Windows 11 Search (Start Menu) – File/Folder results not clickable and no right-side preview since early November

I’m having a very specific issue with Windows 11 Search (the Start Menu search panel) that started suddenly in early November after cumulative updates.



When I search for files in the Start Menu, the results DO appear in the left column, but:

• The file/folder entries are not clickable (nothing happens when clicked)
• The right-side preview panel stays completely blank (no file info, no location, no thumbnail)
• Only Apps and Settings entries are fully functional
• File Explorer search itself works normally
• The issue affects only one user account on the machine
• A clean Windows 11 VM with the same build does not have the problem

Resetting Searchindex, resetting StartMenuExperienceHost, rebuilding the index, SFC/DISM and AppX re-registration did NOT fix it.

This started around early November. It seems related to StartMenuExperienceHost or the Search preview/metadata handler, but I cannot identify the exact component that broke.

Has anyone else seen this issue recently, or knows which component update in November might have caused it and what to do?

PS: New Useraccount or new Windows installation is no option.