Windows Search
The latest Windows Search coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Microsoft Targets File Explorer's Biggest Pain Point: This PC Search Gets a 'Dramatic' Speed Overhaul
File Explorer’s This PC search—long the slowest and most frustrating way to find a file on a Windows 11 machine—is finally getting a dramatic speed upgrade, Microsoft has confirmed. In a reply...
Windows 11 KB5079473 Fixes Multi-Drive Search – But Speed Is Still Your Call
Microsoft shipped a targeted reliability update on March 10, 2026, that directly tackles a stubborn Windows 11 File Explorer flaw: searching across multiple drives from “This PC” often returned...
You Can Now Try Windows 11’s Cleaned-Up Search—with New Controls and a Warning
Microsoft began rolling out an overhauled Windows Search experience to Insiders on July 13, 2026. The changes—delivered through Experimental build 26300.8772 for Windows 11 version 26H2—cut...
Windows 11's Two-Part Search Fix: Duplicate Indexing Eliminated, But the Big Overhaul Is Still Experimental
If Windows 11's File Explorer search has felt sluggish, a recent Insider build shows Microsoft finally found one culprit: duplicate indexing operations that forced the system to process the same...
Microsoft's Windows Search Makeover Gives You a 'No Web' Toggle—Here's What It Changes
After years of complaints about web results cluttering Windows Search, Microsoft has finally begun testing a simple fix: a toggle that turns them off. The new Search experience, now rolling out to...
Google Search Can Now Fill Your Instacart Cart, Build Canva Designs, and Curate YouTube Playlists
On July 16, 2026, Google began rolling out a feature called Connected Apps for AI Mode in its search engine, allowing users in the United States to link their accounts from Instacart, Canva, and...
Windows 11 Search: The Settings That Make It Find Your Files—No Registry Hacks Needed
A comprehensive new guide from MakeUseOf, published July 15, promises to end the frustration of Windows 11’s unreliable file search. The advice is mostly sound—switch to Enhanced indexing, train...
Windows 11’s Search Gets a Sleek New Shutdown Box, but Alt+F4 Remains Stuck in the Past
{ "title": "Windows 11’s Search Gets a Sleek New Shutdown Box, but Alt+F4 Remains Stuck in the Past", "content": "Microsoft has begun testing a completely redesigned shutdown dialog in Windows...
Microsoft Experiments with Ad-Free Windows Search and a Kill Switch for Web Results
Microsoft has started testing a dramatically cleaner Windows Search experience, stripping out promotional content from web results and—for the first time—giving users a straightforward toggle to...
Windows 11 Insiders Get a Kill Switch for Web Results in Search — Here’s How It Works
Microsoft has given Windows Insiders a rare and long-awaited gift: the ability to completely strip web and Microsoft Store suggestions from the operating system’s search experience. Starting July...
Windows 11 Search Box Grows by 4 Pixels in Latest Preview Build – A Tiny Change with Big Implications
{ "title": "Windows 11 Search Box Grows by 4 Pixels in Latest Preview Build – A Tiny Change with Big Implications", "content": "Microsoft has quietly slipped a minute interface change into a...
Microsoft Draws a Line on Windows Search: Classic for Fleets, Enhanced for AI PCs
Microsoft has delivered a clear directive to IT administrators managing Windows devices: keep the search experience locked to Classic mode on standardized, managed fleets. The guidance, circulated in...