Windows 10: Re-enabling local file search in taskbar with Cortana disabled

Hello!

If I disable websearch in the taskbar by setting the key Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\ConnectedSearchUseWeb to 0 and/or I disable Cortana completely either by setting the key Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\AllowCortana to 0 or using the Group Policy Editor(Admin templates > Win components > Search > Allow Cortana), when I use the search it doesn't display local results. I can go to "Filters" and select Videos and it'll show them, but the default "All(Most relevant on this PC)" shows no results, even though there are plenty and they are indexed properly. Apps and setting show up fine though.

Anybody know how to remedy this? I want Cortana completely off, but I do want the ability to search all my indexed locations in one place(DUH!!). By the way, does anybody know how to instruct the Windows Explorer search(top right) while searching in "This PC" to only look in indexed locations? I don't mean permanently, but with some "magic" keyword like "documents: *.doc". This would alleviate the pain of not beeing able to use the taskbar search.

Thank you, kind people!

P.S.
W10 x64 1709 16299.19

:)

 

Cortana missing

Cortana is missing from my taskbar. I remember a while back I disabled Cortana somehow, and ever since I've been searching for a way to re-enable it. searched through the Cortana settings when I wanted her back, and found the option "Search online and
include web results" disabled. I enabled it and went back to the home and it was disabled again. Every time I try it gets automatically disabled.

 

How do I get rid of this Cortana message?

digicamhelp,

You can completely disable Cortana very easily. See
Apps & Features Enable or Disable Cortana in Windows 10 - TenForums [you probably want Option 2].

After it is disabled the icon on the Taskbar becomes a search icon for use as you wish or you can hide that by right-clicking on the Taskbar, Search, Hidden.

You may notice in Task manager that there is a residual Cortana process running but that is not a problem as that is merely running the backbones of Windows search capabilities.

Denis

 

Hi, it is possible to do that.



- untick those.

Also note:

If I start a search using Classic Shell start menu (which is much more configurable) and search for something which is indexed, the file explorer search string is
search-ms:displayname=Search%20Results%20in%20Indexed%20Locations&crumb=System.Generic.String%3Aaardvark&subquery=C%3A%5CUsers%5C<my user name>%5CSearches%5CIndexed%20Locations.search-ms





Note how results are constrained to indexed locations... no green progress bar.





- classic shell start menu search settings

 

Hi,

Just unticking those options does not stop the system from searching unindexed locations. However, based on your second suggestion I did a search and came to this tenforums post, which deals with this, so thank you!

Any ideas about getting the "normal" taskbar search to work properly even with Cortana disabled? Why do I get a sneaky feeling that this is done on purpose by Microsoft? *Smile

 

Not done on purpose, done by the fact that the average user is not going to care about what Microsoft datamines. You do not need Cortona enabled to use the Search function in Explorer, you can also use the addon for Firefox to redirect Bing to Google.

 

You're right, but my question stands: how to make the taskbar search function properly on local files even with Cortana disabled. Local file search is done through the WS service, not Cortana, so the task bar search not dispaying local results when Cortana and/or websearch are disabled is purely arbitrary.

 

The search bar in the Taskbar is a built in feature of Cortana. Use the Search in the Start menu. If you want all searches in Cortona to go to say Google, you will need Firefox and the add-on/extension.

There are better File Explorer options out there that are way more robust than what comes with Windows. If you are looking at files stored on say a NAS or USB drive, use folders to keep them in (ie. Documents, Spreadsheets, PDF, etc.). If you just open a File Explorer Window and use the extended search options, you are able to search for files at a certain ranking in how large, etc..

 

This is all basically offtopic.

 

I gave you the answer as to how to find a solution and as of now, you think that it is off topic. Again, if you read your posts and my replies, you were given a couple of ways to not have to rely on Cortona for searches, along with one of them by opening a File Explorer Window.

 

Yes, and thank you, but I've figure that out using this post. Your last post was superflous because I know all that and, more importantly, it doesn't deal with the only question remining from my OP, that is how to make the taskbar(or start menu) search function properly on local files even with Cortana disabled. As stated, it does work if one goes to filters and selects, for example, videos, so the functionality is there, Cortana or not. It's just that it refuses to display local results in it's default "All(Most relevant on this PC)" state.

 

Nobody? Ah, cmon, if nobody on tenforums is in the know with this, where the h*ll else am I going to ask? :|