How to search all your pc’s files in windows 10’s start menu

Find your files in Windows 11 using one of these methods.

Search from the taskbar: Type the name of a document (or a keyword from it) into the search box on the taskbar. You’ll see results for documents across your PC and OneDrive. To filter your search, you can select the Documents tab—then your search results will only show documents.

Search File Explorer: Open File Explorer from the taskbar or right-click on the Start menu, choose File Explorer, then select a location from the left pane to search or browse. For example, select This PC to look in all devices and drives on your computer, or select Documents to look only for files stored there.

Find your files in Windows 10 using one of these methods.

Search from the taskbar: Type the name of a document (or a keyword from it) into the search box on the taskbar. You’ll see results for documents across your PC and OneDrive under Best match.

Search File Explorer: Open File Explorer from the taskbar or right-click on the Start menu, choose File Explorer, then select a location from the left pane to search or browse. For example, select This PC to look in all devices and drives on your computer, or select Documents to look only for files stored there.

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Windows 10’s May 2019 Update finally adds the ability to search all your PC’s files directly from your Start menu. However, this feature is disabled by default. Here’s how to enable it for quicker, easier file searches.

Here’s the problem: By default, when you search your Start menu, Windows will only search your libraries and desktop. Libraries include folders like your Documents, Pictures, Music, and Videos. If you have files elsewhere, the Start menu won’t find them.

To make your Start menu’s file search more reliable, you can now head to Settings > Search > Searching Windows. Or, from the search panel, click the “…” menu button at the top right corner of the panel and select “Indexing Options.”

If you don’t see these options, you haven’t installed Windows 10’s May 2019 Update (that’s version 1903) yet.

From here, you can control the Windows search indexer—the background process that creates the list of files Windows searches. When you search for a file, Windows examines the search index to see what matches on your PC. This makes the search process fast, but it means that the search indexer has to continually run in the background and watch for new files in the folders you choose to search.

To make Windows search your everything on your PC, select “Enhanced.” Microsoft warns that this may decrease battery life and CPU consumption—the indexer has to watch for more files. After enabling this option, you must be connected to battery power for the initial index to be built. You can see the status of the index under “Indexing Status” here—the “Pending” list is the number of items Windows has to examine before the index is complete.

To make Windows search some additional folders—but not everything—click “Customize search locations here.” You can add other folders you want to search. For example, if you have a folder D:\Files where you store important files, you can add it to here.

You can also scroll down and add “excluded folders” that the Windows search indexer will ignore. If you have folders with lots of files that change frequently—or just a lot of files you don’t care about and don’t want to search—it’s a good idea to add them to the excluded folders list. This will save some battery power and CPU usage while cleaning up your search results.

Before the May 2019 Update, Windows 10’s Start menu always ignored the search indexer for some strange reason. Even if you control search indexing options from the Control Panel on an older version of Windows 10, it won’t affect the results that appear in the Start menu. However, it will affect the results shown when you search for files in File Explorer.

Windows 10 May update 2019 finally added the ability to search all files directly from the Start menu. However this feature is disabled by default. Here’s how to turn it on to find files faster and easier.

One thing to note here is that by default when searching on the Start menu, Windows will only search the library and the desktop. The library includes folders like Documents, Pictures Music and Videos. If you leave the file elsewhere, the Start menu will not be able to find them.

For the Start menu to be more searchable, go to Settings> Search> Searching Windows or from the search box, click on the menu … in the top right corner of the frame and select Indexing Options. If you do not see this option, it means you have not installed the May 2019 update (version 1903).

From here, you can control the Windows search indexer. This is the background process that creates a list of Windows files. When searching for a file, Windows will check the search index to find the right result on your computer. This will make the search process faster and see new files in the directory you choose to search.

To make Windows search everything on your computer, choose Enhanced. Microsoft warns this may lead to reduced battery life and CPU consumption because the indexer must see more files. After activating this option, you must connect to the power source to start the index. You can see the index status in Indexing Status. The Pending list is the number of items Windows needs to check before the index ends.

