Windows 10: Windows 10 Home - Search Function in the task bar

I just did the upgrade from Win 8.1 to Win 10 - overall pretty seamless given what could have gone wrong- I was lucky this time. Some minor annoyances , but overall pretty good.

On the task bar search, about an hour ago, I know it was searching the web as I typed in a web address and it took me there....but now, suddenly, its only searching my local machine. I must have inadvertently changed something. that affected this. Where is the setting to get it back to the way it was so I can search the web?.

I know did change my default Edge search engine from Bing to Google...would that have affected the task bar search function?

I also turned Cortana off - did that affect it??

Many thanks.

:)

 

Search function in Windows 10 - return to default?

Yes, understood re: searching in FE

My issue is with the Windows 10 search function from the task bar...some call it Cortana, specifically the filters function.

 

Start menu and Search bar are not responding.

Original Title: task bar icons

The Windows icon and the Search icon on my task bar are not responding to a left click. They suddenly failed to function as usual. I am at a loss as to get them back to their previous function. I have Windows 10 on an HP pavilion laptop.

 

Ahhh figured it out. In order to search the web from the task bar, Microsoft forces you to 1) use Bing 2) turn Cortana on and 3 ) agree to some interesting terms on its collection of personal data. I think I'll pass on all that for now.