Updated

Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Jul 15

Windows Search Improves With 4 Tweaks, Cutting Bing and Expanding Full-Drive Indexing

Updated

Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Jul 15

Windows Search Improves With 4 Tweaks, Cutting Bing and Expanding Full-Drive Indexing

Q: After years of user complaints, why is Microsoft finally allowing users to easily remove Bing from Windows Search?

Microsoft is making Bing removable from Windows Search because years of complaints have shown that users want search to work as a fast local tool, not as a channel for web suggestions, promotions, and extra Microsoft content. The pressure has been building since Windows 10. Users and reviewers have repeatedly criticized Search for being slow, cluttered, and unreliable, with Bing results often getting in the way when people were simply trying to open an app, find a file, or change a setting. Microsoft’s own recent messaging reflects that shift: it is now emphasizing search that is “faster, more relevant, and easier to use,” with local results taking priority. There is also a practical performance and usability reason. Web integration can add latency, confuse ranking, and surface irrelevant suggestions such as trending topics or Store prompts. By letting users turn those off through Settings, rather than forcing registry edits, Microsoft is acknowledging that the old approach hurt the core search experience. The change also fits a broader strategy in Windows 11. Microsoft is trying to repair Windows Search’s reputation while presenting AI and online features as optional rather than forced. Insider builds already show a cleaner interface, better local matching, and a direct toggle for web and Store suggestions. In short, Microsoft is responding to sustained backlash by giving users more control and refocusing Search on the PC itself.

3 articles · Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Jul 15

Enhanced mode in Windows 11 can index an entire drive instead of the default Classic scope limited to folders like Documents, Pictures and Desktop, improving Start menu file lookup after an initial CPU-heavy crawl.
Indexing Options can also be switched to “Index Properties and File Contents” for selected file types, letting searches find phrases inside Word documents and PDFs at the cost of a larger index.
A registry change—setting BingSearchEnabled to 0 under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search—removes Bing web results from Start menu searches, which can reduce internet-related delays.
File Explorer filters such as kind:document, size:>10MB and datemodified:last week further narrow results, adding a faster way to find specific files once indexing is expanded.