Let Windows search for more directories but not everything, click Customize search locations here. You can add other folders you want to search. For example, if the folder D: Files contains important documents, you can add it here.

In addition, you can remove the directory for the Windows search index to ignore. If there are folders with multiple files that are constantly changing or those that are not important, you can add it to this exclusion folder list. This will save battery and CPU while cleaning search results.

Prior to the May 2019 update, Windows 10’s Start menu often skipped the search index for some strange reason. Even if you control the search indexing options from the Control Panel on an older version of Windows 10, it does not affect the current results in the Start menu. However, it will affect the results displayed when searching files in File Explorer.

Many a time Windows search results don’t include what you wanted to search. However, if you were searching for something which was on your desktop and Libraries, they would appear on the search results right away. The problem is not with the search, but rather the list of files and folders Windows can index. In this post, let’s look at the classic problem — Windows 10 Start Menu Search not searching or working properly.

Windows 10 Start Menu Search not searching or working

Starting with Windows v1903, the OS offers two types of searches — Classic and Enhanced search. We either need to add more folders to classic search or use enhanced mode.

1. Enable Enhanced Mode
2. Add Folders to Class Search
3. Remove excluded folders
4. Run Windows Indexer Troubleshooter

1] Enable Enhanced Mode

You need to enable the Enhanced Search Mode, and configure the folders you want to be indexed.

2] Add Folders to Class Search

If you do not want to use Enhanced search, then it’s a good idea to add folders which are important for you. You need to configure the Search Indexing Options. Go to Settings > Search > Classic > click on Customize search locations here.

In the pop-out window which it opens, click on Modify, and add drives and folders were your most important folders are available. Once indexing is complete, Windows will be able to find the file and display in the result.

3] Remove excluded folders

If you are using Enhanced mode, but your files are still not appearing, then you should look at the excluded folder list. Under Search, there is a list of folders under the Excluded folder list. Click on the one you want to remove, and then click on the button which says Remove Excluded folders.

When using Classic search, you need to check if the index has restriction on the file type. It is available in Advanced options > File Types. If you want to search into documents, you can also enable the Index Properties and File Contents. It should resolve the Windows not able to search for a fil on PC problem.

4] Run Windows Indexer Troubleshooter

If nothing works, it is about time that you use the Search Indexer Troubleshooter. It is available at the end of the Search settings. It will prompt you with a few questions, and take appropriate action.

Hope these tips help you resolve your problem.

On Windows 7: as I remember, the search results included anything that contained your search term.

On Windows 10: it seems, the search results only include items that start with your search term.

Here’s an example, trying to open the WinDirStat program:

When I enter dirst I would expect it to find windirstat because the .exe contains that search string. But there are no results.

On the other hand, if I enter wind , it immediately finds what I’m looking for, presumably because WinDirStat starts with WinD .

The problem is, I don’t always rarely actually remember the full name of what I’m looking for. For example, if I’m looking for Win32DiskImager , I’m not gonna remember it starts with Win32 . Instead, I’d type image , in search of “that program I used a year ago to write a disk image to a disk”.

Is there a simple fix or workaround for this? All I’ve found so far are 3rd party programs that change more than just this search behavior (ie ClassicShell). I don’t want to change everything, just this search behavior.

3 Answers 3

As you have already found out, Search from the taskbar in Windows 10 is not very efficient, and wildcards don’t work.

if you are only interested in finding a file quickly (but not their contents) irrespective of whether you type a portion of the file name, then you can install this small utility: Everything.

“Everything” is search engine that locates files and folders by filename instantly for Windows.

Unlike Windows search “Everything” initially displays every file and folder on your computer (hence the name “Everything”).

You type in a search filter to limit what files and folders are displayed.

In Windows 10, v. 1909. there are apparently different search behaviors:

• Using Search from the Desktop, wildcards (* and ?) are ignored, as you’ve documented. Searches for dirstat , *dirstat and *dirstat* fail. [Others, such as respondent harrymc, have found wild cards do work, but not on the questioner’s PC, nor on mine, with Windows 10 v. 1909, OS Build 18363.815.]

