A WinXP "Search" Problem

[Tom]

The other day, WinXP's "Search" function stopped working for me.  That is, the Search option on WinXP Pro's START Menu.  I can access "Search"  if I press F3 after selecting a drive or directory.  It's just, nothing happens if I select "Search" from the START menu.   Notta.  Zip.   No recent  installations of anything; no spyware; no detectable viruses.

I've tried a few of the remedies mentioned on the Web, like re-installing the Search program, checking Registry keys, and verifying protected system files.  This doesn't seem to be all that unusual of a problem with WinXP Pro SP2, based on what I've seen already posted about it.  However, none of the standard remedies have worked for me.  I was going to write Bill to see if he can offer any support (nothing about it in MS's support knowledge base), but thought I'd see if anyone here ever had to fix this problem.  

Anyone?  Anyone?

Bueller?  Fry?

[jbltecnicspro]

All though I can be of no help (sorry Tom), I can tell you that the same thing happened to me too one day.  For some reason my search function just stopped working, and I had no adware, viruses, etc.  I wonder what causes this?

[Frank M]

Did you try clicking search in My Computer or Windows Explorer?

[Tom]

Yes...Search works from both of these options; it just doesn't work from the Start Menu.  Strange.

In the past, I've found Windows XP Search not to function all that accurately, anyway (I typically use WordPerfect's Search function), but it's quick and convenient, and functions well enough...at least, it did.  

[Ari]

Have you installed SP2 recently? or has this problem surfaced after some time?

[Tom]

My version of XP Pro came with SP2, which I installed last summer.  The "Search" function stopped working from the START menu about three weeks ago.  I just tried it again this morning, and now it's working.  

Though I can't see how it would be related...yesterday, I installed an update to Java Console for Firefox 1.5.0.3, and installed some old Asus Video Capture drivers.

I'm guessing this may have had something to do with one of WinXP's automatic security updates conflicting with something else I have installed.  It was about three weeks ago that one of the auto updates had to reboot my PC.  And, maybe the Java Console update repaired what Win's update messed up.  Who knows.