Go ahead step by step and at the end of the article, you can easily solve the error QuickBooks search not working.
QuickBooks search sometimes freezes and does not respond. If the search option is not working user is unable to search files, customers, transactions, etc. It may take a quite long time to search manually. But don’t worry you will get the solution to QuickBooks Search not working.
Symptoms and Causes QuickBooks Search Not Working
If you’re having trouble finding a specific item in your QuickBooks Desktop account, you may not have the correct search terms. At this point, you will know at what instance an error can come and how to identify it.
- When you restarted your QuickBooks
- When you are trying to index
- While checking firewall settings
- At the time of QuickBooks reinstallation
Why QuickBooks Search Doesn’t Work
The error “QuickBooks Search not working” generally comes while QuickBooks Desktop is being updated on your computer when the updating of software is not done properly. There could be many reasons behind the error QuickBooks search not working. Some common reasons are mentioned below.
- While updating the QuickBooks Desktop version you took the wrong steps to update
- Third-party QuickBooks
- There could be a damaged search index in QuickBooks
- QuickBooks search not working
- Registry error with PC windows
- Interruption of Firewall Windows
How to Fix QuickBooks Search Not Working
There are many methods to resolve this issue. However, some of the most successful and common methods are given below to follow.
Method 1 – Change QuickBooks Search Index File Name
First of all, it is required to check the name of the index file and if there is a problem with that, then need to change the QuickBooks File.
- Open your QuickBooks
- Close your company file
- Go to the Start menu by pressing the window button
- Now, search for file .search index which is available inside the folder Programs and files.
- Doing this step will get the file into the computer’s folder and drive.
- Now follow the path C:\Users\UserName\Public\Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\Company File.
- You will get the file with your company file name XXXXXXXXXX.QBW at this location.
- Search the file named with qbw.SearchIndex, rename it with .OLD at the end of the filename
- Open QuickBooks and then the open company file
- Go to the left side corner and by clicking on that option update search information
- Let the information update, click ok if you receive any notification message while the update process
- Once the update is done, retry to search any file in QuickBooks
- Now again check if the problem persists or not. If yes go to the next method.
Method 2 – Uninstall and Reinstall QuickBooks
In this method first, you need to uninstall QuickBooks Desktop by using the below steps.
- To uninstall the QuickBooks press the Start button
- Now, go to Control Panel
- Click the options program and features
- Select QuickBooks
- Finally, click on uninstall
- Once the program is uninstalled, download a new QuickBooks package through the official website.
- After downloading the complete file, double-click on it and follow the steps to get the installation done
- Alternatively, QuickBooks clean install tool also helps to refresh the application and remove any issues that exist.
Method 3 – Disabling Firewall Temporally
- To close the firewall protection, simply go to the start button
- Get the Control panel option >> get the firewall option and switch off it.
- Once the firewall is disabled try to open QuickBooks and again check for search features.
Method 4 – Fixing Windows Damaged Registry Files
- As above mentioned this error also comes due to a damaged windows registry in Windows operating system.
- If this happens then you are required to repair the damage.
Method 5 – Use Incognito Window
If still, you are unable to use QuickBooks, try using the incognito window. You can use any web browser. Below are some shortcuts mentioned for different web browsers to open the incognito window.
Browser Name – Keyboard Shortcuts
- Safari– Command + Shift +N
- Mozilla Firefox– Ctrl+Shift+P
- Google Chrome– Ctrl+Shift+N
- Internet Explorer– Ctrl+Shift+P
Method 6 – Steps to Clear Browser’s Cache
If still, you are unable to use QuickBooks you can clear your web browser’s cache. Steps are given below for the Google Chrome browser.
- Open your Google Chrome browser.
- Now, go to the top right corner and click on the three dots icon.
- Now, choose the “More tools” option from the given list.
- Go to More tools >> “Clear browsing data” option.
- Adjust the time period for which you want to delete the browsing data
- You can select basic, advanced-cache, and history as per the requirement.
- For basic cache select all boxes and click the Clear data option.
- To clear all cache, and unnecessary history goes to the advanced tab >> checkmark all the boxes.
- Now click “Clear data”. At this point, the system may take some time to finish according to data size.
- Once the process is done your cache is deleted.
Hope that by using the above rules you have fixed your issue, if not, then do this second method.
Note- While updating, check the system’s date and time if it is correct.
Manually Update QuickBooks to the Latest Release to Fix Search Not Working Issue into QuickBooks Desktop
Some steps help you to update the QuickBooks to the latest release manually. These steps are as follows:-
- Close all the applications including QuickBooks
- Go to the Start menu
- Search for QuickBooks
- Then right-click on it and choose the option Run as Administrator
- You open up QuickBooks with No Company Open window
- Click on the Help menu option
- Further, choose the Update QuickBooks Desktop
- The update QuickBooks window opens up
- Select the Options tab
- In this, click on Mark All and then click on the Save button
- In the tab Update Now, you have to tick mark the Reset Update checkbox
- After that, click on the Get Updates button to start downloading updates
- Restart your QuickBooks Desktop software and it installs the updates.
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FAQ’s
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Q. Can I Repair the QuickBooks Desktop if the QuickBooks search is not working?
Yes, you can repair the QuickBooks Desktop from the Control Panel. This helps you in resolving the problem many times. But if it won’t work then you have to do the solutions mentioned above or connect with the QuickBooks helpdesk team.
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Q. Do I have to take the Backup of the Company File before resolving the QuickBooks search is not working?
Yes, the backup is a must as it helps you to restore the data in case there is damage or missing data while performing the solutions. For backup, click on the File menu then select the backup company file option. Further, select Create Local Backup then choose the location to save the file. Click on the Save it now option and the process starts to backup your data.
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Can I Prevent Issues with the Search Function in QuickBooks Desktop?
There are several steps you can take to prevent issues with the search function in QuickBooks Desktop.
. First, make sure to keep your software up-to-date and regularly install any available updates.
. You should also regularly run the Verify and Rebuild Data utilities to check for and fix any data issues.