Windows 8.1 Search/Indexing Will not Start - Error 2: The system could not find the file specified.

Anonymous

Original title: Windows 8.1 Search/Indexing Will not Start

Running Windows 8.1 and the indexing has stopped. When I go to services and try and restart the windows search service i get the message....

Windows could not start Windows Search service on the local computer.

Error 2: The system could not find the file specified

I've tried disabeling, rebooting and renabling but this did not work.

I've also did a completly fresh install, which fixed the problem, for about 2 days and back to the exact same error now.

Searched on the internet but cannot find any refrence to Error 2 and windows 8 search. Tried some of the simular fixes reported to different error codes in windows 7 but none matched exactly and none worked.

Any help appreciated, only thing I can think of is that it may be windows 8.1 related? As never had problems with windows 8

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Anonymous

I experienced the same problema and i FIXED it!! after chatting with Microsoft technical service many times, the solution give was: format your PC and reinstall Windows..

However, thanks to Gary and his clue... i fixed and this is my solution (it Works for me now)

I renamed (you can try to delete, but i always like to rename to have an easy way to restore) the key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search\FileChangeClientConfigs{A010C594-BAB6-4690-952C-28A0C0365307} value=ScopeToMonitor

renamed to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search\FileChangeClientConfigBAK{A010C594-BAB6-4690-952C-28A0C0365307} value=ScopeToMonitor

and then started the Windows search sercvice (services.msc).. and right now its working. Its already indexing my files!!

The Windows search service automatically created a new entre in the registry named:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search\FileChangeClientConfigs

I rebooted my laptop and the service started automatically and its working and indexing!!

Hope this patch helps!

Sergio

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Anonymous

Hi everyone, after 4 months of trying to solve this issue without reinstalling the OS, here is my solution!

(all other remedies failed)

Suggest you start with USB memory stick and format (I used NTFS)

This is a little laborious but works...

Open [Services] application, scroll down to [Windows Search] double click and set to Automatic on Startup type:

Open [This PC] to show available drives and ensure you can see your new USB drive, then click on [Manage]. Under [Storage] menu click on [Disk Management].

Click on the new USB drive box (bottom of window), it should show Drive 1 Removable

Right button click and select [Change Drive Letter and Paths...], then select the aspirate USB drive and literally work through the alphabet (avoiding drive letters that are already in use). Each time you change the drive letter, reboot your PC and check to see if [Services] has started 'ruining' [Windows Search]

Once you have figured out which is the correct drive to enable [Windows Search] service to run, then I suggest you partition some space on your hard drive and rename it to the appropriate drive letter that you know works! (Don't forget to format)

Hope that works for you as it fixed my issue

Thanks to everyone for making the world a better place

Think responsibly

Dom

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140 additional answers

Anonymous

2013-12-20T13:00:45+00:00

GaryJE, you are the man!! Your advise about System Mechanic solved my Windows search problem!!

Thanks for posting the solution!

T
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Anonymous

2013-12-20T03:06:04+00:00

I used now defunct PCTOOLS utility Registry Mechanic. I found that part of it's so-called optimization routines, it did kill the search service. This could be turned off where it would ignore the setting. But it also removed certain keys from the registry. This did not surface until I migrated to Windows 8.1. So, it seems to be a combination of things that led to the problem. I believe that there were some people who were not using a "registry cleaner" who experienced the problem. This was fixed in two ways for me: (1) do a refresh of the O/S which could only be done by Microsoft tech support since I did not have a product key and (2) delete the keys that were identified earlier and let Windows rebuild the registry. I removed PCTOOLS since it is no longer supported and seemed to cause more problems than it solved.
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Anonymous

2013-12-20T00:47:17+00:00

Yeah, me too. Same deal with the photo app, and search service won't start.

I use SystemCare 7 as a day to day optimiser and CNet CCleaner for periodic Registry Checks.

I've looked around online for solutions, and they vary from 'Try the troubleshooter' and try 'restarting search services' which are the fixes we all try, to a clean reinstall, and one other claims to have fixed it by making changes to the registry, which isn't something I don't feel I should have to do (esp on the recommendation of anonymous people) and tinkering with register is beyond most users.

Is this affecting all Windows 8.1 users who employ any Registry Cleaner?

Please Microsoft, it's essential to have an Indexing and Search Service, or it doesn't really matter how good your OS design may be if you can't find anything that's in it!!
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