Windows 10: I can no longer see partial search matches in windows 11

As the title says, searching files now doesn't work. Within the past month I've upgraded from 10 to 11 pro and getting the system back up and running, everything was fine. Then yesterday 5/28/25 all of the sudden the search seems broken. I've rebuilt the index several times, editing options for searching along the way and nothing seems to work.I came across another thread from last year that says "Yup, Windows 11 search is broken but will be fixed soon." Seeing as it WAS working but now is not, I'm assuming the problem was fixed by now, since it's a year later. This is very aggravating and s

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I can no longer see partial search matches in windows 11

Hi, I am Dave, I will help you with this.

The search in Windows 11 is broken, they will be introducing a new version of File Explorer soon, so hopefully that will solve the broken search

In the meantime, if you add a star symbol before and after the search term that should find all partial matches, so if you want to search for 12 for example, search for *12*

 

Start menu search not showing partial matches


Hi. I have windows 10 home x64 in my desktop. My laptop has the also windows 10 home x64 and displays correctly the start menu search partial matches for words that i search. The desktop won't do that.
For example i search in the laptop "word" and it show's me the Microsoft word application. To get the same result in the desktop i need to write the full name of the executable "winword" or it won't show matches. Another example is "paint"... i need to type "mspaint".
Windows explorer search works. It displays partial filename matches and partial file contents.
Only the start menu search is not working like it supposed.

Anyone can help me? The laptop is ok... the desktop isn't!!!

Thank you

 

Where is "Find partial matches" in Windows 10 Search options?

In Windows 7 and 8 "Find partial matches" could be switched off, so one was able to search for exact matches only in Windows Explorer. This option could be found in "Folder and search options" --> tab "Search". I don't see this option in Windows 10. So now
by default searching in Windows 10 is always partial, but that's not what I want. I want it to be switched off.

Has this function disappeared from Windows 10? (Btw, I don't mean searching using double quotes, as this wil not always find the exact term).

Thanx!