File Explorer Search Box Deficiencies - Fix?

After upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10 I experienced the aggravating, annoying changes to File Explorer and especially to the File Explorer Search Box. Of the many unwelcome changes, when you click in the search box it no longer pops up the text for the previous search, or for the previous 3 searches, as it did for Windows 10. Every new search has to be laboriously re-typed or copied, re-pasted, re-edited and then performed. Also, the search box can no longer be re-sized/expanded so it's now impossible to see the entire text string for the search, making re-editing a chore. I closely manage the location and file names of my files, as well as their dates, so these deleted features are maddening. (I frequently use the "file.name:~=" and "datemodified:>=" search functions.) Is there any fix for these removed features?

You might try the suggestions here. Start Menu or Taskbar Search Not Working in Windows 10/11 | Windows OS Hub

If you are using any 3rd party app that alters the GUI, uninstall it, restart. See if your windows search history works.

Since the issue started when you upgraded, your user account might have become corrupted. To prove whether it's a Windows issue or a user account issue, create another user account. Make it a local account and change it's account type to administrator. Restart and sign in with new account. If that account works as expected, it's not a Windows problem. It's your user account.

Thanks! I'll give these a try.

That’s been removed for a long time now. You can use @LesFerch SwitchExplorer to restore the Windows 10 style ribboned file explorer
GitHub - LesFerch/SwitchExplorer: Switch Explorer between the Windows 11 version and the Windows 10 version

and then enable "Recent Searches" dropdown like Lloyd did in this screenshot:
Windows Explorer Search History Not Displayed

dacrone said:

That’s been removed for a long time now.

Click to expand...

Maybe I am misunderstanding what his issue is, but I still have my recent windows searches in the left pane of the search window.

glasskuter said:

Maybe I am misunderstanding what his issue is, but I still have my recent windows searches in the left pane of the search window.

Click to expand...

Jackman100 said:

After upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10 I experienced the aggravating, annoying changes to File Explorer and especially to the File Explorer Search Box. Of the many unwelcome changes, when you click in the search box it no longer pops up the text for the previous search,

Click to expand...

wrong search area