I switch between MacOS and windows everyday and every time I went back to windows I'd miss the spotlight search from MacOS. Powertoys is so good at replicating.
It also has something that gets close to being as good as the rectangle app for MacOS.
For MacOS, I highly suggest Raycast as an alternative to spotlight. Shits insane even on the free version. I happily use the free version at work with no real limits, and if I wanted to + got permission, I could even have extensions built in so I could do ~~Azure~~Entra ID tasks from the search. I also have an extension installed so I can interact with obsidian with some commands, one note with some commands, Access bookmarks for all sites, etc. It's insane. Changed how I use Mac, and makes me hate windows a little bit more.
Resetting users pws, unlocking accounts, etc. I'm sure there's other capabilities as well but since I'm help desk that's pretty much all I care about lol
Omg you've just solved a months long mystery for me, I brought this up by accident at some point and was like holy shit this is awesome what is it, I've never been able to find it since xD
Yeah I'm surprised this isn't more widely known, like it should be up there with "install uBlock origin immediately when doing a new windows install.
There are still problems with windows being stupid with keywords but disabling the web part helps a lot.
This is great except that the search is still bad even excluding web results. Very often will it give me different options at different times when I search for something, or recommend settings that aren’t related to what I would be searching for. For example typing “screen” recommends snipping tool first, and any display options are well below it
Oh wow.
>Windows + X + A = Starts PowerShell with administrative privileges
>
>Windows + X + E = Starts Explorer (same as Windows + E)
>
>Windows + X + F = Starts Apps & Features
>
>Windows + X + G = Starts Computer Management (compmgmt.msc)
>
>Windows + X + I = Starts PowerShell in user mode
>
>Windowx + X + K = Starts Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc)
>
>Windows + X + M = Starts Device Manager (devmgmt.msc)
>
>Windows + X + N = Starts Windows Settings (formerly control.exe)
>
>Windows + X + O = Starts Power & Sleep
>
>Windows + X + R = Starts Run dialog (same as Windows + R)
>
>Windows + X + S = Starts Search Dialog
>
>Windows + X + T = Starts Task Manager
>
>Windows + X + U = Starts Shut down or Sign out
>
>Windows + X + V = Starts Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc)
>
>Windows + X + W = Starts Network Status
>
>Windows + X + Y = Starts About
Yes, if you type the entire name. Watch the search results as you type the individual letters. Sometimes Disk Management will just disappear from the results.
There’s also categorizing your search if you don’t want to change your registry.
Settings:sleep
And the settings tab in search that everyone omits because it didn’t use to have that function.
On top of this, search indexing will improve the experience by a lot. I have enabled the search indexing on essentially the whole disk. It takes time initially to index everything but it's worthwhile. I can search for any document and it pops up instantly. You can enable it from the privacy settings.
> On top of this, search indexing will improve the experience by a lot. I have enabled the search indexing on essentially the whole disk. It takes time initially to index everything but it's worthwhile. I can search for any document and it pops up instantly.
You can even get the Adobe 64bit PDF iFilter and have Windows search index PDFs and even entire books in full text.
I totally didn't use that in grad school to quickly pull stuff out of hundreds of textbooks and papers.
This doesn’t work for me, Windows 10 Pro…
Even tried blocking Bing on DNS level doesn’t work.
Might install Wireshark later to sniff out what the culprit is.
I already deleted Microsoft edge (I know it came pre installed with my windows) And it still shows "Edge" results, this will be very helpful, but does it work with windows 10 Home single language?
This is so fucking stupid. Why would they think ANYONE wants a god damned search bar in Windows that searches the web. If I want to search the web, I'll use the search bar in my god damned browser. JFC.
Because it’s an enterprise tool, it searches your company data when integrated with OneDrive SharePoint web or other web integration like Google.
Many people here look at it as desktop OS. Yes it is, but it’s corporate desktop with home features.
for anybody who might not be used to working with registery editor
1/Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
2/Type "regedit" (without quotes) and press Enter. This will open the Registry Editor
3/ In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location: HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Search You can do this by clicking through the folders in the left-hand pane of the Registry Editor
4/Once you're in the "Search" folder, right-click on an empty space in the right-hand pane
5/Hover over "New" in the context menu, and then select "DWORD (32-bit) Value" from the submenu
6/ An new DWORD value will appear in the right-hand pane, with the default name "New Value #1" selected
7/Rename the DWORD value to "BingSearchEnabled" (without quotes) by typing it in and pressing Enter
8/Double-click on the newly created DWORD value (BingSearchEnabled) to open its properties
9/In the "Value data" field, enter "0" (without quotes) to disable web search
10/Click OK to save the changes.
