Issue:

Users may experience an issue where searching for file names longer than four characters on a network results in indefinite loading. This issue is not observed on other PCs within the same network.

Solution:

To resolve this issue, follow these steps to run a PowerShell script that resets the Windows search components and clears related caches. This process requires running the script with administrative privileges and setting the execution policy.

Steps:

1. Set the PowerShell Execution Policy: Before running the script, you need to set the execution policy to allow the script to run. Open PowerShell as an administrator and execute the following command:

   powershell
   
   Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
   

2. PowerShell Script to Resolve Network Search Issue: Use the following PowerShell script. Save the script as a .ps1 file, for example, Reset-Search.ps1.

   powershell
   
   # Function Definitions
   function T-R {
       [CmdletBinding()]
       Param(
           [String] $n
       )
       $o = Get-Item -LiteralPath $n -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
       return ($o -ne $null)
   }
   
   function R-R {
       [CmdletBinding()]
       Param(
           [String] $l
       )
       $m = T-R $l
       if ($m) {
           Remove-Item -Path $l -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
       }
   }
   
   function S-D {
       R-R "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cortana\Testability"
       R-R "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Search\Testability"
   }
   
   function K-P {
       [CmdletBinding()]
       Param(
           [String] $g
       )
       $h = Get-Process $g -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
       $i = $(get-date).AddSeconds(2)
       $k = $(get-date)
       while ((($i - $k) -gt 0) -and $h) {
           $k = $(get-date)
           $h = Get-Process $g -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
           if ($h) {
               $h.CloseMainWindow() | Out-Null
               Stop-Process -Id $h.Id -Force
           }
           $h = Get-Process $g -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
       }
   }
   
   function D-FF {
       [CmdletBinding()]
       Param(
           [string[]] $e
       )
       foreach ($f in $e) {
           if (Test-Path -Path $f) {
               Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $f -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
           }
       }
   }
   
   function D-W {
       $d = @("$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Cortana_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\AppCache",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Cortana_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\INetCache",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Cortana_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\INetCookies",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Cortana_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\INetHistory",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\AppCache",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\INetCache",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\INetCookies",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\INetHistory",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Search_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\AppCache",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Search_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\INetCache",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Search_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\INetCookies",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Search_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\INetHistory",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\AppCache",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\INetCache",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\INetCookies",
           "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy\AC\INetHistory")
       D-FF $d
   }
   
   function R-L {
       [CmdletBinding()]
       Param(
           [String] $c
       )
       K-P $c 2>&1 | out-null
       D-W # 2>&1 | out-null
       K-P $c 2>&1 | out-null
       Start-Sleep -s 5
   }
   
   function D-E {
       Write-Host "Press Enter to continue..."
       [void][System.Console]::ReadLine()
   }
   
   Write-Output "Verifying that the script is running elevated"
   if (-Not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal] [Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole] 'Administrator')) {
    if ([int](Get-CimInstance -Class Win32_OperatingSystem | Select-Object -ExpandProperty BuildNumber) -ge 6000) {
     $Cx = "-File `"" + $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path + "`" " + $MyInvocation.UnboundArguments
     Start-Process -FilePath PowerShell.exe -Verb Runas -ArgumentList "-noexit",$Cx
     Exit
    }
   }
   
   $a = "searchui"
   $b = "$Env:localappdata\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.Search_cw5n1h2txyewy"
   if (Test-Path -Path $b) {
       $a = "searchapp"
   } 
   
   Write-Output "Resetting Windows Search Box"
   S-D 2>&1 | out-null
   R-L $a
   
   Write-Output "Done..."
   D-E
   

3. Run the PowerShell Script:

   • Right-click on the saved .ps1 file and select "Run with PowerShell."
   • If prompted, confirm the execution policy change.
   • Follow any on-screen instructions provided by the script.

4. Monitor the Results:

   • After running the script, test the network search functionality to ensure the issue is resolved.

Additional Tips:

• Ensure you run the script with administrative privileges.
• If the issue persists, consider running the script in Safe Mode with Networking to eliminate potential third-party software conflicts.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the network search issue on the affected PC. If you encounter any further issues or need assistance, please contact the IT support team.