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It used to be possible to disable internet search results in start menu searches before the Windows 10 Creators Update, but I've just clean installed a new Windows 10 Pro image and that setting is gone. Is there some way to disable it through editing the registry/etc?
Drew
Posted 2017-04-07T23:02:10.410
Reputation: 1 809
161
The article The Windows 10 spring update no longer lets you disable web search in Start - workaround reports that the following registry update is required in Windows 10 version 1803 :
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search]
"BingSearchEnabled"=dword:00000000
"AllowSearchToUseLocation"=dword:00000000
"CortanaConsent"=dword:00000000
It remarks :
those entries are completely missing from the "Search" registry key, so you can safely delete them should you want to revert.
I would still recommend to at least create a system restore point before doing any registry modifications.
A reboot might be required.
User @mtd has contributed below these commands for applying the updates to the registry:
reg add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search /f /v BingSearchEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0
reg add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search /f /v AllowSearchToUseLocation /t REG_DWORD /d 0
reg add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search /f /v CortanaConsent /t REG_DWORD /d 0
harrymc
Posted 2017-04-07T23:02:10.410
Reputation: 306 093
89
This has been required since Windows 10 Version 1607. Configuring the group policies below will only work if you are running Windows 10 Version 1607, Windows 10 Version 1703, or Windows 10 Version 1709. You must be running Windows 10 Professional or any applicable version of Windows 10 for these group policy changes to take effect.
- Start the Local Group Policy Editor
- The policy you’re looking for is located at
Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Search
- Set Allow Cortana to Disable
- Set Do not allow web search to Enabled
- Set Don't search the web or display web results in Search to Enabled
- Click Apply and close the policy editor
- Restart
Image Source:
Additional Sources:
Ramhound
Posted 2017-04-07T23:02:10.410
Reputation: 28 517
@user13267 - I don’t answer questions asked in a comment. Please limit commentary to comments that indicate how I can improve my answer. Any other comment will be flagged as not being necessary – Ramhound – 2019-10-12T16:26:14.787
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While @Ramhound solution and @harrymc solution are certainly the most direct, there is also a useful free third part program, that can edit many of these hidden settings, including the turning off of Internet Search in Cortana.
O&O ShutUp10 means you have full control over which comfort functions under Windows 10 you wish to use, and you decide when the passing on of your data goes too far. Using a very simple interface, you decide how Windows 10 should respect your privacy by deciding which unwanted functions should be deactivated.
O&O ShutUp10 is entirely free and does not have to be installed – it can be simply run directly and immediately on your PC. And it will not install or download retrospectively unwanted or unnecessary software, like so many other programs do these days!
( Website and Direct Download )
Example of cortana settings in the program:
Under A Tree
Posted 2017-04-07T23:02:10.410
Reputation: 849
1oo-software.com is reliable? How to confirm that there are no trojan? – Peter Krauss – 2019-07-16T16:44:01.557
@PeterKrauss You will have to read up on them your self. They have been around for a long term, a german company, and are certified microsoft partner; see there history here https://www.oo-software.com/en/company
– Under A Tree – 2020-02-08T04:29:18.113@PeterKrauss basically they have been around for a long time, and there products can be found across the internet. cnet page , mwc , amazon , shop , shop2.
– Under A Tree – 2020-02-08T23:51:05.523Ok ok, it is like any other black-box: non-reliable. Only auditable (simple and non-chaotic) open source is reliable. But, no other options for ugly-Windows, ok: german company and long term sorftware (confirmed), and your approval, it is a good credential. ...I used and was good (!), more one up vote! – Peter Krauss – 2020-02-09T22:30:08.363
-3
And for these who is looking for disabling web search via registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
create new 32-bit DWORD value ConnectedSearchUseWeb and set it to 0
Reboot.
vanowm
Posted 2017-04-07T23:02:10.410
Reputation: 204
This doesn't work on Windows 10 home – Natan Yellin – 2018-02-27T13:43:31.713
1@NatanYellin what if you add DisableWebSearch DWORD and set it to 1 Maybe reboot is required after all? – vanowm – 2018-02-27T22:39:28.710
Nope, that doesn't fix it either. The entire key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" didn't exist originally. I created it, added both DWORDs you mentioned, rebooted... And websearch is still enabled. – Natan Yellin – 2018-03-01T13:53:42.733
5Confirmed that these registry edits successfully disable the web search. The start menu wasn't turning up many search results on my local disk when I initially made those registry changes (even after restarting explorer.exe), but after a few minutes that problem resolved itself. – Drew – 2018-05-27T22:36:08.137
15You can just kill
SearchUI.exeto have this kick in. When you then open the search panel --Win+S-- it should say "apps, files and settings". If it still states "web results", make sure you added all keys. In my case,CortanaConsentwas missing. – Smiley Barry – 2018-10-03T01:00:53.793I went through every step in https://www.maketecheasier.com/fix-windows-10-start-menu-search/ and was still left without working search. Disabling internet results fixed it instantly. Thanks!
– Charlie – 2019-01-21T05:14:35.517Note, the reg file in the link contains weird quotes. I copied the code block from this answer and it works fine. – John – 2019-01-23T17:55:14.700
3For some reason I couldn't see
BingSearchEnabledorAllowSearchToUseLocationin the register editor GUI but I was able to disable web searches by running this in cmdreg add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search /f /v BingSearchEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0– Charles Clayton – 2019-02-05T20:01:08.2332@CharlesClayton Thanks for that. All three commands together are:
reg add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search /f /v BingSearchEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0reg add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search /f /v AllowSearchToUseLocation /t REG_DWORD /d 0reg add HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search /f /v CortanaConsent /t REG_DWORD /d 0– mtd – 2019-03-31T02:48:35.740Confirmed working on Windows 10 Enterprise 1709 . – kmort – 2019-06-20T17:15:05.620
2works on 1903 ✔ – JinSnow – 2019-07-31T04:12:18.260
1I just tested, and reboot isn't required. – Steffo – 2019-09-03T11:02:10.833
This appears to have broken search altogether. No results appear anymore. – ed22 – 2019-09-16T08:19:24.893
Not my comment but "The search from start menu might be broken after this; to fix just restart SearchUI.exe". – Anaksunaman – 2019-11-04T05:08:15.937
For me Search still works, but is restricted to local content.. Finally my start menu is showing me the installed applications (and not links to their manufacturer's web site) +1. – antipattern – 2019-11-27T16:59:41.680
Maybe this is obvious, but just in case it isn't: open
regeditas user (not admin) to make these changes! – CL. – 2019-12-26T19:19:53.4302Works on 1909 ✔, no reboot required – Martin J.H. – 2020-01-12T20:38:56.690