• Using Windows Explorer Search, there is no “automatic wild-card” at the beginning, so Search on dirstat fails:

• Using Windows Explorer Search, by adding the wild-card * at the beginning, Search on dirstat succeeds:

• Finally, as you state, using Classic Shell, or its successor, Open-Shell-Menu, Desktop Search behaves as if it were using the Cortana index and as if the search term were preceded and followed by wild-cards, instantly returning a result:

You have at least two choices, then:

1. Use Windows Explorer to search, and precede the term with an asterisk.
2. Use an add-on, such as Classic Shell, which provides the old functionality (though I do understand you do not want to try that).

There is a simple fix or workaround for this: Use wildcards. Instead of searching for “string”, search for “*string” (at least).

This problem dates to Windows Vista, when Microsoft changed its search from character-based to word-based, as documented in the blog Character based versus word based search, or Searching with wildcards on Windows Vista:

On Windows XP search is character based. That is, if you search for a string ‘test’, it will find files named ‘my test data.doc’, ‘additional testing.xls’ as well as ‘latest junk.txt’ or (if you tell it to search also contents of files) files containing words such as ‘test’, ‘tester’ and ‘fattest’.

On Windows Vista, and on Windows XP with WDS installed, search is normally word based. Searching for the string ‘test’ will only find documents with the word ‘test’ in them, or words beginning with ‘test’. So it will find the files named ‘my test data.doc’ and ‘additional testing.xls’ but it will not find ‘latest junk.txt’. Moreover, it will find documents containing ‘test’ or ‘tester’ but it will not find documents containing ‘fattest’.

The main reason for the change is that by making search word based one can use an index to make searches much faster.

Start Menu Folder Location in Windows 10.

To rearrange a setting on your Computer the best practice is to access its concerned root folders then edit dealing with the items existing here. The condition also matches in the matter of the Start menu. If you are looking to renovate and clean the Start menu then after navigating to the locations where all the respective files and folders are placed you can perform these tasks pretty shortly.

The folders and files concerned to Start Menu in Windows 10 are placed at 2 separate locations; The first one is per user whereas the other address is for all users. When you navigate to both the locations, you can easily trace out the contrast amongst the two – per user will showcase the items of the individual user and all users will showcase the items that are available for everyone.

Suppose, two members of a family are using the same PC with two separate accounts and both of them has their own preference of Start Menu items and by going to the location, they can individually customize their likings.

So, remembering the things, let us interpret the steps for How to Find Start Menu Folder Location in Windows 10 to renovate according to your vantage, clear clutter furthermore place items with a short method and explore yourself to another world of customization.

Method to Find Start Menu Folder Location in Windows 10

• Jointly strike Win and R keys to permit the Run to appear on screen where you can input these address accordingly –

Per user Location

• But this address will permit you to access you the exact location when the [username] will be replaced/substituted by the actual username of your computer.

All users Location

• C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

The Start Menu locations do not comprise the Metro apps and in any circumstance, if you are fervent to deal with them, you must execute it. We covered many articles on Start Menu and we hope that along with this, you can also find your queries answered there.

Many users prefer to maintain every single thing on their machine and want to maintain things in their perfect places and also adopt all the significant measures to keep the locations tidy and clean. Hence, once such example that people are occupied is to edit, organize and clean the Start Menu.

Customize the Windows 10 Start menu with these tips.

You can easily customize the Windows 10 Start menu.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

Are you unimpressed with the Windows 10 ($130 at Amazon) Start menu? If you have yet to embrace its colorful tiles and menus, then you’re missing out, especially if you have a Windows tablet or touchscreen laptop . (If you’ve been holding out on updating your computer, you can still learn how to download Windows 10 free here.) With a bit of customization, you can form the Start menu into something useful.

Quickly, let’s break down how the Start menu is organized. It’s divided into three sections.

