5 ms·

Will it let me disable web searches from the start menu? That’s currently my biggest gripe with windows 10. There are a few stack exchange questions about it b

by cbsks 6y ago

Will it let me disable web searches from the start menu? That’s currently my biggest gripe with windows 10. There are a few stack exchange questions about it but the answers are all outdated and don’t work for me.

mrits 6y ago
Worst feature in the history of features, maybe ever.
- jdsully 6y ago
  But someone on Bing got a huge bonus from the engagement metrics - so it averages out.
vezycash 6y ago
Install EVERYTHING (awesome windows search software). Pin it to taskbar. Rearrange the pinned icon so it's the first. Now, Windows+1 shortcut key will open Everything.
- nXqd 6y ago
  Super, didn't know this
- kyriakos 6y ago
  Everything is amazing, one of the first things I install on a fresh Windows installation.
- myfonj 6y ago
  Or you can set up some global non-colliding hotkey (e.g. Win+Shift+F) in Everything > Tools > Options > Keyboard > Toggle window hotkey.
  - manwithaplan 6y ago
    I disabled the default system Win+S: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] "DisabledHotkeys"="S" ; Write out EI to disable the shortcut Win+E and Win+I. then after a restart set Win+S in Everything.
- pbowyer 6y ago
  Everything is awesome for file name searching. How do people search inside files on Windows? I use ripgrep on the CLI, as Windows Explorer's in-built search has a cumbersome syntax. Sometimes though, a GUI is easier.
  - Strom 6y ago
    Everything can search inside files too.
    - adolfojp 6y ago
      It can search files but it doesn't index their content, making the searches very slow.
  - hacker_9 6y ago
    GrepWin!
    - Multicomp 6y ago
      AstroGrep!
      - ronjouch 6y ago
        BareGrep! For live/incremental searches.
    - pbowyer 6y ago
      > GrepWin! I have tried GrepWin many times and I can NEVER get it to give the results I want - or expect- when I use it. Something about the UI and me, they don't click.
  - vezycash 6y ago
    Try FileSeek for in-files search. Just point it at a folder and type your query. Supports wildcards and regex
  - SamuelAdams 6y ago
sk0g 6y ago
Search is all kinds of borked, even without that. I had a file I was working on recently, "vuln2.docx". "vuln2" won't bring it up, but "vuln" will, alongside the other ones I had been working on. WHY?
- lostmsu 6y ago
  AFAIK this is so that you could pick between multiple matches simply by continuing to type.
  - sk0g 6y ago
    Why does it not match when I've typed more of the filename?
  - wokkel 6y ago
    Then try typinng in "Internet Explorer" .. it stays on Microsoft Edge with a "Recommended" label underneath. I know it's recommended, but I need IE for a specific site... So make a shortcut and put it on the desktop. Slowly the start menu is loosing it's role as it's getting obnoxious.
- spyke112 6y ago
  I have the exact same “problem” on my work PC. I want to find MS SQL Management Studio. Searching for “SQL” brings up nothing, but “manage” will match the app.
- mormegil 6y ago
  When I type upd, Windows Update comes first, then I type a, it gets replaced with Dell Update, then I type t, and Windows Update comes back. They are trying to keep us vigilant, I guess...
- discreditable 6y ago
  I had this just a few minutes ago. I wanted to manage BitLocker. Top result as I type: B: Manage BitLocker BI: Manage Bitlocker BIT: Notepad ?????
skrause 6y ago
The only thing that works for me in the May 2020 Update is blocking all outgoing connections of SearchApp.exe in the Windows Firewall.
ubercow13 6y ago
You can still replace the start menu with a more traditional one with OpenShell if you prefer. It has quite a functional simple search but I think it just searches the PATH and start menu entries, not your whole system like the start menu tries to. But I prefer that. https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu
rewgs 6y ago
You can disable web search in Group Policy.
- flohofwoe 6y ago
  That only works in the "professional" Win10 version, not the "amateur" version that's usually preinstalled.
  - rewgs 6y ago
    Ah, right, yeah. Admittedly I never think about Home, as I've just come to accept the quality of life upgrade that comes with Pro (this being one of them), regardless of the machine.
- cbsks 6y ago
  You mean the "Don’t search the web or display web results in Search" group policy? It doesn't work for me. Neither does setting the AllowSearchToUseLocation, BingSearchEnabled, and CortanaConsent registry entries in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search to 0 (from https://www.thewindowsclub.com/disable-bing-web-search-results-in-windows-10-start-menu/ https://www.thewindowsclub.com/disable-bing-web-search-resul...) I've tried everything. I'm considering asking my IT department for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/ltsc/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/ltsc/), but that seems like a huge hassle.
  - rewgs 6y ago
    Hmm, weird. I just set up a new machine at home with Windows 10 Pro and it worked just fine. No more web search. Perhaps since you're at work there's something else negating it?

