Windows 11 Search Doesn’t Find App. Shortcuts Under “Start Menu” Folder

My Windows 11 PC/Desktop machine is in a state where windows search, as invoked by “windows-Key <search text>”, isn’t working right.

If I put a shortcut to an app. into. C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu then search doesn’t find it. However, this problem only occurs for one local user account, let’s call it “user3”. For other logins, like “user1”, an admin local account, or “user2”, another non-admin local account, there are no search problems.

This problem started recently. Was working fine before.

Don’t know what caused it but have been wondering if it was triggered by changing behavior of Windows 11 Calendar app. I activated “Try the New Outlook” in Calendar, which led to the local user3 account becoming attached to my Microsoft account. I didn’t want that, so switched it back later. But now I’m stuck with Search not working right in that one account. I don’t know for a fact that the search breakage was related to the Calendar thing. Just speculating.

In any case, am now in a state where, for this local account “user 3”, Search doesn’t find shortcuts in Start Menu or Start Menu / Programs. I did try rebuilding the search index but that had no effect. I actually didn’t expect it to have any effect since Start Menu is a machine global folder and searching it works fine for the other accounts.

I also tried “sfc /scannow” and “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth”. But they found nothing.

Another thing I noticed was that if I put shortcuts on the user3 desktop, search finds them OK. Almost like search from user3 can find things in its own file space but not in a machine wide file space like C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu.

OS version is Win11 23H2 build 22631.3593.

What I’m experiencing is a little bit like this
Redirecting

But I’ve tried what was suggested there and it had no affect.

Any ideas?

There are two Start Menu/Program folders


And

The second folder has no support for renaming apps.

NormanF said:

The second folder has no support for renaming apps.

Click to expand...

Where did you get that idea? Apps can be renamed anywhere. I just changed the name of Everything to Something and then back again with no problem whatsoever.

Maybe I misunderstood you. Please explain your claim and give us some evidence.

Check the Search Index..., perhaps certain locations are excluded under certain users.

Thanks, guys.

Putting shortcuts to app.s in AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\ provides a work-around. But I'm still baffled as to why Search doesn't find them when they are in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.

I'd wonder if it's because most Desktop items are shortcuts to the actual executable files and Type of file with the parenthesis makes a difference.

win11reluctant said:

I'm still baffled as to why Search doesn't find them when they are in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.

Click to expand...

Could it be a matter of a certain Local Account may not see inside the All Users folder?

Do both folders show in Indexing?

Or could it be that a Local Account with Admin. Rights can do more than a Local Account with Standard Rights?