After investigating this issue thoroughly, it turns out that there are several underlying scenarios that are commonly known for causing this issue. Here’s a list of culprits that you should be on a lookout for: Now that we went over every potential reason why you can expect to see your indexing feature disabled on Windows 11, let’s go over every potential fix that should help you fix this problem.
Run the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter
As it turns out, the indexing feature on Windows 11 is still sort of unreliable and prone to break in a variety of different circumstances. The good news is that Microsoft is actually aware of most of these issues. Even more, Microsoft has already made a bunch of automated fixed available for this specific scenario in which the indexing feature stops working. You can take advantage of these fixes by running the Search and Indexing Windows Troubleshooter and applying the recommended fix. This method was confirmed to be effective by a lot of affected users, the majority of them being on the latest Windows 11 release. Follow the instructions below to run the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter utility on your Windows 11 computer and apply the recommended fix: If the search indexing function still doesn’t work even after you followed the instructions below, move down to the next potential fix below.
Force-Start or Enable the Windows Search service
If the method above was not effective in your case, another potential cause of the issue is a scenario in which the main service behind it (Windows Search) is disabled or stuck in a limbo state. This problem is typically indirectly caused by a 3rd party system resource manager app that tries to improve the performance of the system by disabling every non-critical OS service. If you suspect this scenario might be applicable in your case, you should be able to fix the issue entirely by accessing the Services screen and ensuring that the Windows Search service is enabled. If it’s already enabled, just restart it and you should see how the indexing feature starts working again. Here’s how to enable or restart the Windows Search Service: If the same kind of problem is still occurring, move down to the next potential fix below.
Rebuild the indexing library
As it turns out, this type of issue can also be caused by an indexing glitch. This is typically reported to occur with Windows 11 PCs that are on the lower-end specification spectrum (barely meeting the minimum specifications). What typically happens is, a glitch facilitated by insufficient processing memory forces the indexing feature to freeze. If this scenario is applicable, you can also notice that the disk usage stays at 100% (even during idle periods) as it tries to catch up. In this case, the only way of fixing the issue is to rebuild the indexing database from the Indexing Options menu. Note: Keep in mind that depending on if you’re using a traditional drive or an SSD, this process might take several hours. So before following the instructions below, arm yourself with patients and don’t interrupt the indexing library rebuilding process until it’s finished. Follow the instructions below to learn how to rebuild the indexing library from the classic Control Panel feature: In case the indexing service still remains paused even after you successfully rebuilt the indexing library, try the next potential fix below.
Remove and Hide the KB5004567 Update
If you’ve come this far without a solution, you should start investigating the possibility that a bad Windows Update is actually causing this issue. According to a lot of affected users, the KB5004567 Windows 11 update might be responsible for this indexing issue as it tends to freeze up the functionality of the main service behind it. If everything else so far hasn’t allowed you to fix the problem, the final thing that you can try is to simply uninstall the bad update and see if the printing connectivity resumes. But be advised that just uninstalling the KB5004567 update won’t be enough – you’ll also need to use a Microsoft tool to hide the update and make sure it doesn’t install again (at least until MS releases an official fix) Follow the instructions below to uninstall and hide the problematic KB5004567 Windows Update: If the problem is still not fixed, move down to the next potential fix below.
Disable the ‘Prevent indexing when running on battery power’ policy
If you’re experiencing this issue on a laptop only when your PC is on battery power, chances are you’re experiencing this issue due to a Local Group policy that is forcing the indexing to pause every time a power source is disconnected. This is actually not a glitch but a feature meant to conserve battery power. However, if you want to override this behavior, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor to ensure that the “Prevent indexing when running on battery power to conserve energy” local policy is disabled at all times. Note: Keep in mind that certain Windows versions won’t have the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) installed. Only Pro and Enterprise versions of Windows 11 have this tool. If you have the Home, N, or Education versions, follow these steps to install the gpedit.msc utility on your Windows installation. Follow the steps below to disable the ‘Prevent indexing when running on battery power’ policy using Local Group Policy Editor: In case the same type of problem is still occurring, move down to the next potential fix below.