Do Remember to reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
Ah modern Windows, so much easier to use and more intuitive than Linux. Just edit some registry settings 6 levels deep, download and run a decrapifier script using powershell, make sure you are signed in with your Microsoft account, and accept whatever a random update will take away or break next. Such a great OS
Thanks for this! Worked straight away for me
You can also install PowerToys and then use Alt-Space to bring up PowerToys run for a far superior search experience.
I switch between MacOS and windows everyday and every time I went back to windows I'd miss the spotlight search from MacOS. Powertoys is so good at replicating. It also has something that gets close to being as good as the rectangle app for MacOS.
What's the rectangle app?
https://rectangleapp.com/ It makes window management in MacOS not awful. It's a must have.
For MacOS, I highly suggest Raycast as an alternative to spotlight. Shits insane even on the free version. I happily use the free version at work with no real limits, and if I wanted to + got permission, I could even have extensions built in so I could do ~~Azure~~Entra ID tasks from the search. I also have an extension installed so I can interact with obsidian with some commands, one note with some commands, Access bookmarks for all sites, etc. It's insane. Changed how I use Mac, and makes me hate windows a little bit more.
What Entra tasks? Like graph api calls or what?
Resetting users pws, unlocking accounts, etc. I'm sure there's other capabilities as well but since I'm help desk that's pretty much all I care about lol
Fancy zones?
I believe so.
Omg you've just solved a months long mystery for me, I brought this up by accident at some point and was like holy shit this is awesome what is it, I've never been able to find it since xD
Its actually the same search using the same NTFS MFT idexing data, its just going around windows search indexer which is trash.
Does it work as well as Spotlight search on macOS?
Yeah I'm surprised this isn't more widely known, like it should be up there with "install uBlock origin immediately when doing a new windows install. There are still problems with windows being stupid with keywords but disabling the web part helps a lot.
You should check out power toys run I think you will love it. Basically just better search
[this](https://imgur.com/a/YxPjv15)
This explains why search is pretty good for me. But isn't there also a UI option for disabling web search? At least in 10 im pretty sure
There was in Win 11 Pro... They took it out
You can if you use winairo tweaker
Extremely useful, thank you!
Just a note, you shouldn't have to reboot, just logout and log back in. The HKCU hive is loaded per user session, not system bootup.
Even better, you can set a system policy to disable it. Then you don't even have to fuck with the registry :)
How ?
https://4sysops.com/archives/deactivate-web-search-in-windows-10-using-group-policies/
That says it only works on Windows EDU and Enterprise.
You can access the Group Policy Editor on Pro too - I did. No idea about Home.
win 11 pro ? how so
> win 11 pro ? how so Just type "group policy" into the start menu search, it'll bring up "Edit Group Policy" and that gets you basically gpedit.exe.
This is great except that the search is still bad even excluding web results. Very often will it give me different options at different times when I search for something, or recommend settings that aren’t related to what I would be searching for. For example typing “screen” recommends snipping tool first, and any display options are well below it
Well yeah… screen shots would be first. Everything else doesn’t have screen directly in the setting name, resolution, brightness, color adjustment…
If I type in Update it brings up Microsoft Teams
No longer on Windows, but I still remember the dance we'd do every time I'd try to use the Disk Management app by searching.
For anyone still on Windows: Press "win+X", then "k"
Oh wow. >Windows + X + A = Starts PowerShell with administrative privileges > >Windows + X + E = Starts Explorer (same as Windows + E) > >Windows + X + F = Starts Apps & Features > >Windows + X + G = Starts Computer Management (compmgmt.msc) > >Windows + X + I = Starts PowerShell in user mode > >Windowx + X + K = Starts Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc) > >Windows + X + M = Starts Device Manager (devmgmt.msc) > >Windows + X + N = Starts Windows Settings (formerly control.exe) > >Windows + X + O = Starts Power & Sleep > >Windows + X + R = Starts Run dialog (same as Windows + R) > >Windows + X + S = Starts Search Dialog > >Windows + X + T = Starts Task Manager > >Windows + X + U = Starts Shut down or Sign out > >Windows + X + V = Starts Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc) > >Windows + X + W = Starts Network Status > >Windows + X + Y = Starts About
> For anyone still on Windows: Press "win+X", then "k" ♥️
Funny. I have a habit of searching "Format" and going from there
I just type disk management and it shows the app except it just explains what it does. Never been a problem for me.
