QuickBooks provides robust features to make the whole process of accounting and bookkeeping easier for its users. Companies deal with a lot of financial and consumer data and QuickBooks provides a search feature that scans through the whole data to find out and show the searched entries. You may experience a QuickBooks Search Not Working issue at times, and it would get difficult to locate the required entries without the search button manually. You would need to resolve the issue urgently to keep up with your regular bookkeeping tasks. Through this article, we will discuss the various reasons that cause the search button failure and the methods to troubleshoot it.
“If you are facing QuickBooks Search not working issue and you need help from an expert, then reach QuickBooks Online Support at 1-(855)-542-9309”
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Reasons behind QuickBooks online search not working
It is important to keep your QuickBooks and its components updated to the latest release. Sometimes, you may come across the QuickBooks online search not working issue if you have not updated your application for a long time. An outdated application may get incompatible with your system resulting in such errors. However, there are several other reasons that may prompt issues with the QuickBooks search feature. If your QuickBooks report search is not working, then the following might be the issues:
- A registry error in the Windows Operating system can result in QuickBooks search not working.
- The firewall or the security application installed on your computer might obstruct QuickBooks to function properly.
- If the QuickBooks search index file gets damaged, then it can make the search bar dysfunctional.
If search results for the QuickBooks desktop has stopped working or QuickBooks is not responding, then it could be because of improper update or installation of the application.
You may also see: How to Update Intuit Data Protect
Troubleshooting QuickBooks Desktop Search not Working Error
Now that we are aware of the reasons causing the QuickBooks Desktop search not working error, let us analyze the methods that we can use to resolve it. If you are facing this issue, then updating your QuickBooks desktop application should be the first troubleshooting step. The detailed steps for that have been provided below:
- Open your QuickBooks application and then click on the ‘Help’ section.
- Select the ‘Update QuickBooks Desktop’ option.
- Go to the ‘Update Now’ tab and then select the option to ‘Get Updates’.
- Open the QuickBooks application after the download completes.
- Install the update when prompted.
- Check if the error has been resolved after installing the update.
If the search update failed QuickBooks persists after the update, then you need to change the QuickBooks Search Index File Name.
Changing QuickBooks Search Index to Resolve Search Index user QuickBooks Error
Follow the steps provided below to change the file name of the QuickBooks search index to resolve the search index user QuickBooks error.
- Open your QuickBooks application and close the company file if it is open.
- Open the windows explorer through the explorer icon on your Desktop.
- Follow the path “C:\Users\UserName\Public\Documents\Intuit\QuickBooks\CompanyFile”.
- You will find the file with your Company Filename with .QBW extension here.
- Locate the file with the name ‘qbw.SearchIndex’ and then right-click on it.
- Select the ‘Rename’ option and add the (.OLD) extension at the end of the name.
- Press ‘Enter’ to save the new name and then close this window.
- Open your QuickBooks and then open your Company File.
- Find the option to update search information from the top-left corner of the window.
- Update the information and click ‘OK’ if you receive notifications.
- You will be able to search again after the update completes.
If changing the name of the search index could not resolve the QuickBooks search not working issue, then you might be having some component failure in your application. It can be resolved by installing your QuickBooks again after uninstalling it.
Changing Firewall Settings to Resolve QuickBooks Search Not Working 2023
You can check if the firewall is blocking the QuickBooks application and restricting it from functioning properly by disabling the firewall temporarily. Follow the steps as provided below:
- Open the ‘Control Panel’ of your computer through the ‘Start’ menu.
- Click on the Firewall option.
- Click on the toggle button to switch it off.
- Open your QuickBooks application to check if the Search button is working now.
If the error has been resolved, then you can put QuickBooks as an exception in the firewall settings and turn it on again. If the issue persists, then keep reading for other methods to resolve the QuickBooks search not working error.
Reinstall QuickBooks Desktop if Having Problem with QuickBooks Search Feature
You can resolve the QuickBooks report search not working error by uninstalling the installed application and then installing it again or read the article to know How to use the Clean install tool. Follow the below-mentioned steps to complete the reinstallation:
- Go to the ‘Start’ menu of your computer and open the ‘Control Panel’.
- Go to the ‘Programs and Features’ section.
- Select QuickBooks from the list of applications.
- Click on the ‘Uninstall’ option.
- Download the latest QuickBooks version from its website or insert the installation CD.
- Double-click on the setup files to run the installation.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
- Activate your QuickBooks account using the license key.
- Open your QuickBooks application now to check if the search bar is working now.
If none of these methods worked, then you should check your Windows registry settings. QuickBooks Online users can use incognito mode and check if the search bar is working. Deleting the cache from the browser’s history can also help them resolve the issue of QuickBooks search not working.
You may also read: Import Banking transactions in QuickBooks
Through this article, we explained to you the reasons due to which you can face QuickBooks Search not working error and the methods that need to be applied to resolve it. You can follow the methods provided above and resolve the QuickBooks search button does not work issue by yourself. If you continue to face the error, then you should get in touch with QuickBooks Online Technical Support at 1-(855)-542-9309 for expert’s assistance.
Erica Watson is writing about accounting and bookkeeping for over 7+ years, making even the difficult technical topics easy to understand. She is skilled at creating content about popular accounting and tax softwares such as QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, Quicken, etc. Erica’s knowledge of such softwares allows her to create articles and guides that are both informative and easy to follow. Her writing builds trust with readers, thanks to her ability to explain things clearly while showing a real understanding of the industry.