You might find that the Search programs and files field in the Start menu of Windows 7 suddenly goes missing. The field can get lost when you make changes to your settings. Open the Control Panel and, at the top right-hand corner, set the view to Large icons. Select Programs and Features and, in the left-hand column, click on Turn Windows features on or off. Windows will display a list of built-in functions and programs. Look for the Windows Search function by scrolling right to the bottom of the window and activate it. You will now find that the Search programs and files field is displayed once again.