Incorrect permissions on Windows Search directories in Windows 11

In this article, we will talk about some solutions to fix the “Incorrect permissions on Windows Search directories” issue in Windows 11. This error message occurs due to Windows Search permission issues. According to the affected users, many of their newly installed programs don’t appear in the Windows Search results. To fix this problem, some users ran Search and Indexing Troubleshooter. But instead of fixing the problem, the troubleshooter displayed the following error message on the screen:

Incorrect permissions on Windows Search directories

If the same issue is occurring on your system, the solutions explained in this article may help you fix it.

Incorrect permissions on Windows Search directories in Windows 11

Try the following fixes to get rid of this problem:

1. Take ownership of the Data folder.
2. Run SFC and DISM scans.
3. Disable and re-enable the Windows Search feature via the Command Prompt.
4. Create a new user profile.

Let’s see all these fixes in detail.

1] Take ownership of the Data folder

Because the error message is occurring due to the permission issues with Windows Search, taking ownership of the Data folder can fix it. You will find the Data folder at the following path in the File Explorer in Windows 11:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search

Simply, open the File Explorer, copy the above path, and paste it into the address bar of the File Explorer. After that, press Enter.

After changing ownership of the Data folder, check if the issue persists. If yes, try the next solution.

2] Run SFC and DISM scans

The corruption in the system files gives rise to several errors in Windows OS. This is one possible cause of the problem that you are currently facing. You can fix this issue by running SFC and DISM scans. System File Checker (SFC) is an automated tool from Microsoft that scans the system for corrupted or missing system files and fixes them.

If running the SFC scan does not fix the issue, the DISM scan can fix the problem.

3] Disable and re-enable the Windows Search feature via the Command Prompt

If the issue still persists, disabling and re-enabling the Windows Search feature via the Command Prompt can fix it. For this, follow the steps below:

Click on the Windows Search and type cmd. Click on the Command Prompt app from the search results.

Now, copy and paste the following command in the Command Prompt and hit Enter.

dism /Online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:"SearchEngine-Client-Package"

The above command will disable the Windows Search feature, Now, restart your computer and launch the Command Prompt again.

Copy the following command and paste it into the Command Prompt. After that, press Enter.

dism /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:"SearchEngine-Client-Package"

The above command will enable the Windows Search feature again. Now, check if the issue persists.

4] Create a new user profile

A corrupted user profile also causes several issues on a system. If the above solutions do not fix your issue, your user profile might be corrupted.

Create a new user profile and see if this fixes the issue. If creating a new profile works, you can transfer all your files from your previous user profile to the newly created one.

Hope this helps.

Related posts:

1. Troubleshoot and fix Windows Search or Search Indexer not working
2. Search Indexer always Resetting & Restarting after reboot.
3. Windows Search service on local computer started and then stopped

How do I change permissions on a Windows folder?

You can change the permissions of any file or folder by opening its Properties. When you open the properties window, you will see different types of permissions, like Full Control, Modify, Read & Execute, Read, Write, etc. You can enable or disable one or more of these permissions for a particular file or folder on Windows 11/10.

How do I fix folder permissions?

Sometimes, in Windows 11/10, you may receive the following message while accessing a particular folder:

You don’t currently have permission to access this folder.

Click continue to get access to this folder.

When you click on the Continue button, another popup window appears on the screen, saying File access denied. Such types of folder permission issues can be fixed easily by taking ownership of that particular folder.

That’s it.

How to fix Event ID 7040, The search service has detected corrupted data files in the index?

To fix Event ID 7040, The search service has detected corrupted data files in the index. The service will attempt to automatically correct this problem by rebuilding the index. Details: The data is invalid, 0x8007000d (0x8007000d), you should run ChkDsk and then rebuild the Search Index. You may also delete Windows.edb file and see.