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

2013-12-03T20:37:58+00:00

This worked for me too.

Win8.1 installed from app store last week. All fine, or so I thought until e-mails were not being searched properly in Outlook. I thought it was a temporary glitch and re-booted (a few times), but the problem persisted and then "spread" to other areas of OS (media, documents etc.).

Followed the "renaming" method above and instantly indexing service started all by itself! Fantastic. 1st time I've ever managed to use a "fix" from the MS forums that works! :-)
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Anonymous

2013-12-03T18:26:42+00:00

Sergio,

Thank you for that information. I spent three weeks on the phone and many hours with Microsoft. They were really great but couldn't get my search to start and after three weeks and level2 tech support working with tech support who was working with me they got Search started. They found other things weren't right but at least part of my problem is solved. It was driving me nuts and your suggestion about that registry change worked.

I'm not sure it's something everyone can try without having played in their registry but it did work for me. There are problems with Win8.1 as MS Support said I was not their first with this issue. After getting it fixed Sys Mech "fixed" my registry and of course it all started again which is when I realized it was System Mechanic that goofed up my search indexing. Thank goodness I found this posting. There's more wrong but at least I can search my Outlook and find files again. Hopefully they do put out a Win8.1 patch and take care of some of the mess.

Sergio as well!
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Anonymous

2013-12-03T12:43:00+00:00

Mine also had two entries. I renamed them HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search\FileChangeClientConfigsBAK and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search\FileChangeClientConfigsBAK1 before I exited regedit.

By the time I looked, the service had already restarted.

My symptoms were exactly the same as IraFeldmans.

Everything is working fine again, many thanks,
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