How to Disable Bing Results in Windows Search

Windows 10 users can once again disable Bing Internet results from showing up in the Windows search taskbar. Unfortunately, it involves editing the Registry rather than changing a settings menu.

One of the "improvements" of Windows 10 is a combined search function. Users who type in a search through the Start menu will not only see results from the computer itself (for example, matching filenames) but also website results retrieved from Microsoft's Bing search engine.

While theoretically this could be useful in some cases, some users find it frustrating or intrusive, particularly with the possibility that it slows down getting the results. It also risks glitches and delays if there's any problem with retrieving the web results, for example if either Bing or the user's Internet connection isn't behaving.

Ads Can Be Blocked

Until last November it was possible to disable the Bing searches by adding an entry to the Windows Registry, which is effectively a master database of settings in Windows. That was removed in the update codenamed 2004.

Now techheads have spotted another Registry tweak that blocks the Bing results, with a bonus that it also disables any ads from appearing in Windows Search results. (Source: windowslatest.com)

Method For Confident Users Only

As always with the Windows Registry, users should only make changes if they are particularly confident about computing, and they'll need to be logged in with administrator privileges. It's also a smart move to backup the Registry first.

After opening the Registry Editor ("regedit"), users should navigate to: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer, then right-click inside the empty pane.

Next, choose the option to create a new "DWORD (32-bit Value)". Give the value the name "DisableSearchBoxSuggestions" (minus the quotation marks) and set the value to 1.

Close the Registry Editor and don't forget to restart the computer.

Again, making such changes is completely at the user's risks. It's possible a future Windows 10 update could limit the effectiveness of this change or introduce new problems. If so, users can simply return to the Registry Editor and then find and delete the "DisableSearchBoxSuggestions" entry to return to normal. (Source: ghacks.net)

What's Your Opinion?

Do you find Bing results unnecessary in Windows Search results? Would you prefer the option to switch them off without having to edit the Registry? Is Microsoft justified in including the Bing results or is it another case of trying to push a Microsoft product where it isn't needed.