How to Disable Windows Search When Searching Windows Explorer
You’ve installed the fancy new Windows Desktop Search. You can find things fast and easy on your computer. You’ve got that nice little “Search Desktop” thingie next to your system tray. All is well. But there are some things Desktop Search doesn’t index. There are some things you don’t want Desktop Search to index.
The trouble is, every time you open Windows Explorer and type “ctrl-f”, Windows Search begs to search for you. Every time you have to scroll down to where it says “This folder is not indexed. To search this directory please use Search Companion or add this directory to your index via Options.” You click on “Search Companion” and all is well again.
Here is how to disable Windows Search. I found this from from John’s Adventures.
Open RegEdit (hit Start > Run then type ‘regedit’). Go to the following node:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS
Then double-click on ‘ShowStartSearchBand’ and set the value to ‘0’. Close that and you’re done, the next time you click ‘Search’ in explorer, the old, reliable search companion will appear. This applies to operating systems before Windows Vista
If you are a masochist, you can re-enable it by changing ‘ShowStartSearchBand’ back to ‘1’.
Worked like a charm…thanks for the tip!
It is perfect. thanks alot
Excellent, thanks!
Thanks to you, this painful process is over now.
You are a sanity-saver, thank you!
Works immediately, like a champ! No reboot needed. Good job!
holy cow! magnificent! many thanks.
Thank you very much!
It works immediately.
It’s not under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS
You’ll find the key ShowStartSearchBand under this registry location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS
Man Thanks Man Works Like A Charm…. And On Top Of That the Trick to Remove It As Shown on Sucks because When You Got To Reupdate Your Computer It Shows Up Again With Simply Disabling It Now It Never Shows Up On Update!!!! Thanks A Bunch!
Finally, simple searching again. Thank you! Why did Micro$haft screw it up?
Wohoo! It worked!
Uff!
Thank you.. that POS search was useless
Perfect, worked
great!!
Solution Rocks…..Welcome back Simple Windows Desktop Search
Thanks for bring back my Cntrl+F and little dog home to my PC
Oh no Darcy, please tell me you don’t like the little dog!
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied that dog is on its way
Wonderful!! Thank you for the fix!
Thanks Works perfect!
Question: Why in the world did Microsoft put such a lousy feature into Windows in the first place.
Same question applies to “indexing for Fast searching”
Didn’t anybody actually TRY it on a real computer with hundreds of thousands of files and a heavy load?
The solution is good. I also disabled the windows search service SearchIndexer.exe.
Thanks, it worked! Another uncalled for pain in the ass from Microsoft!
Brilliant stuff – had been searching for this for a while now.
Thank you very much!
Thank you!
I actually had this unwanted technology forced on me in order to use Outlook 2007’s search function. Now I have the best of both worlds :)
This has been one of things that bugs me but falls into the category of “I’ll get to that later”…
Thanks for the quick and easy soltuion!
Yay!!
Thanks SOOOO much :)
Thanks. Why would someone build a search function that does not search? It’s like the other setting to “search into” that you have to fix, because it won’t look into files you want it to look into. (binary dll ok, human readable .cs file nope)
Thanks a tonne :)
Gracias, funciona perfectamente!!
(Thanks, it works perfectly!!)
Thanks for the info. I did it through Add/Remove programs, which also worked fine, but requires a restart.
CAN ANYONE HELP ME?
Yes Maya, I also had to find it here….HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows Desktop Search\DS
My problem..It still does not work on my computer. I set the value to 0 in ‘ShowStartSearchBand’… turned off my computer to see if that would help, and it still has the windows search instead of the “Search Companion”
great, works like a charm. on win xp sp3
You are my hero
thou art great… whata royal pain in the @$$ that search band was. i wanna send you a bouquet and chocolates….!! ;)
Oh, thank you! That search box was like a sliver of popcorn hull stuck in my gum! Feels so good to get rid of it.
Thank you so much! was driving me crazy.
My hero ! Microsoft take note! I’m not going back until you improve the design so it at least knows what folder it’s indexed so the right utility can open.
Unchecked ‘Allow Indexing Service…’, Disabled ‘Indexing Service’, changed related Registry settings to ‘0’, but when place cursor over task bar ‘magnifying glass’ still shows “Waiting to receive indexing status…”.
How, if possible, to completely disable ‘indexing service’, but still be able to Search ‘For Files or Folders’ the old way ?
Thanks much.