Apps Not Showing on Start Menu - Brand New PC

Run the Windows Search troubleshooter and restart the Windows 11 SearchHost.exe process before resetting Search, because the Search service, Explorer, updates, and SFC have already been checked.

1. Run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Select Run new task.
3. Enter:

msdt.exe -ep WindowsHelp id SearchDiagnostic

4. Select the problems related to apps not appearing, complete any recommended repair, and test calc or snip again.

This troubleshooter resets relevant Search settings to their defaults when it detects a problem.^1^

2. Restart the Search interface process

Restarting the Windows Search service does not necessarily restart the Windows 11 Search interface:

1. Open Task Manager and select Details.
2. Right-click SearchHost.exe and select End task.
3. Open Start and type calculator. Windows should start SearchHost.exe automatically.^1^

3. Reset Windows Search

If app results remain empty, use Microsoft’s ResetWindowsSearchBox.ps1 script. Resetting Search does not affect personal files, although result relevance can be temporarily reduced while Search recovers.^1^

1. Open PowerShell as administrator and record the current policy:

Get-ExecutionPolicy

2. If it is not Unrestricted, temporarily change it:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted

3. From Microsoft’s Fix problems in Windows Search page, download ResetWindowsSearchBox.ps1.
4. Right-click the downloaded file and select Run with PowerShell.
5. Wait for Done.
6. If the policy was changed, restore the exact value recorded in step 1:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy <PreviousValue>

Do not bypass an organization-enforced script policy; on a managed PC, contact its administrator instead.

4. Determine whether the problem is profile-specific

If the reset fails, create a temporary account:

1. Open Settings → Accounts → Other users → Add account.
2. Select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information → Add a user without a Microsoft account.
3. Sign into that account and test Start search.^2^

• Search works there: regenerate Search data only for the original profile.
• Search also fails there: skip to the repair-install fallback.

5. Regenerate Search data only if the new account works

Caution: This procedure deletes profile-specific Search data and a registry key. Create a restore point, and export the registry key before deleting it.

1. While signed into the temporary administrator account, delete this folder for the affected account, replacing AffectedName with its actual folder name:

C:\Users\AffectedName\AppData\Local\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy

Do not use %USERPROFILE% here—it would target the temporary account.

2. Sign out and sign back into the affected account.
3. Open Registry Editor and go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search

4. Right-click Search → Export and save the backup. Then delete the Search key.
5. Open PowerShell as administrator from the affected account and run:

Add-AppxPackage -Path "C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\Appxmanifest.xml" `
  -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register

6. Restart Windows and test Search. Microsoft documents this procedure as regenerating the Search registry key, package-data folder, and index.^1^

If every account is affected

Perform a Windows 11 in-place repair upgrade using the Windows 11 ISO, run setup.exe, and ensure Keep personal files and apps is selected before installation. Back up important files first and disconnect unnecessary peripherals. This repair path is recommended for persistent Windows 11 Search failures after the preceding fixes.^3^

Because this is a new Dell computer, if the repair installation also fails, use Dell warranty support rather than performing a destructive reset or reimage.

References

1. Fix problems in Windows Search
2. Manage User Accounts in Windows | Microsoft Support
3. Windows 11 Search Bar doesn't work - Microsoft Q&A