If you were using the start search field mainly to open programs, you can use the shell apps command to open programs.  If you don't know about it, ask here.
It will work well to find and open programs until you get the start menu problem fixed.

Gene

On 4/18/2022 6:07 PM, Gene via groups.io wrote:

I found many discussions of how to solve this problem, doing a search for something like can't type in Windows start menu search.  I don't have the technical knowledge to know if I could follow them without asking more questions from the little I looked at them.  I haven't seen anything simple like change this or that setting. 

If a tool is recommended by a site for download and running or for running it from a web page to fix the problem, I wouldn't do so unless asking about it here first.  You never know if such recommendations are ways to get malware on a system. 

What I wrote above may or may not help discuss the question but if you looked at one or two [pages and asked technically knowledgeable people to comment on the possible solutions offered on those pages, you might get more effective help.

Gene

On 4/18/2022 5:00 PM, heather albright wrote:

When I hit the windows key, I am presented with the edit field. The

problem I am having is I go to hit the first letter of what I am

searching for, and it opens up the menu and does not stay in the edit box.

I reset the folder options thinking it would fix the not being able to

type into the edit box, but that did not fix this problem.

 

 

For example, I hit the windows key and the edit box is there. I start

typing folder options, but when I hit the letter f, it opens up the menu

where it acts like it is using first letter navigation.

 

Where before I would type folder options and one of the results

 

would be folder options, now it will not stay in the search box.

 

 

My question is how do I change it back to normal so I can use the search

box once more?

 

Thank you very much for any info.

 

Heather

 

 

Sent from Mail for Windows