Redmond says the problem was on the server side and users could not even search for local files. There was a workaround for the problem through registry edits. On its Tech Community, Microsoft reconfirmed that it knew about the problem and has rolled out a fix. While the company is not really providing any new information, it does now seem the solution is reaching more and more people. For anyone still experiencing the problem, a system restart may be all that is needed for the fix to work. Microsoft points out you may also have to end the process for the SearchApp.exe and SearchUI.exe on the Task Manager. Microsoft says it is continuing to work to “fully resolve the issue”. Users can expect another status update when the fix is widely available.
Indexer Diagnostic
Last month, Microsoft introduced an Indexer Diagnostic application for Windows Search. Specifically, this is a diagnostic tool designed to analyze issues in search indexes. The new application shows data from search indexing problems and lets users troubleshoot them. On the homepage, more information is presented, such as pending issues that need to be resolved and how many indexed items there are. Furthermore, users can also see the status of the indexer, and usage stats broken down by week, day, and hour. Looking to the sidebar, more options are available, such as troubleshoot selections like “Search is not working” and “What is being indexed?”.