by cbsks 6y ago

mrits 6y ago

Worst feature in the history of features, maybe ever.

jdsully 6y ago
But someone on Bing got a huge bonus from the engagement metrics - so it averages out.

vezycash 6y ago

Install EVERYTHING (awesome windows search software). Pin it to taskbar. Rearrange the pinned icon so it's the first. Now, Windows+1 shortcut key will open Everything.

nXqd 6y ago
Super, didn't know this
kyriakos 6y ago
Everything is amazing, one of the first things I install on a fresh Windows installation.
myfonj 6y ago
Or you can set up some global non-colliding hotkey (e.g. Win+Shift+F) in Everything > Tools > Options > Keyboard > Toggle window hotkey.
- manwithaplan 6y ago
  I disabled the default system Win+S: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] "DisabledHotkeys"="S" ; Write out EI to disable the shortcut Win+E and Win+I. then after a restart set Win+S in Everything.
pbowyer 6y ago
Everything is awesome for file name searching. How do people search inside files on Windows? I use ripgrep on the CLI, as Windows Explorer's in-built search has a cumbersome syntax. Sometimes though, a GUI is easier.
- Strom 6y ago
  Everything can search inside files too.
  - adolfojp 6y ago
    It can search files but it doesn't index their content, making the searches very slow.
- hacker_9 6y ago
  GrepWin!
  - Multicomp 6y ago
    AstroGrep!
    - ronjouch 6y ago
      BareGrep! For live/incremental searches.
  - pbowyer 6y ago
    > GrepWin! I have tried GrepWin many times and I can NEVER get it to give the results I want - or expect- when I use it. Something about the UI and me, they don't click.
- vezycash 6y ago
  Try FileSeek for in-files search. Just point it at a folder and type your query. Supports wildcards and regex
- SamuelAdams 6y ago

sk0g 6y ago

Search is all kinds of borked, even without that. I had a file I was working on recently, "vuln2.docx". "vuln2" won't bring it up, but "vuln" will, alongside the other ones I had been working on. WHY?

lostmsu 6y ago
AFAIK this is so that you could pick between multiple matches simply by continuing to type.
- sk0g 6y ago
  Why does it not match when I've typed more of the filename?
- wokkel 6y ago
  Then try typinng in "Internet Explorer" .. it stays on Microsoft Edge with a "Recommended" label underneath. I know it's recommended, but I need IE for a specific site... So make a shortcut and put it on the desktop. Slowly the start menu is loosing it's role as it's getting obnoxious.
spyke112 6y ago
I have the exact same “problem” on my work PC. I want to find MS SQL Management Studio. Searching for “SQL” brings up nothing, but “manage” will match the app.
mormegil 6y ago
When I type upd, Windows Update comes first, then I type a, it gets replaced with Dell Update, then I type t, and Windows Update comes back. They are trying to keep us vigilant, I guess...
discreditable 6y ago
I had this just a few minutes ago. I wanted to manage BitLocker. Top result as I type: B: Manage BitLocker BI: Manage Bitlocker BIT: Notepad ?????

skrause 6y ago

The only thing that works for me in the May 2020 Update is blocking all outgoing connections of SearchApp.exe in the Windows Firewall.

ubercow13 6y ago

You can still replace the start menu with a more traditional one with OpenShell if you prefer. It has quite a functional simple search but I think it just searches the PATH and start menu entries, not your whole system like the start menu tries to. But I prefer that. https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

rewgs 6y ago

You can disable web search in Group Policy.

flohofwoe 6y ago
That only works in the "professional" Win10 version, not the "amateur" version that's usually preinstalled.
- rewgs 6y ago
  Ah, right, yeah. Admittedly I never think about Home, as I've just come to accept the quality of life upgrade that comes with Pro (this being one of them), regardless of the machine.
cbsks 6y ago
You mean the "Don’t search the web or display web results in Search" group policy? It doesn't work for me. Neither does setting the AllowSearchToUseLocation, BingSearchEnabled, and CortanaConsent registry entries in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search to 0 (from https://www.thewindowsclub.com/disable-bing-web-search-results-in-windows-10-start-menu/ https://www.thewindowsclub.com/disable-bing-web-search-resul...) I've tried everything. I'm considering asking my IT department for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/ltsc/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/ltsc/), but that seems like a huge hassle.
- rewgs 6y ago
  Hmm, weird. I just set up a new machine at home with Windows 10 Pro and it worked just fine. No more web search. Perhaps since you're at work there's something else negating it?