Microsoft’s integrated Windows search has been suspended for many users for more than three hours today. Windows Search is integrated with Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 operating system, and it started presenting empty search results for apps or any other search query around 8:00 a.m.ET today. Windows Search uses the Bing backend to search the web for results, and it appears to be the source of the problem.
Microsoft confirmed investigating access and latency issues “With several Microsoft 365 services”, before fix problem at 11:35 AM ET. Microsoft accuses a “third-party network fiber provider” of having encountered a network interruption causing several Microsoft 365 service problems. “This problem has been resolved for most users and, in some cases, you may have to restart your computer, “said a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to The edge.
The Windows search issue comes just days after the Microsoft Teams service experienced a general outage after the company forgot to renew an SSL certificate. This latest issue highlights Microsoft’s dependence on the cloud to power basic local search functionality in its Windows 10 operating system.
Update, February 5 1:08 p.m. ET: Article updated with confirmation from Microsoft that the problem is now resolved.