How to disable web search suggestions on Windows 10

You can disable web search suggestions in the Windows 10 Start menu, but you need to modify the Registry – here's how.

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@Pureinfotech
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Windows 10 search box suggestions disabled
Windows 10 search box suggestions disabled

The Registry includes a “DisableSearchBoxSuggestions” option that allows you to disable results from Bing in the Start menu for Windows 10 version 2004 and 20H2.

On Windows 10, search has been transformed into a feature that’s more than just a tool to lookup apps and files. It’s also a tool to find virtually anything, including content from the web, but it’s not something that everyone wants.

In previous versions, you were able to configure the Registry settings to disable web search result previews, but the settings have been removed, and they’re no longer available in the most current releases of the operating system. However, if you don’t want to get web suggestions, Windows 10 includes a new Registry setting (via Microsoft Community and Windows Latest) to disable web results for Windows Search in the Start menu (or search box in the Taskbar)

In this guide, you’ll learn steps to disable search box web result suggestions on Windows 10.

Disable web search suggestions in Start menu on Windows 10

Warning: Changing the Registry can damage your Windows installation if it’s not done correctly. It’s assumed that you know what you’re doing and that you have previously created a full backup of your computer. Proceed with caution and use this as the last course of action.

To disable search box suggestions, use these steps:

  1. Open Start on Windows 10.

  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry.

  3. Browse to the following path:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

  4. Right-click the Windows (folder) key, select New, and click on Key.

    Registry Explorer key
    Registry Explorer key

  5. Name the key Explorer and press Enter.

    Quick note: If the “Explorer” key already exists, you don’t need to create it.

  6. Right-click the newly created key, select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

    Create key inside Explorer
    Create key inside Explorer

  7. Name the key DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and press Enter.

  8. Double-click the newly created DWORD and set the value from 0 to 1.

    DisableSearchBoxSuggestions
    DisableSearchBoxSuggestions

  9. Click the OK button.

  10. Restart your computer.

Once you complete the steps, searching for anything through the Start menu (search box), you’ll no longer see Bing results, and the search for local content should improve.

If you want to revert the changes, you can always use the same above instructions, but on step No. 4, double-click the DisableSearchBoxSuggestions key and set its value to 0.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].