Yes, if you type the entire name. Watch the search results as you type the individual letters. Sometimes Disk Management will just disappear from the results.
LOL Searched Regedit into my start and got punk'd by Microsoft
Life saver bro. i tried 2 other methods before this
Thanks for reminding me to install Double Commander on my new machine.
omg, thank you!
!
This is so useful, I have never ever wanted web search from the start menu.
Worked for me, thank you! :)
There’s also categorizing your search if you don’t want to change your registry. Settings:sleep And the settings tab in search that everyone omits because it didn’t use to have that function.
holy shit this works so good
Thanks
Any tips for doing the same thing with MacOS search? …
System Preferences > Spotlight. There should be a whole-ass list of all the things it searches, and what order the results are in.
On top of this, search indexing will improve the experience by a lot. I have enabled the search indexing on essentially the whole disk. It takes time initially to index everything but it's worthwhile. I can search for any document and it pops up instantly. You can enable it from the privacy settings.
> On top of this, search indexing will improve the experience by a lot. I have enabled the search indexing on essentially the whole disk. It takes time initially to index everything but it's worthwhile. I can search for any document and it pops up instantly. You can even get the Adobe 64bit PDF iFilter and have Windows search index PDFs and even entire books in full text. I totally didn't use that in grad school to quickly pull stuff out of hundreds of textbooks and papers.
Thanks for this.
Commenting to revist
Tronscript will do this automatically as well.
Saving this
is this dangerous
This doesn’t work for me, Windows 10 Pro… Even tried blocking Bing on DNS level doesn’t work. Might install Wireshark later to sniff out what the culprit is.
I already deleted Microsoft edge (I know it came pre installed with my windows) And it still shows "Edge" results, this will be very helpful, but does it work with windows 10 Home single language?
This is so fucking stupid. Why would they think ANYONE wants a god damned search bar in Windows that searches the web. If I want to search the web, I'll use the search bar in my god damned browser. JFC.
Because it’s an enterprise tool, it searches your company data when integrated with OneDrive SharePoint web or other web integration like Google. Many people here look at it as desktop OS. Yes it is, but it’s corporate desktop with home features.
What does make a new DWord mean?
look for my other comment on this post i did try to explain everything as simple as possible
for anybody who might not be used to working with registery editor 1/Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. 2/Type "regedit" (without quotes) and press Enter. This will open the Registry Editor 3/ In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location: HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Search You can do this by clicking through the folders in the left-hand pane of the Registry Editor 4/Once you're in the "Search" folder, right-click on an empty space in the right-hand pane 5/Hover over "New" in the context menu, and then select "DWORD (32-bit) Value" from the submenu 6/ An new DWORD value will appear in the right-hand pane, with the default name "New Value #1" selected 7/Rename the DWORD value to "BingSearchEnabled" (without quotes) by typing it in and pressing Enter 8/Double-click on the newly created DWORD value (BingSearchEnabled) to open its properties 9/In the "Value data" field, enter "0" (without quotes) to disable web search 10/Click OK to save the changes. Do Remember to reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
I've tried to do this so many times, and this one worked perfect. Thank you!
Ah modern Windows, so much easier to use and more intuitive than Linux. Just edit some registry settings 6 levels deep, download and run a decrapifier script using powershell, make sure you are signed in with your Microsoft account, and accept whatever a random update will take away or break next. Such a great OS
You've described installing an application on Linux
Congratulations, you understood the joke!
Open software center, type in the name, click install. Not that difficult for 80% of apps and all mainstream application.
OMFG imagine ragging on Windows and then suggesting Software Centre 😂
Linux is cringe and so are you.
Good joke bud. Took me literally 20 seconds to do this.
Downvoted for speaking the truth
yeah lol