• The narrow panel on the left features icons for important menu items that vary depending on your settings (more on this later), including your account, settings, and power options. These icons are unlabeled by default, but if you need help figuring out which is which, you can tap or click the menu button at the top of this section (looks like three horizontal lines) to reveal labels for each icon.
• The center (but still mostly left) panel houses a list of all your applications, starting with those you recently added at the top and then an alphabetical
• The large panel on the right contains the colorful tiles in sections labeled as Create, Play, Explore and so on.

Now that you know the lay of the Start menu land, let’s get to the ways in which you can customize it.

Learn smart gadget and internet tips and tricks with our entertaining and ingenious how-tos.

Customize the far-left panel

The far-left panel of the Start menu can have a minimum of two icons (your account icon and the power options icon) and a maximum of 12 icons. You can customize the icons that appear by opening the Settings menu and going to Personalization > Start > Choose which folders appear on Start. Here, you can toggle on/off the following icons: File Explorer, Settings, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, HomeGroup, Network and Personal folder.

Full-screen Start or not

The full-screen Start menu is the default menu if you’re using a tablet, while the partial-screen Start menu is the default if you have a desktop or laptop. If you want the full-screen experience on a PC, go to Settings > Personalization > Start and toggle on Use Start full screen. And on a tablet, you can go to Settings > System > Tablet mode and choose which mode — desktop or tablet — you want your device to start in.

Change the color

To change the color of your Start menu, Start screen, taskbar and window borders, go to Settings > Personalization > Colors > Show color on Start, taskbar, and action center. Turn this option on and pick the accent color you’d like to use from the options above. If you’d like your Start menu to be transparent-ish, you can also turn on Make start, taskbar, and action center transparent.

Pin and unpin tiles

To pin an app to the right panel of the Start menu as a tile, find the app in the center-left panel of the Start menu and right-click it. Click Pin to Start, or drag and drop it into the tile section of the Start menu. To unpin a tile, right-click the tile and click Unpin from Start.

Move and resize tiles

To resize a tile, right-click on it and use Resize option to pick a size. Depending on the tile/app, you will be able to choose small, medium, wide or large. Most tiles will only be able to be sized to small or medium, but native Windows apps such as Edge or Maps will be able to be sized to wide or large. To move a tile, click or tap it, hold it, and drag it to another part of the Start menu.

Go wide

If your Start menu is starting to feel crowded, you can make it wider by going to Settings > Personalization > Start and toggling on Show more tiles.

Create Start menu folders

Even with an extra-wide Start menu, it can start to feel cluttered if you have added a bunch of tiles to it. As with the thumbnails littering your desktop, you can organize Start menu tiles into folders. Just drag on tile on top of another tile to create a folder of like-minded tiles. It’ll feel very familiar to iPhone ($499 at Apple) owners who pride themselves on their neat and orderly collection of app folders, though there’s no jiggling involved.

Edit the tile sections

In Windows 10 (like Windows 8/8.1), you can divide your live tiles into different categories. To create a new category, click a tile, hold it and drag it to the bottom of the Start menu until a solid bar shows up. Drop the tile below this bar, and your tile will end up in its own little section, which you can name.

If you’re tired of seeing suggestions on Windows 10, you can turn them off. (Photo: HP Development Company)

The Start menu is a Windows mainstay, introduced with Windows 95. If you want to find a file, launch an app, or put your PC to sleep, it’s your go-to spot.

For a lot of tasks, you can also use handy keyboard shortcuts to get the basics done. Try Windows + L next time you get up from your computer to lock it without clicking through menus. Tap or click here for a guide to all the best PC shortcuts.

Now, let’s talk about junk. If you’ve had your computer for a long time, it’s probably full of files you don’t need. Tap or click for a few simple ways to clear up storage space.

You can clear out the Start menu, too. Here’s how:

1. Get rid of annoying suggestions

Have you noticed suggested links popping up when you open the Start menu? Windows shows recommended apps links it thinks you may find helpful.

