Windows 10 updates are probably the biggest reason why people didn't want to leave their now-out-of-support Windows 7 machines. Time and again, some update arrives that just messes up some mundane and yet critical feature of the operating system, disrupting the workflow. As reported earlier, this time it was Windows 10 search pushing Windows 10 users to face their palms... or desks.

The problem is with Windows Search that turned up blank boxes for what appears to be a majority of Windows 10 users (full disclosure: I did not experience it on my device running version 1909). Microsoft acknowledged the Windows 10 search issue yesterday and has marked it resolved. However, several users are still reporting experiencing this issue.

How to fix Windows 10 Search issue the Microsoft way

The Windows maker said that this issue was resolved, but if you are still experiencing problems, restart your device. Khushal, Wccftech's resident SEO genie, reported that this didn't fix search-related bugs on his computer. He had to resort to Registry edit (shared below), which resolved the bugs for him.

Microsoft adds that if restarts don't help you, you might need to "manually end the SearchUI.exe or SearchApp.exe process via Task Manager."

What if the above two don't help?

If this doesn't work for you, follow these steps to disable Bing integration, which appears to be the cause behind these latest Windows 10 search issues. Since the following steps involve Registry edits, backups are recommended.

Go to Run through Windows Key + R.Typeregeditand hitEnter.Double-click the following: HKEY_CURRENT_USER >SOFTWARE >Microsoft >Windows >CurrentVersion >Search.On the right panel, right-click to get to the context menu and click onNew.Next, click on D-WORD (32-bit) Value. TypeBingSearchEnabledand hitEnter.Double-click on the newly created theBingSearchEnabledentry.Confirm that the Value data field has 0in it.ClickOK.Next, double-click on CortanaConsent. Again, confirm data field has 0.ClickOK andrestart your device.

This should hopefully resolve the Windows 10 search issues brought by Bing integration.

Microsoft's complete statement on the latest Windows 10 search bug:

We are aware of a temporary server-side issue causing Windows search to show a blank box. This issue has been resolvedfor 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.

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, selectCTRL + Shift + Escthen select theDetailstab.)

- Earlier: version 1909 is the most stable, service pack-like feature update | download here