Windows XP Search Function Stopped Working

Steve, I have looked everywhere but cannot find a panel like your screenshots.
I even tried to find it if it is hidden by many net suggestions, but no luck.
John

 

No problem!

P.S. I've got 6 empty Westmalle goblets sitting in my hutch. So, if you get any, send me a couple of (full) bottles and I'll send you a couple of (empty but carefully packed) goblets!

 

Trickytricky on that screen of GF's - you can access through Start/Run/"dcomcnfg", left click the "+" at Component Services, left click the "+" at Computers, then right click on My Computer for Properties.

 

Trickytricky's right Crofty. Our birthday boy must've started early to have missed my cue ....

 

What "F" key ? There are lots of them - F1 to F12. The Windows key + Letter F does nothing.

Stapp my dear and lovely friend. This problem is like any program that works perfectly, but has two icons. One icon works, the other does not. So, the Search is working but the icon on the Start menu is not.

I still say that if my Administrator rights were in doubt, nothing would work, so I cannot really accept a lot of hanky-panky which could well screw it all up, when in fact the Search IS working but not by clicking the icon on the Start menu.

John

 

Hey Birthday boy, you have a look @ the dcomcnfg page yet? How about that registry location - the value there to remove?

 

I'm able to reproduce the exact behavior you describe (xp sp3) by tampering with the reg key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{2559a1f0-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}.

Navigate to that key, export it and compare it to:

If it's not the same, then just save the above as fix.reg, merge it with the registry and reboot.

 

Holy Moses Stack,

I am not at all competent enough to follow the path you so kindly set out.

It looks so attractive and logical but far beyond my aptitude. I really am grateful for this information, but just do not understand how to implement it.

It does look very good and logical and I really appreciate your efforts to solve my silly little problem.

One thing I will not do is insert the Windows CD disc and mess around trying to re-install the Search function. Rather leave it like it is.
John

 

So we can check for ya, paste this in your runbox:

Code:

[b]regedit /e c:\search_function.reg "hkey_local_machine\software\classes\clsid\{2559a1f0-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}"[/b]

It'll export the key in question and leave search_function.reg on your root drive = c:\

Copy and paste it's contents like in the post by Stackz or change the extension to .txt and upload as an attachment.

 

It brings up my panel 1, but again the Search icon does not work.

 

Best I can do is :-

 

Go with post twenty-five Terry, then a lone *back \ slash* in run to find it.

 

Steve, post 25 is my own - it is just a chat post.

 

She's a match. Rt-clk, save as View attachment fix.txt to your dsktp, then rename it fix.reg. Dbl-clk, OK the merge. If not immediate, reboot.

 

I don`t know what the hell is going on Steve, but my posts have not been printed. Here we go again.

The output from your post 35 which entered a search item in the Registry programs is :-
View attachment search_function script x.txt

If this is OK, it asks whether to ADD or MERGE. I have done nothing yet pending your reaction.

There are many SEARCH functions - this thread is only concerned with the START SEARCH which is the "Little dog" screen that suddenly stopped working. See :-
Start panel : the damned system will not let me upload this panel again and has gobbled it up somewhere, so refer to my post 7.

The SEARCH I want restored is :-


I think two of my reply posts are missing. This matter is complicated enough for me without having to cope with Forum system problems and missing posts.
It completely wrecks continuity.
Many thanks
Terry

If it looks OK, do I ADD or MERGE, reboot or what ?

 

Files are identical - do nothing. Start search - I know. Online Armor - something you can disable <no internet> for a boot?

I'm guessing she'll work in safe mode. Care to confirm? If not OA I'm leaning towards corruption - COM+ corruption.

 

@John Bull
CloneRanger maybe right on his assumption that the Comodo cleaner cleaned much more that it needs to. Did you clean the registry or anything with it recently without reviewing the list? Before uninstalling it you should have first restored whatever it deleted prior to having your problem.

Did you restart after following the instructions in the link provided by GlobalForce?

Let's try this:

Go to Start Menu > Run > type cmd > press enter
Type regsvr32 /i C:\Windows\Srchasst\srchui.dll, press enter
Type regsvr32 /i urlmon, press enter
Exit cmd, restart your computer

If it doesn't fix your problem, you may need to reinstall Search. You need your XP CD for that.

 

I am getting so much help on this and thank you.
Did what you said and still nothing on the Start list Search icon - my panel 1 post 7.

This Search does work when I open the Start and panel 2 comes up.
So it may be that if after all this help the Start Search icon is still dead, I will just use the screen that does work instead of doing any CD insert.

I never actually used the Comodo cleaner except for just analyzing, but it did seem to do some automatic operation, which I stopped as soon as I saw it. Even so, it has always simply listed items and required a manual GO before it cleans anything, following the safe practice of all cleaners. None of them just clean files out without user approval. That would be dangerous.

I am really puzzled why this Little Dog Search is not working on the Start listing, but works OK on the opened Start screen.

It does really look as if some connecting program or file has been deleted.