If you’re tired of seeing these suggestions, you can turn them off, so they aren’t cluttering up your Start menu anymore:

• Click the Start menu > Settings icon

• Click Personalization

• Click Start on the left-hand side of the pane

• Toggle the slider off to disable “Show suggestions occasionally in Start”

2. Simplify the app list

It’s annoying when the app you’re looking for is hidden among many others you don’t use. You have a couple of options for banishing the clutter.

To hide the apps list in the Start menu:

• Again, navigate to Settings > Personalization > Start

• From here, toggle “Show app list in Start menu” off

If you realize there are apps you don’t want anymore, remove them:

• Log in to your computer as an administrator

• Type Apps into the search box

• Under the search results, select Apps & Features

• Select an application you want to remove

• Tap Uninstall

• Repeat the process for each application you want to remove

3. Disable options you don’t use

By default, the Windows 10 Start menu shows you things like recently added or your most-used apps. Seeing new apps you’ve added in recent weeks can be helpful initially, but you may not find that feature especially useful over time.

To disable the other options in Windows 10:

• Navigate to Settings > Personalization > Start

• Toggle the “Show most used apps” feature off

• You can also toggle off “Show recently added apps” in this section if you don’t want all your newly-installed applications to show up

4. Organize tiles to your liking

Start tiles are large, bright boxes that give you quick access to certain apps. Not everyone likes being greeted by a load of square tiles with quick access to the Microsoft Store or the calendar when logging in.

If you prefer to go without the tiles built into Windows 10, you can turn them off. It’s easy to do, too. Note: You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable the “Show more tiles on Start” setting.

• Navigate to Settings > Personalization > Start

• Toggle “Show more tiles on Start” off

To rearrange or organize the tiles on Start:

• Click the Windows button in the lower-left corner

• To move a tile, click and drag it where you want it to go

5. Choose which folders appear

Three folders populate the Start Menu by default: Documents, Pictures, and Settings.

You can add additional folders to the mix alongside the defaults. Maybe you want to add File Explorer, Downloads, Music, Videos, Network, or even a personal folder.

You’ll have to work within the Start menu screen’s height constraints, but you can customize what folders appear as often as you like.

To add, edit or remove folders from the Start Menu:

• Navigate to Settings > Personalization > Start

• Click Choose which folders appear on Start at the bottom of the menu

• You will see a list of folder options

• From here, toggle them on or off depending on your preferences

Voilà! Your Start menu is exactly the way you want it.

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The Search menu on Windows 10 suddenly stopped working? Cannot type in the search box or Windows search not showing results, Here effective solutions to fix the problem.

A number of users report start menu search not working after the windows 10 October 2020 update. While attempting to search for items in the Windows 10 start menu no results are shown? This happens whether you’re searching for files, programs or Windows 10 apps. There can be a number of reasons for this issue to happen. Some common reasons that can cause Windows search problems are:

• System files on the computer may be corrupt or mismatched with other files.
• There could be a possibility of a virus or malware infection.
• Some applications or services running on the computer might have stopped Windows Explorer to work.
• This issue might have occurred due to an outdated or corrupted video driver.

If you are also struggling with this annoying problem, here 5 effective solutions to fix windows 10 search problems.

Start menu search not working

Restarting Windows Explorer might clear whatever the minor bug it was encountering and fix the Windows 10 Search Function on your computer.

• Right-click on Taskbar and select Task Manager.
• scroll down and locate Windows Explorer.
• Right-click on Windows Explorer and then click on Restart option
• This will refresh and restart the Windows Explorer App on your Computer.
• After this, try to use the search bar on your computer and see if it has started working.

Also, make sure windows have the latest updates installed. To check and install the latest windows updates.

• Press Windows + R, type ms-settings and ok to open settings.
• Click Update & security, then windows update on left.
• Now click the Check for updates button.
• Let windows check and install the latest windows updates for you.
• Restart windows and check windows search problem resolved.

