Windows 10: Please Microsoft, leave Windows Search alone

Microsoft released a new preview build of the upcoming Windows 10 version 1903 feature update yesterday; it included, among other changes, a new top apps listing in Search.

Windows 10 users who run the build get a list of popular applications that they use the most on the device on top of the search results.

The top apps are displayed when users open the results so that they may be launched right away without firing off a search first.



The very first question that came to my mind after seeing that was why. Why would Microsoft add a list of applications to search results?

Here is why I think that the addition is something that is not particularly useful:

1. It is displayed on top of the search results; means, fewer results are displayed without scrolling. Also, users may focus their attention on top apps and not the search results.
2. Top applications are the most used apps by a user. It seems likely that these apps are already pinned to the taskbar for quick access or accessible on the desktop.
3. Some or even all of the apps may be open already as they are used the most on the device.
4. The Start Menu lists top apps as well if that has not been disabled.
5. Users may have pinned the top apps to the Start Menu for quick access.

Microsoft changed Windows Search in Windows 10 significantly when it launched the operating system. The company linked Cortana to Search, likely to increase its exposure on the system, and added web searching to search next to that.

Web search was not particularly useful either and even the newly added preview option for web results or the separation in its own tab in search, did not help a lot to improve its usefulness.

The addition of top apps feels like a change for change's sake, and less like something that would be of benefit to the majority of Windows 10 users.

My most used applications are Firefox, Chrome, QuiteRSS, Explorer, and Thunderbird; all of them are pinned to the taskbar and just one click away from launch. The replication of these apps in Search is completely redundant. Microsoft will hopefully add an option to disable the feature when it is launched officially.

Now You: Do you think that this is a useful feature? Are there users that would benefit from this?

Ghacks needs you. You can find out how to support us here or support the site directly by becoming a Patreon. Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Please Microsoft, leave Windows Search alone appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

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Edge Search Does Not Permit Change of Region


I got these suggestions from the Microsoft Community forum.No. 1 worked for me:

Thank you for posting the query on Microsoft Community. I am glad to assist you on this.
We have reproduce the issue here and we are able to access non-regional search for google using Microsoft Edge.
I would suggest you to try the below steps and check if it helps.
Step 1:
Clear browsing data option of Microsoft Edge and check if you face the issue. To do so perform the steps below.

1. Click on the More actions icon next to the feedback icon present on top right corner of the Project Spartan homepage.
2. Select Settings and click on Choose what to clear.
3. Check the boxes Browsing history, Cookies and saved website data and Cached data and files and click on Clear.

Step 2:
I suggest you to create a new user account and check if the issue occurs.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Choose Accounts and then select Family and other users.
3. Select add someone else on this PC.
4. Enter a user name and hit next.
5. Click on Finish.
6. Sign out from the current Account and Log into the new account.

Step 3:
It could also happen because of network issue. I suggest you to try with different network connection and check if it helps.

 

Quick Access not searching Pictures folder


Summary, that last suggestion didn't work.

• I moved the pictures to another folder temporarily.

• Then I tried to remove the Pictures folder with option one at Add or Remove Folders from This PC in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials. Even after rebooting, the Pictures folder remained.
• So I tried using option two. Same thing: reboot >> Pictures folder still there.

• Since there were no troubleshooting steps for this scenario, just for the heck of it, I ran through the restore steps. Copied some pictures into the Pictures folder, ran a Quick Access search and initial problem remains: Searching all of QA doesn't find any files in Pictures folder, running search on just the Pictures folder does. I want to run a global search and find matching files in any/all of the Documents, Music, Videos, and Pictures folders.

That article dates from 2015 and I'm guessing is out of date. I hope it didn't create potential future problems in my registry.

Bottom line: I'm still looking for a fix.

 

Windows 8.1, and Why You Should Let Go of Windows 7

Wait wait wait I can do it in 3 steps

Diasble Metro:
1) Don't buy Windows 8
2) ?????
3) Profit!