Disable web searches - I'm confused

pokeefe0001 · Mar 19, 2022

When researching how to disable web searches in the Windows Search function I've 2 seemingly very different solutions. By far the most common solution is to find group policy
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer
and enable "Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box"
The description of this option seems to have nothing to do with the goal.

Another, less common, solution is to find the group policy
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search
and enable “Do not allow web search” and “Don’t search the web or display web results in Search”

Do these two procedures actually have the same results. I don't have a Win11 system within reach so I can't check the results of either of these at the moment.

Also, I've never changed a User Configuration policy. I assume the User Configuration policy would have to be changed on each account that wants this change.

BTW, the one existing Win11 computer we have is at 21H2 build 22000.282 - preinstalled on a Surface Pro tablet.

I've downloaded the Win11 MCT but there's no indication of the release in the file name. I assume it's at least 21h2.

Brink · Mar 19, 2022

Hello,

The method in the tutorial below works well in Windows 11 if wanted.

Add or Remove Copilot and "Find results in Web" in Windows Search in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the "Ask Copilot" and "Find results in Web" (Web) icons on Windows Search toolbar for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Windows Search lets you search from your taskbar to find what you’re looking for, whether it’s on your device, in the...

www.elevenforum.com

pokeefe0001 · Mar 19, 2022

I'm a bit uncomfortable blindly running scripts from any source so I took a look at the .bat file. This seems to be yet another technique. The key name certainly makes it sound appropriate. Can you explain how its effect differs from the other ones?

I assume that this solution has to be applied on each account that wants it since it changes a Current User registry record.

cereberus · Mar 19, 2022

Brink said:
Hello, :)

The method in the tutorial below works well in Windows 11 if wanted.

Add or Remove Copilot and "Find results in Web" in Windows Search in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the "Ask Copilot" and "Find results in Web" (Web) icons on Windows Search toolbar for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Windows Search lets you search from your taskbar to find what you’re looking for, whether it’s on your device, in the...

www.elevenforum.com

Works great for me. I detest web searches from task bar searching. If I want to search web, I use a blinking browser!

Oh this is odd - works on Dev but not on Release version!

You can see Dword is set correctly, and I have rebooted.

Brink · Mar 19, 2022

pokeefe0001 said:
I'm a bit uncomfortable blindly running scripts from any source so I took a look at the .bat file. This seems to be yet another technique. The key name certainly makes it sound appropriate. Can you explain how its effect differs from the other ones?

I assume that this solution has to be applied on each account that wants it since it changes a Current User registry record.

Correct, this only gets applied to the current account. Each account will need to apply if wanted. It can easily be undone if wanted as well.

The two policies you posted didn't do anything for me when testing.

Brink · Mar 19, 2022

cereberus said:
Works great for me. I detest web searches from task bar searching. If I want to search web, I use a blinking browser!

Oh this is odd - works on Dev but not on Release version!

You can see Dword is set correctly, and I have rebooted.

Interesting. It may be a bug in the public release. I'll have to do some testing tomorrow.

Ghot · Mar 19, 2022

Brink said:
Interesting. It may be a bug in the public release. I'll have to do some testing tomorrow.

I'm on Win 11 atm.
I just use the reg patch from Ten Forums... and I have Cortana disabled. Works for me...

Turn On or Off Search online and include web results in Windows 10

How to Turn On or Off Search online and include web results from Bing in Windows 10

www.tenforums.com

Brink · Mar 19, 2022

Ghot said:
I'm on Win 11 atm.
I just use the reg patch from Ten Forums... works for me...

Turn On or Off Search online and include web results in Windows 10

How to Turn On or Off Search online and include web results from Bing in Windows 10

www.tenforums.com

It'll still work in W11, but:

1) Have to be admin.
2) Only affects current user.
3) It also disables search box suggestions (aka: recent searches) in File Explorer.

Ghot · Mar 19, 2022

Brink said:
It'll still work in W11, but:

1) Have to be admin.
2) Only affects current user.
3) It also disables search box suggestions (aka: recent searches) in File Explorer.

Ah. I don't care about search box suggestions in File Explorer.
I'm also the only user.
That may make a difference.

I guess you could log on as each user and disable it.

Winuser · Mar 19, 2022

Brink said:
It'll still work in W11, but:

1) Have to be admin.
2) Only affects current user.
3) It also disables search box suggestions (aka: recent searches) in File Explorer.

I'm on the Dev Builds and It works and does exactly what I want.

Edwin · Mar 19, 2022

How do you get rid of this stuff in the search bar?

Enough already, MS!!! Will you please stop this relentless onslaught of junk in our faces!?!?!?

Brink · Mar 19, 2022

Ghot said:
Just guessing, here. ^^

I wonder what would happen if we put... DisableSearchBoxSuggestions
...in: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

...instead of: HKEY_CURRENT_USER

I wonder if that would set it for all users?

Already tested, and it didn't do anything.

Ghot · Mar 19, 2022

Brink said:
Already tested, and it didn't do anything.

Brink · Mar 20, 2022

Tutorial updated to include both options now.

Add or Remove Copilot and "Find results in Web" in Windows Search in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the "Ask Copilot" and "Find results in Web" (Web) icons on Windows Search toolbar for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Windows Search lets you search from your taskbar to find what you’re looking for, whether it’s on your device, in the...

www.elevenforum.com

pokeefe0001 · Mar 20, 2022

I've finally upgraded my test PC from Win10 to Win11 and I'm now (pleasantly) even more confused. The BingSearchEnabled records is already set to 0 and DisableSearchBoxSuggestions is already set to 1. Leftovers from Win10?

BTW, the Group Policy setting are not set. I don't understand the connection between group policies and registry settings. If I set the GPs dose that automatically set the corresponding registry settings (regardless of what registry settings were already there)? If I set a Computer Configuration policy that has a corresponding User Configuration policy will the registry corresponding registry settings get set for all users?

That Computer Configuration search policy "Do not allow web search" sounds like what I want, but I don't want to mess up the accidental success I seem to have had.

cereberus · Apr 5, 2022

Brink said:
Interesting. It may be a bug in the public release. I'll have to do some testing tomorrow.

I wonder if it is because I have set my searches to google in release version?

dbartenstein · Apr 5, 2022

Bing is insidious.... Would be lovely to have a one button/setting to completely turn off Bing..... Make search engine selection global to the device....

cereberus · Apr 5, 2022

dbartenstein said:
Bing is insidious.... Would be lovely to have a one button/setting to completely turn off Bing..... Make search engine selection global to the device....

I detest BING with a passion as it is really bad when searching engineering sites, but hey I can easily find out who won the latest "Big Sister" (fake) reality show!

jimbo45 · Apr 5, 2022

cereberus said:
I detest BING with a passion as it is really bad when searching engineering sites, but hey I can easily find out who won the latest "Big Sister" (fake) reality show!

I think most people rather dislike Bing. (Actually dislike is to polite a word in the context.

I find DuckDuckGo decent enough for search.

Cheers
jimbo

Brink · Apr 5, 2022

cereberus said:
I wonder if it is because I have set my searches to google in release version?

It's possible if you did so for Windows Search.

Disable web searches - I'm confused

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