Check Windows Search Service Running

If the windows search service is not started, Disabled or not Responding, you may encounter a problem with windows search. We recommend to Check and the windows service is running, if not then Start or Restart the Service.

• Press Windows+ R, type services.msc and press enter key.
• On Windows, Services scroll down and look for service named windows search.
• Check the Service is Running, If yes, then right click and select restart.
• If it’s stopped simply Double-click on it, to open its properties.
• Here make sure the startup type is set to Automatic and click on Start bellow Service Status.
• Click ok, apply to make save changes.
• Now try to search something from the windows start menu search.

Run Search and Indexing troubleshooter

Run the build in Search and Indexing troubleshooter, that automatically detects and fixes the problems prevent windows search working properly.

1. Press Windows + I to open settings,
2. Click Update & security, then troubleshoot,
3. now on right-hand side look for Search and Indexing
4. Select and run the troubleshooter.

Restart windows after complete the troubleshoot process and check the windows search problem fixed.

Rebuild the Windows Search Indexer

Rebuilding the Search Indexer may help in repairing the built-in search tool in Windows 10.

• Press Windows + R, type control panel and ok.
• Search for and select Indexing Options.
• Click on the Advanced button.
• Click Rebuild under Troubleshooting section and click OK.

The rebuilding will take some time, and once it is done, you can start searching for the files you need, and the Search should work properly.

Run DISM and Sfc Utility

Still having the issue, windows start menu search not working? Run DISM and SFC scan help you repair the corrupted files in your system.

Open an Administrator command window by

• Press Ctrl + Shift + ESC to open task manager,
• Click File, select Run New Task type CMD and ok
• Make sure you have a checkmark beside Create this task with administrative privileges.

Type the following commands in the CMD Prompt:

• dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
• sfc /scannow

Restart Windows after 100% complete the scanning process. Check start menu search working properly.

Also re-register Cortana following steps below, that most probably fix the problem for you.

• Open the Windows File Explorer and navigate to the following location:
• C:Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0
• Right-click “powershell.exe,” and then click “Run as administrator.”
• copy and paste the command below and press enter to execute the same.

Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object | Foreach

• Restart windows and check the problem resolved.

Create A New User Account

Also, some Of the windows users Report after create a new User Account and log in with on newly created user account, start menu not working, Search results now showing, store app not responding get fixed. You can simply create a user account by following below.

Simply Open Command prompt as administrator and type below command.

net user Username password / add

Note Replace username with newly create a user account and replace password: set password for the user account.

That’s All now log off from the current user account and login with the newly created user account and check start menu search working perfectly.

If yes then there is a problem with the old user account simply transfer old user account data to the new user account and continue with the newly created user account.

How to Add Microsoft Office Shortcuts to the Start Menu in Windows 7

A Microsoft Office program shortcut may sometimes be missing from the “Microsoft Office” folder of the Windows Start Menu’s “All Programs” section. Adding a Microsoft Office program shortcut back to this folder involves the following two main steps.

Step 1: Create desired Microsoft Office program shortcut

1. Navigate to Windows Start Menu > “Computer” (in Windows 10, click “File Explorer” > “This PC”). A window opens.
2. Under “Hard Disk Drives” (in Windows 10, “Devices and drives”), click “OSDisk (C:).”
3. Navigate to “Program Files (x86)” > “Microsoft Office” > “Office16.” This folder has files for all of the Microsoft Office programs. Files are labeled NAME.EXE (where NAME is an abbreviation of the specific program).
4. Find, but do not click, the desired file. The following are the specific file names for Microsoft Office programs:
   • Word: WINWORD.EXE
   • PowerPoint: POWERPNT.EXE
   • Excel: EXCEL.EXE
   • Publisher: MSPUB.EXE
   • OneNote: ONENOTE.EXE
5. Right click the file for the program. A pop-up menu appears.
6. From the pop-up menu, click “Create shortcut.” A message window appears asking you if you want to place the shortcut on the desktop.
7. Click [Yes].