Prevent the indexing of Outlook files (if applicable)
As it turns out, this specific issue is often encountered in situations where there’s a local installation of Outlook interfering with the indexing feature. The issue appears due to the fact that Outlook data has some core files that are explicitly programmed to avoid being indexed. Apparently, this is an issue on Windows 11 that can ultimately freeze the indexing feature (even if it appears as enabled. If you find yourself in this scenario and you have a local Outlook installation installed, you’ll only be able to fix this problem by making a series of Registry changes via Registry Editor that will ultimately prevent your OS to try and index the Outlook files. Follow the instructions below for specific steps on how to do this: In case you’re still dealing with the same kind of issue, move down to the next potential fix below.
Clear the TxR folder
As it turns out, some users that have found that their indexing feature stopped working abruptly on Windows 11 have managed to get the issue by clearing the TxR folder. Note: The TxR folder is prone to become riddled with boot-related data & leftover files that might end up freezing the indexing feature on your Windows 11 computer. Clearing the TxR folder will not produce any unintended consequences to your Windows installation as it mostly contains logs and other types of data collected by your motherboard. Follow the instructions below to clear the TxR folder: If the problem is still not resolved on Windows 11, move to the next method below.
Use the System Restore
If the indexing problem only started occurring after a recent firmware or OS change (installed Windows Update or driver), you might be able to fix it by using a previous System Restore point. Note: System Restore is a built-in Windows utility that allows users to revert their machine to a previous state. If you have a previous System Restore point that was created before the update responsible for the problem was installed, you should be able to resolve the error by selecting a snapshot that’s dated before the apparition of the issue. Here’s a quick guide on how to use the System Restore utility to revert your operating system back to a healthy state: Once your Windows 11 PC boots back up, see if the indexing issue is fixed. If the same problem is still occurring, move down to the next potential fix below.
Deploy DISM and SFC scans
Another possible reason that might cause the indexing feature to break is some type of system file Corruption. Most commonly, some type of file inconsistency ends up affecting your operating system’s ability to process and index new files. If this scenario is applicable, you should be able to fix the issue by running a couple of system utilities capable of dealing with corrupted system files. When it comes to doing this, both DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) and SFC (System File Checker) are equipped to heal your corrupted system files. Note: If your DISM utility doesn’t work throws an error, try this fix. DISM relies heavily on WU (Windows Update) to download healthy files that will be used to replace corrupted instances, while SFC uses a locally cached archive to swap bad files with healthy ones. The best course of action is to run both utilities in quick succession in order to improve your chances of dealing with the system corruption issue. Here’s a quick guide on running both DISM and SFC utilities from an elevated CMD prompt: If you’re still dealing with the same problem as you’re noticing that your system is still not indexing new files, try the final fix below.
Clean install or Repair install Windows
If you’ve come this far without a result, there are two procedures that will most likely get the issue resolved:
Clean install – This method will wipe all the other content on your Windows installation drive. On top of removing all the data related to your operating system, you will also lose any personal files & personal preferences settings (photos, images, music, applications, user preferences, etc.)Repair install – This method will essentially reinstall the same build over the existing operating system installation. This approach is way less destructive since it will allow you to preserve all your personal files, user settings, and any installed application. However, you will need to use compatible Windows 11 installation media.
Regardless of which way you end up choosing, we’ve got you covered. If you want to keep your personal files and limit the damage as much as possible, go for a repair install. In case you want to start fresh, and you don’t care about losing personal data, go for a clean install.
Fix: “Printer Status is Paused, Cannot Resume” Error on Windows?Fix: ‘Wireless Charging Paused’ in Galaxy Note PhonesFix: Charging Paused: Battery Temperature Too LowHow to Fix “Spotify Playback Paused” Error on Discord?
