Microsoft confirms yet another Search bug in the latest Win10 1903 patch

Last month we saw Microsoft slowly admit there were Search bugs in the second monthly cumulative update for Win10 version 1903. Although this month’s first 1903 cumulative update, KB 4515384, was supposed to fix the bugs, we now have official acknowledgment that the bugs are back, albeit in a different form.

patch on top of Windows logo
Thinkstock/Microsoft

Remember last month, when Microsoft kinda-sorta announced there was a Cortana/SearchUI redline bug in its second August cumulative update, KB 4512941? Although complaints about the bug poured in within hours of the patch’s release, it took Microsoft four days to 'fess up, with the first notification in a tweet. Several more days would pass before we had any details.

Early this morning, two days after the September 2019 cumulative update appeared, Microsoft has acknowledged a similar bug with a slightly different profile.

Win10 version 1903 cumulative update KB 4515384, released on Patch Tuesday, says that it:

Addresses an issue that causes high CPU usage from SearchUI.exe for a small number of users. This issue only occurs on devices that have disabled searching the web using Windows Desktop Search.

Once again this month, we started getting complaints about 1903 Search misbehaving shortly after the Patch Tuesday patch appeared. In addition to reports of the latest cumulative update triggering SearchUI redlining, again, IndyPilot80 reported that when he tried to type in the Search box, a black pane appeared, and Search froze.

Mayank Parmar at WindowsLatest reported on the general Search problem, and published a screenshot of the bug in action. 

Within the past two hours, Microsoft updated its Release Information Status page to include this mea culpa:

 Some users report issues related to the Start menu and Windows Desktop Search

Microsoft has received reports that some users are having issues related to the Start menu and Windows Desktop Search.

Affected platforms:

  • Client: Windows 10, version 1903

Next steps: We are presently investigating and will provide an update when more information is available.

It isn’t clear if the bug is related to the trigger for last month’s bug, turning off Windows 10’s infernal tendency to search the web for everything you type in the Search box.

As of this writing, the Knowledge Base article says 

Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues with this update.

Par for the course.

Thx, @etguenni

Join us for the ongoing patch roast on AskWoody.com.

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