Thanks again
John

 

@John Bull
I have some questions:
-Using another account, does the Search work?
-In Classic Start menu, the Search works?
-Is Search checked when you navigate to Right-click Start button > Properties > Start menu tab > Start menu customize > Advanced tab > Start menu items?
-Try using Internet Explorer to surf. Are you having problems opening tabs or windows? Is it giving any errors?

Try the ff:

Go to Start Menu > Run, type cmd, press enter
Type regsvr32 /i vbscript.dll, press enter
Type regsvr32 /i browseui.dll, press enter
Type regsvr32 /i shell32.dll, press enter
Exit cmd, restart your computer, open Search

Open Run, type regedit, press enter
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Look for NoFind at right column. Right-click it, modify, set value data=0, click Ok.
If NoFind is not present. Right-click blank area in right column, New, Dword value. Name it NoFind. Set its value data=0.
Close regedit, restart, open Search

When doing fixes disable OA HIPS and AVG IDS.

 

@thanatos_theos

I am so grateful to you for still trying.
Will explore your suggestions and come back later.
John

 

I have to say how absolutely impressed I am with the astounding generosity and highly technical response given to this thread. Heaven, it is an insignificant and relatively unimportant matter really, but it has received the attention and dedication of a major issue. In all the threads I have read on Forum`s, I have rarely seen such a complex and enthusiastic response given to a subject.

We must not forget Wilders, who provide such a unique and excellent platform for discussion and our being fortunate in having such a large membership of very knowledgeable people eager to help users in trouble.

For this remarkable show of willingness to help, I can only offer my sincere gratitude to you all.
Without taking any credit from any single respondent, distinctions must inevitably go to that genius of all knowledge GlobalForce who has shown the tenacity of an Alligator in a death roll, Stackz for that wonderful input, Crofttk - as always a pearl of wisdom and Thanatos Theos for a very good response.

The problem of a little lost search dog is not confined to me, the net is full of users airing the same dilemma. Many of the solutions are the same as in this thread and some have cured the problem, but not in all cases. The rather extreme remedy if all else fails is to use the Windows CD disc and either repair or re-install the search function. It is not clear whether these other users have lost the entire search facility or just the left click start dog.

I have tried almost every suggestion made in this thread with no success. All the scripts went in OK, no disasters, but still no dog on the left click start. The icon is dead. What caused this little dog to run off, I just do not know and presumably never will. A case of never knowing if the Butler did it.

As I still have this search facility with a right click start, it is no inconvenience at all, it is not a function that is used often. OK the other dog has gone AWOL, but with a right click his twin brother comes back to Master and the search is all there. It is a path of diminishing returns in employing so much effort for so little gain.
Obviously, if the whole search facility had gone, then that would be much more serious and I would really be in trouble.

But I still have it on a right click and do not wish to start WW3 just because Fido has gone missing on a left click.
I cannot risk losing this search completely by trying any radical witchcraft.

So, I have decided that after such an immense effort to restore this fault has not been sucessful, I will use the right click start search and relegate the left click job down to a lost unknown cause. There is no way I intend to play games with a CD just to get Fido on the left click search list. I will delete the search icon from the left click start list. The aircraft will have to stay grounded.
It will also allow our enthusiastic and valuable members to concentrate on other problems.

Although my problem has not been solved, it is certainly not for the lack of highly intelligent and remarkable input given and again for all this I thank every one of you.

A very humble and thankful JB

PS - IF in the unlikely event any of you genius`s DO find out why Fido has scampered away from my left click start list, please let me know, engineers do not indulge in being beaten. But no teasing - I have a headache.

** As a loose end I will explore the moves suggested by Thanatos Theos in post 45 and see what comes of it.

 

I found a couple of links to try ...or not.

"Where Did My Little Search Dog Go?" http://thedailyreviewer.com/windowsxp/view/where-did-my-little-search-dog-go-103264125#104155420

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/top10faqs.htm

 

Well my team mates, ya not gonna believe this, but it is TRUE.

I found that my IE was not loading and the Windows update was not working.

OK, no sweat. I downloaded a complete IE8 package from the Microsoft website and RUN it. No uninstall, no nothing, just hit the button and ran the download.

It uninstalled my existing IE8 and installed the new version complete with updates after a reboot.

IE now loads OK and guess what !! My little dog has returned to the START left click list and works fine.

So, all it needed was a new install of IE8. Something had crapped up the system, no idea what, but it is now working just fine and Fido is back in his Start kennel and itching to go get `em.

I hope this news helps others to recover Fido to the Start list without engaging in a mammoth exercise of Gobble-de-Gook unnecessary insertions and risk of internal programming Armageddon.

JB

 

Good to know. Were there errors when you did a regsvr32 of the dlls mentioned in this thread? That should have alerted you that something is wrong with IE. A scripting component related to IE responsible for shortcut creation might have gone amiss. Reinstalling IE did the trick. Now we know why IE is deeply embedded in and needed by the OS.

You can also invoke Search by pressing F3 or Windows key+F. Much easier?