Search is an important aspect of Windows 10 that lets you find existing files, folders or apps on your PC. However, at times, you might not be able to type in the text field which is quite irritating. Several users have reported on different Windows 10 forums of being experienced similar bugs. In this blog, we will explain a few methods to fix can’t type in the Search box error on your system.
Enabled Development Mode, Corrupt File Explorer & Cortana, and turned off ctfmon.exe are some prime reasons that may arise this issue. Henceforth, executing a few commands on Windows PowerShell and re-enabling the above apps may help to fix the can’t type in the search bar. Let’s explore these solutions in detail –
Fix Can’t type in search box issue on Windows 10
To resolve can’t type in search box error on Windows 10 PC, use these workarounds –
1] Using PowerShell
The presence of minor glitches in the Windows Store may cause this issue to appear. To repair this bug, just open PowerShell and perform a few command lines. Here’s how to do –
- Right-click anywhere on the Taskbar and select the Task Manager option.
- Select the File Menu and choose Run new task option.
- Type Powershell in the text area and tick the checkbox “Create this task with administrative privileges”.
- Tap OK to go ahead.
- Copy/paste the following code on the succeeding window and press Enter key.
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like “*SystemApps*”} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
- When the above command runs successfully, close the window.
You may now type in the search bar to see whether it resolves the underlying cause.
2] Disable the Development mode
If you are still unable to write something in the text area of search due to the prevailing issue, you should try disabling the active development mode. Here are the essential steps to follow –
- Press Win Logo and X hotkey to launch the Power menu.
- Select Windows PowerShell (Admin) option from the list.
- Tap Yes if UAC prompts.
- Next, type the below code and hit Enter at the end.
$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsStore).InstallLocation + ‘\AppxManifest.xml’ ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest
- After executing the code successfully, close the current window.
Lastly, Restart the PC and type anything in the search box to check the improvements.
3] Run alternative user Input File
The ctfmon.exe process is in general required to run the Windows Store smoothly. In case, this service is not running, this may lead to can’t type in the search box issue. To restart this service, use these steps –
- Jointly press Win and E to launch the File Explorer.
- Next, reach out to the following path –
C:\Windows\system32
- Form the directory list, locate and right-click on the ctfmon.exe process.
- Choose the Open option using the context menu.
- Once finished, close the File Explorer and Restart your PC.
4] Restart Cortana Process
Sometimes, there appear some internal bugs inside Cortana that might hinder the smooth function of the Search. If that’s the case, try disabling then re-enabling Cortana using the below steps –
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys together to launch the Task Manager.
- Further, scroll down and locate Cortana under the Process tab.
- Now do the right-click and select End Task from the context menu.
- When the Cortana is set as disabled, close the Task Manager.
- Now click the search icon to Restart the Cortana process and check the improvements.
5] Restart File Explorer app
Sometimes, this bug may arise due to unnecessary cache stored in File Explorer. If that’s the case, you should restart File Explorer using the below steps –
- Right-click on the Taskbar and select the Task Manager option.
- Select the Processes tab then look for the Windows Explorer app.
- Once found, right-click on the same thereafter tap End Task using the shortcut menu.
We hope the above set of workarounds fix “can’t type in the search bar” issue on your system.
