How to fix problems with SearchUI.exe in Windows 7, 8, 10?

SearchUI.exe in Windows is responsible for search functions. And if this process stops working or hangs, it causes inconvenience, since it is impossible to find anything in the system. However, Cortana’s voice assistant often stops working.

Reasons for missing SearchUI.exe

Fortunately, this error is not related to malware or Windows OS glitches. Typically, the problem appears in the following cases:

• The SearchUI.exe process can be suspended by the intervention of a third-party antivirus tool, so disabling the program will correct the situation.
• SearchUI.exe freezing can happen in case of incompatibility with other software.
• SearchUI.exe crash is a system crash issue. To solve it, you need to create a new account or user.
• SearchUI.exe application error is a separate type of problem in which the program itself is the source of the failure.
• The message “SearchUI.exe is missing” appears when system files are damaged.

As you can see, the reasons can be different. Therefore, in order to identify the problem, you need to apply all the methods listed below one by one until the error is fixed.

Solution 1: Check for OS updates

In some cases, the problem occurs after incorrectly installing a Windows update.

Do the following:

1. Right-click on the Windows icon (left, bottom corner), and select Control Panel.
2. Go to the Windows Update section, and open the View update log tab.
3. In the list of updates, find those marked with the words: “Failure”, “Error”, and reinstall them.
4. After reinstalling, restart your computer.

Solution 2. Create a new user account

To fix the error “SearchUI.exe is missing”, you can try to create a new user:

1. Right-click on the Windows icon and select Options.
2. Next, go to Accounts, and open the Family and other users tab.
3. On the right, click Add a user to this PC.
4. Select “I don’t have login information for this person”.
5. Click the Add user without an account option.
6. Enter a name and select Next.

Solution 3: Run diagnostics and troubleshooting

How to use the function:

1. Right-click on the Windows icon and select Options.
2. Go to the Update & Security section.
3. Click the Troubleshoot tab.
4. On the right, scroll down to Search and Indexing.
5. Run the troubleshooter.

Solution 4: Perform a clean boot of Windows

How to do it:

1. Right-click on the Windows icon and select Run.
2. In the window that opens, enter the msconfig command, and Ok.
3. In the System Configuration window, click the Services tab.
4. Check the “Don’t show Microsoft services” checkbox.
5. Then click Disable All and Apply.
6. Go to the Startup tab.
7. Click open Task Manager and disable any programs that are set to load automatically.
8. Reboot your computer.

Solution 5. Disable your antivirus

In some cases, antivirus software can block the SearchUI.exe process. Try to disable it and test the search functionality. If it functions, the reason is incompatibility with a third-party protection system. You should think about an alternative antivirus.