ‘Add a user without a Microsoft account.’ This will let you create a new local user account without having to create a new Microsoft account. The local user account will share the same settings instead of different or default settings that come with a new Microsoft account.

Enter your username and password on the next screen and follow the instructions to create a new account.

To switch to the new local user account, press the Windows key and choose the account name under your profile pic in the left sidebar.

If the issue with the missing Windows Search bar is resolved, you can grant admin rights to this local account. Return to Settings and select the newly created local account name, then choose Change account type.

Choose Administrator from the drop-down menu and save.

8. Registry Editor Hack

To review the provided text, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows key+R, type “regedit”, and press Enter to launch Registry Editor.

Navigate to the folder structure below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search

Do you see the SearchboxTaskbarMode key in the right windowpane? If yes, double-click on it.

If not, right-click to select DWORD (32-bit) Value under New. Name this file SearchboxTaskbarMode.

The Hexadecimal Base Value should be 2 instead of 1. Save and exit to check if the Windows Search bar missing in Taskbar error is resolved.

Search Party

The Windows search bar is useful, but you can use the keyboard shortcut to make things even faster. If you want the search bar and it is missing in the Taskbar, you can get it back using one of the methods shared above. Just make sure all the settings are set as required.

Next up: Want to search for images based on dimensions? Click the link below to learn a way where you can search for images not only by name, but also by their length and width.