Step 2: Add desired Microsoft Office program shortcut to “All Programs”

1. Click the Windows Start icon.
2. Right click “All Programs.” A pop-up menu appears.
3. From the pop-up menu, click “Open All Users.” A window opens.
4. Navigate to “Programs” > “Microsoft Office.”
5. From your desktop, click and drag the shortcut you created in step 1 into the open folder.
6. When a window says you will need administrator permission, click “Continue.” The User Account Control window opens.
7. Type the administrator password for the computer, which for a Cedarville office is the six-digit number under the barcode sticker on the computer (not the monitor).
8. Click [Yes]. The program shortcut will move into the folder.
9. In the folder, alt-click the program shortcut you just moved to rename it. You will be prompted to provide an administrator password again, so use the same one as in step 7.

The following are what each of the Microsoft Office program shortcuts should be named. After you complete the above steps and rename the program shortcut, the desired program shortcut should be added to Start Menu/All Programs.

• Word: Microsoft Word 2016
• PowerPoint: Microsoft PowerPoint 2016
• Excel: Microsoft Excel 2016
• Publisher: Microsoft Publisher 2016
• OneNote: Microsoft OneNote 2016

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Windows 11—or a leaked build of Windows 11, anyway—does away with the old Windows 10 Start menu as part of a UI overhaul that simplifies the Start menu. But don’t despair! Here’s how to get Windows 10’s old Start menu back, complete with Live Tiles.

Windows 11 was leaked barely a day ago, but there’s already some controversy over the Start menu and the centralized location of the apps on the new taskbar. Everything is to the center of your PC’s screen, unlike the old days of Windows 10, when everything was oriented in the left-hand corner of your screen. The Windows 11 taskbar and Start menu heavily favor simple icons, too, while the Windows 10 Start menu exclusively used dynamic Live Tiles.

However, there’s a way to restore the old Windows 10 Start menu within Windows 11, according to engineer Rafael Rivera. Restoring the old Windows 10 Start Menu within Windows 11 requires a tweak to the Windows registry, however.

You’ll need to go to the Windows 11 Start menu, type Registry Editor, and then step through the folder file tree much like you’d do in the Windows 10 Settings menu. Here’s the directory you’re looking for: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion ExplorerAdvanced

Dig into the Registry Editor and create this new entry.

Once you’ve entered the “Advanced” folder, right-click to create a “New” DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it Start_ShowClassicMode. Then right-click that value, select Modify, and set the “Value Data” to 1. You’ll then need to restart your computer. If you want to switch it back, you’ll need to navigate back through the Registry Editor, and then set that specific value to “0”. You’ll then need to restart your PC.

After you do so, the Start menu will have returned to what it looked like under Windows 10. And yes, even the Start menu with Live Tiles will have returned.

Of course, this means that the Windows 11 taskbar is still centered, and the Windows 10-style Start menu is oriented to the left. But you can get around that too, and make Windows 11’s Start menu look as close to Windows 10 as you can get.

Mark Hachman / IDG

There’s an easy way to adjust the position of the Windows 11 taskbar icons.

To move the Taskbar icons to the left-hand corner, enter the Windows 11 Settings menu, then go to Taskbar > Personalization. There’s a drop-down menu at the very top that will allow you to simply move the Taskbar icons to the very left.

Once you’ve completed all that, your Windows 11 desktop will look as close to Windows 10 as Windows 11 allows.

Start Menu 10 правильное решение для Windows 10. В новой версии windows вас заставляют использовать аппликации(приложения появившиеся в windows 8(popup hint)), для этого взяли меню из Windows 7 и часть его заменили плитками, при этом убрав доступ к системным папкам.

Мы выпускаем альтернативные меню уже более 10 лет и позаботились о правильном решении для вас. Благодаря нашим инновационным интерфейсным решениям вы сможете получать удовольствие от работы с Windows 10.

Эта функция наша уникальная разработка. Start Menu 10 заменяет желтые иконки папки, на иконки программ. Щелкнув по папке, вы запустите эту программу. Для доступа в подменю вам нужно подождать несколько секунд, расположив курсор над папкой. Первый раз программа определяется автоматически, затем, «главной в папке» становиться та программа, которую вы запускали последний раз.

