Windows search hanging problem

Enter the following command on the command line of the PowerShell window, press the Spacebar, enter the policy value that you noted in step 5, and then press Enter:. For example, if the policy that you noted in step 5 was Restricted , the command would resemble the following one:. Press Y, and then press Enter to accept the change and revert to your previous policy setting.

If your organization has disabled the ability to run scripts, contact your administrator for help. If the previous suggestions don't fix the problem, let us know by sending feedback in the Feedback Hub. Provide details, such as a description of the problem, screenshots, log files, and any other information that might be helpful. In the Feedback Hub, select the appropriate category and subcategory. In this case, submit your feedback in the Cortana and Search category.

Skip to main content. This browser is no longer supported. Download Microsoft Edge More info. Contents Exit focus mode. Please rate your experience Yes No. Corrupt system files can cause Windows Explorer to stop responding.

Faulty hardware could be the reason that Windows system files were improperly written to disk, or decayed over time. If you have recently installed an app or driver and find that Windows is now hanging randomly, try removing the recently installed software. If you have a restore point saved before you installed the software, try running System Restore to return the system to a working state: Windows 7: System Restore Windows 8 or Windows 8.

Registry cleaning tools can damage the Windows registry and cause a range of symptoms include random system hangs. For more information, please see the following Knowledge Base: Microsoft support policy for the use of registry cleaning utilities If the registry becomes damaged, it is recommended that you restore Windows to a working state using either System Restore, or Refresh.

In the event that these tools do not resolve the issue, you may need to reinstall Windows. Windows 7: System Restore Windows 8 or Windows 8. If Chkdsk runs while starting Windows, it could be a sign of a hard disk failure. For more information, see the following Knowledge Base article: Check disk Chkdsk runs when you start Windows 8 or Windows 7 Please note that Chkdsk can take a very long time to run.

On large hard drives, it can even take a day or more. If Chkdsk finds and fixes a problem, this may be a sign that the drive is failing. If so, you may continue to experience problems in the future. If problems are repeatedly found or can't be fixed, consider replacing the hard drive. Contact your PC manufacturer for assistance, if needed.

Random hangs can also be caused by other faulty hardware. Consult with your PC manufacturer to run available hardware diagnostics. This could include:. PC diagnostics that test the integrity of the core PC devices, such as the processor fans and cooling system. Malicious software may also cause random hangs and other performance problems in Windows.

See this article for information about finding and removing viruses: How do I find and remove a virus? It is also recommended that you run one or more online detection tools from reputable antivirus software providers if you suspect a malware infection. One such example is the Microsoft Safety Scanner.

Antivirus software can sometimes contribute to performance problems in Windows. This is particularly common if your antivirus software is out of date, or if you are running more than one antivirus software on your PC at the same time.

If you have multiple antivirus solutions installed, uninstall all but one. Check for and install updates for your antivirus software. For more information, see these articles: How do I uninstall antivirus or antispyware programs? What to do if your antivirus software stops working.

A generic freeze is usually indicative of some type of performance problem due to bad hardware or problems with the way Windows is configured, including low memory or disk space.

You may see Windows freezing periodically if there is an issue with an important driver on your system. Display drivers, Bluetooth drivers, network drivers, and motherboard drivers can all contribute to temporary freezing of the system. The Indexer has stopped adding new items to the index because of low battery power.

Search results may not be complete. Connect the device to power, and charge the battery. After the battery has sufficiently charged, indexing resumes. To finish indexing, connect the device to power. Contact your IT team if you want to change the policy. Indexing resumes 15 minutes after it pauses. To resume indexing more quickly, restart the Windows Search service wsearch. You can do it by using the Services tab of Task Manager or by using Services.

If you have upgraded Windows on the device, wait five minutes for the Windows Search service to start. The service automatically pauses during an upgrade. The service should have the following configuration: - Status : Running - Startup Type : Automatic Delayed Start Otherwise, make sure that the Windows Search service wsearch is configured correctly.

To do this, open Services. To change the Windows Search service settings, right-click Windows Search , and then select Properties. We recommend that you don't run such applications if you want to use Search. Or, check the status of the service after you run the applications. Use Task Manager to discover applications that use a large amount of memory.

If possible, close those applications. Install more memory in the device. There's not enough space on the disk to continue indexing. The Indexer stops before it fills the entire disk. The index is generally 10 percent of the size of the content that is being indexed. Make sure that there's more than 1 GB of free space on the disk.

Reduce the size of the database index, as described in this article. Wait for the Indexer to reply. It should take about one minute.

Refer the article How to perform a clean boot in Windows. Performing a clean boot will start the computer with minimal set of drivers and programs, to determine whether a background program is causing the issue.

Some of the Startup programs will not load after performing a clean boot on the computer. However, that functionality will return when you reset the computer to start normally after finishing the troubleshooting. Note: Please refer the section Reset the computer to start normally after clean boot troubleshooting to boot the computer in to normal mode after troubleshooting. Was this reply helpful? Yes No.