Microsoft has released a server-side fix for a known issue that affected the Start menu search on some Windows 11 23H2 devices. problem started 6 April And it was linked to a Bing update aimed at improving search performance. Microsoft has withdrawn the update and reports that search failures are becoming less frequent as the fixes take effect.
An investigation found that the problem coincided with a server-side Bing update to improve search performance. To fix the problem, the update was rolled back, and according to Microsoft’s Windows Release Health Update, reports of search failures are slowly decreasing.
How Microsoft’s fix reaches affected devices
Affected devices show blank or non-functional results when using the Start menu search. Microsoft says the issue is limited to a small number of users, but reports of similar problems have been shared online for several months. These reports include cases of blank search results that remain clickable despite no content being displayed.
No manual update installation required. The fix is deployed automatically as a server-side change. Microsoft notes that two conditions must be met for the fix to apply: the device must be connected to the Internet, and web search must not be disabled via Group Policy. Devices that meet both conditions will automatically receive the fix.
Ongoing Windows 11 Start menu issues Microsoft hasn’t fixed yet
The search failure is separate from the ongoing Start Menu bug that Microsoft has not yet fully fixed. This issue, which has been present since the system was updated with cumulative patches released after July 2025, causes Start menu crashes, missing taskbars, shellhost process failures, and the Settings app failing to launch silently because XAML packages are not being registered correctly after the update.
Microsoft has not provided any timeline for a permanent fix and currently recommends that affected users manually register the missing XAML packages as a workaround.
