When selecting a program in Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 by clicking Start and typing in the "Search programs and files" dialogue, only heading results such as Programs may be returned, where previously the program or executable would be found.

To resolve the issue, delete the following registry key and restart the computer:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{ef87b4cb-f2ce-4785-8658-4ca6c63e38c6}

There is also a hotfix 977380 available to resolve the issue.

If individual items are missing, the index can be rebuilt from:

- Select Start | Control Panel
- Select Indexing Options
- Click the Advanced button
- Click Rebuild under Troubleshooting | Delete and rebuild index

The "Search programs and files" box does not display search results correctly in Windows 7 and in Windows 2008 R2
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/977380