In the case of Avast at least, once you switch the shields back on, the Start menu search may continue working as it should. Or just click the shortcut link at the bottom of this article. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Note that you won't see repair, change, or modify options for all apps and programs.

You could just try disabling your Avast shields temporarily, which should get the Start menu search back. You can repair some apps and programs if they're not running correctly. ( Windows Defender itself has become a viable, secure option in recent years.) Avast is one culprit, so try uninstalling that if you have it, then find an alternative if need be. To be clear, we’re not suggesting here that you should disable and completely remove all third-party antivirus software from your device, but based on feedback here and across the Internet, certain programs cause Windows Search to malfunction. Disable/Restart Third-Party Antivirus, Enable Windows Firewall In addition, running the SFC utility in Windows 10 Safe Mode could solve the problem for you, so that’s worth a shot if doing it in regular Windows 10 fails. Give that the Start menu search is a system process, any errors in it should be detected by using the SFC utility. This will scan your system files for any errors and corruptions and automatically attempt to fix them.

Windows 10 apps crash on launch