not sure about windows 11 but in wkndows 10 you can turn it into fully local search menu without any bing crap and web searches with some tweaks
this also makes it open and search without any delay for some reason… Really makes it usable again
don’t remember how i did it, afaik OOSU10 has an option for that
EDIT: Microsoft removed the old group policy (non-retroactively; that’s how i did it) so registry is the only way to disable web search now
https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/disable-windows-web-search
it still works on win11? huh…
Idk about that but you can use EdgeDeflector and the somewhat incorrectly named EdgeRemover. If you install both, you can redirect all MS Edge actions to your default browser, and Bing search queries to another engine of your choice. Works as of September 2023. (Or install Linux.)
edge deflector is broken and deprecated (Microsoft intentionally broke it), there’s a much better alternative now, but i forgot it’s name.
EDIT: It’s called GoAwayEdge (not sure if it still works). you can also try the ChrEdgeFuckOff script. Also there’s a new tool called MSEdgeRedirect that aims to provide more features. (redirects stuff like widgets etc) It’s still in beta
Is this Windows?
Yeah, it’s the Start Menu in Windows 11 (though I think the same kind of thing will happen on Windows 10 too)
Thanks. I use Windows so little I didn’t at all recognise it. And my KDE start menu has had this functionality for a really long time but actually works properly lol so doubly confused if I was looking at a KDE menu themed in a weird way.
I use Windows so little
I’m jealous. I would bin Windows in a heartbeat if VR worked properly on Linux (among other things).
What do you think of alternative start menus, such as Open-Shell?
I’ve tried it, but I’m not really a fan of the older style Start Menu design-wise.
The mismatch between the old design and the style of Win11 just rubs me the wrong way. It’s like when you use an old application and the file open menu is the tree-style one with no option to enter a path.
If MS just replaced the Start Menu with PowerToys Run I would be so happy. The design fits and it’s actually functional.
It’s a start menu, not a calculator.
Oh wait, it’s a web search?
It is showing a suggested search on the left AND the calculator with the right operation and result on the right. I’d call it confusing at best, but looks like it’s doing what it’s supposed to imo
Except it ‘recommended’ you add a zero and did it for you, changing the equation you asked it to do.
Nah. Most brain dead thing it does is when you search for something, and it brings up no results, so you remove the last letter and your results pop up.
Or when it refuses to show something you know exists on the computer until you enter the exact full file path
That’s why I use Flow Launcher with the Everything plugin (now integrated on the Explorer).
Everything is an absolute godsend to deal with Windows’ shitty indexer.
How do I integrate it? I didn’t like Everything as a separate program, but I think I would like it integrated into my system.
Not to mention it takes like 10 seconds to load and has completely random predictions
