# SearchUI.exe

Windows Process: Microsoft Corporation

Also called searchui, cortana search ui

Windows, System Component

Older Windows Search / Cortana UI host. Windows 10 used this name widely. SearchApp.exe and SearchHost.exe are later hosts.

## What you need to know

This is the Windows 10 SearchUI / Cortana host, not SearchIndexer.exe.

SearchUI.exe lived in the Cortana SystemApp. Current Windows 11 usually shows SearchHost.exe. Ending SearchUI.exe will not stop file indexing.

- **Safe?**: Yes, as the older Search UI

  **Still on Windows 11?**: Many PCs moved to SearchHost

  **Should I end it?**: Search flyout closes

Feex says

If I am on Windows 10 and SearchUI is the hot name, I treat it as the flyout. I still leave WSearch running unless the catalog itself is the problem.

## What is SearchUI.exe?

SearchUI.exe is the older Cortana / Search UI executable. Microsoft later split or renamed hosts to SearchApp.exe and SearchHost.exe.

## What does it do?

It draws the Search pane on Windows 10-era builds. It does not crawl NTFS. SearchProtocolHost.exe and SearchFilterHost.exe do that work for the indexer.

## Why is it running?

You opened Search on a build that still uses this package, or Foxhole saw a Windows 10 PC. Absence on Windows 11 is often expected.

## Is it safe?

Usually safe

The Cortana or Search SystemApp binary is Microsoft. SearchUI.exe in a download pack is not.

A legitimate copy normally runs from:

`C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_*\SearchUI.exe`

- Windows 10-era host
- Later: SearchApp.exe / SearchHost.exe
- Indexer stays SearchIndexer.exe

## Can I end it?

Closes that Search UI

Ending SearchUI.exe closes the pane. Indexing continues. The host may return on the next Search key.

## Can I remove it?

No

Do not delete the Cortana package to "debloat" Search. Use Search settings. SearchHost.exe is the usual host on current Windows 11.

## Should it start with Windows?

Search / Cortana starts it. Not a vendor Startup leftover.

## Normal resource behavior

These are contextual labels, not universal averages.

- **CPU**: Known hang on some Windows 10 builds

  **Network**: Web and Cortana queries

  **Memory**: Moderate

  **Disk**: Low versus the indexer

## File information

| Executable name        | SearchUI.exe                                                     |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Common legitimate path | C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana\_\*\SearchUI.exe |
| Publisher              | Microsoft Corporation                                            |
| Signature expectation  | Signed by Microsoft Windows                                      |

## Common problems

### Classic Windows 10 SearchUI CPU bugs

Restart the host, then check for a cumulative update. Do not disable WSearch as the first step.

### People look for SearchUI on Windows 11

SearchHost.exe is the usual current name.

## Troubleshooting

Diagnose before you change anything destructive.

### Compare the build: SearchUI versus SearchHost

Wrong article if the image name already changed.

### Do not replace SearchUI from the web

System package.

## Technical details

Technical details

| Image name | SearchUI.exe         |
| ---------- | -------------------- |
| Role       | Windows 10 Search UI |

## Related

These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link.

[SearchApp.exe: Windows Process](https://feex.it/wiki/process/searchapp.exe)[SearchHost.exe: Windows Process](https://feex.it/wiki/process/searchhost.exe)[SearchIndexer.exe: Windows Process](https://feex.it/wiki/process/searchindexer.exe)

## Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research).

- [Microsoft Support: Cortana and Search ](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/cortana)· Older Search UI
- [Microsoft Learn: Windows Search ](https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/win32/search/-search-3x-wds-overview)· UI versus indexer
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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Quick facts

The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article.

- **Type**: Windows Process

  **Publisher**: Microsoft Corporation

  **Executable**: SearchUI.exe

  **Typical path**: C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana\_\*\SearchUI.exe

  **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole

Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026

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Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/process/searchui.exe/)

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