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Surface pro 11

Emmet Walker 0 Reputation points
2026-05-13T05:55:54.9533333+00:00

I've just bought it today and everything seemed to work fine, now after a restart i cannot use the search bar and when in tablet mode my on screen keyboard does not come up. Very frustrating and i cant seem to find a fix.

Surface | Surface Pro | Performance and maintenance
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  1. Vikki-T 5,450 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-13T12:48:01.5233333+00:00

    Hi Emmet Walker, 

    I understand how frustrating this must be, especially since the Surface Pro 11 was just set up today and the issue started right after a restart. Let’s try to narrow this down and check the Windows Search and touch keyboard components. 

    To better understand what is happening, could you please confirm a few details? 

    • When you say the Search bar cannot be used, do you mean: 
      • it does not open, 
      • you cannot type into it, 
      • or it opens but does not show results? 
    • Does the on-screen keyboard fail to appear in all apps/text fields, or only in certain places such as Search, Edge, or Settings? 
    • Are you using a Surface Pro Keyboard/Flex Keyboard, Bluetooth keyboard, or any external keyboard? 
    • Does the touchscreen itself still respond normally when tapping, scrolling, and swiping? 
    • Is this a personal device, or is it managed by a work/school organization? 

    In the meantime, please try the steps below. 

    1. Restart Windows Explorer 

    • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. 
    • Find Windows Explorer. 
    • Right-click it and select Restart. 
    • Test the Search bar again. 

    2. Restart the Windows Search service 

    • Press Windows + R. 
    • Type: services.msc > Press Enter. 
    • Find Windows Search. 
    • Right-click it and select Restart if available. 
    • If it is not running, select Start. 
    • Test Search again. 
    1. Check the touch keyboard service 
    • Press Windows + R. 
    • Type: services.msc > Press Enter. 
    • Find Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service> Double-click it. 
    • If the service is stopped, select Start. 
    • Set Startup type to Automatic if that option is available. 
    • Select Apply > OK. 
    • Restart the Surface and test the on-screen keyboard again. 

    4. Run system file checks 

    • Right-click Start. 
    • Select Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin). 
    • Run: sfc /scannow 
    • After it finishes, run: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth 
    • Restart the Surface. 

    While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding.  

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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