Эта функция использует вашу визуальную память, благодаря этому вы можете значительно быстрее находить и запускать программы.

Распределите содержимое любой папки по виртуальным группам, при этом оставляя файлы на диске без изменений. Виртуальные группы можно сворачивать и разворачивать. Таким образом, вы можете сократить время просмотра и изменять визуальное отображение информации в зависимости от обстоятельств. Впервые эта функция появилась в нашей программе Старт Меню Х и является нашим изобретением.

Этот список содержит часто используемые программы и те, которые вы запускали последний раз. Благодаря умному алгоритму мы смогли добиться того, что самые востребованные приложения у вас всегда под рукой. Список объединяет как стандартные приложения, так и аппликации появившиеся в windows 8.

К сожалению, из системного меню в Windows 10 были убраны ссылки на папки. Вам предоставляют лишь список программ и поэтому добраться из меню даже в панель управления становиться очень тяжело.

К счастью у вас есть Старт Меню 10! С нашей программой вы сможете настроить список папок по вашему вкусу. Широкий выбор из 25 системных папок и возможность добавлять свои папки или программы это то, что вам нужно для индивидуальной настройки меню под ваши потребности.

Системное меню Windows 10 и другие программы, которые бездумно копируют меню из Windows 7, заставляют вас пользоваться маленьким окошком для выбора программ. Поэтому, вам необходимо постоянно скролить этот список и делать очень много лишних движений мышкой. Мы исправили эту досадную ошибку интерфейса. Содержимое папок использует весь экран и скорость выбора программы зависит лишь от скорости ваших глаз. В сочетании с функцией запуска в один клик, это дает потрясающие результаты.

Без дополнительных программ и усилий вы можете прямо из меню задать таймер отсрочки выключения питания или засыпания компьютера. Эта функция будет полезна тем, кто любит оставлять ПК на ночь для сложных задач, а также и тем, кто просто любит слушать музыку пока выходит из дома.

If you want to organize all list apps in Start Menu, you need to open Windows’ Start menu folder. Windows builds your Start menu in two locations: One contains system folders, another is a user folder. These two folders are combined to create the items you see on the Start menu. This article shows the quickest ways to access to Start menu folder in Windows 10/7.

How to Quickly Access to the Start Menu Folder in Windows 10

You can easily open the Start menu folders on your system in File Explorer or Run dialog in Windows 10.

Option 1: Open the Start menu folder for all users

Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open Run dialog.

Step 2: Then, copy and paste the following location to Run box.

Step 3: Hit Enter key. You will get to Start menu folder immediately.

Option 2: Open your personal Start menu folder for currently logged in user

Step 1: Copy this path: %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

Step 2: Press Windows key+E, press Alt+D to focus on the address bar. Press Ctrl +V to paste it to address bar.

Step 3: Press Enter key. It’ll open Start menu folder for your current user account.

Option 3: Access to the Start menu folder for other user account in your PC

If you want to organize the personal Start folder for a different user account that you have logged in with, you can just browse to the same location in their user folder. For example, if the user account name was iSum, you could browse to the following location:

C:\Users\iSum\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

How to Open the Start Menu Folder in Windows 7

Step 1: Click Start to open Start menu. Then, right-click All Programs option.

Step 2:В Choose Open to head to your personal user-specific start menu folder.

You can also click Open All Users to open up the system-wide Start folder applied to all users.

Adding your own customized program shortcuts to the Start menu is easy, once you know where those shortcuts are stored. Here’s how to create your own subfolder full of one-click links to tasks in the Settings app.

Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades’ experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications.

Shortcuts you create here automatically appear in the Programs list on the Start menu.

Click to enlarge

save-custom-shortcuts.jpg

Adding shortcuts on the right side of the Start menu isn’t a particularly complicated task. From the Programs list, right-click a program shortcut and then click Pin to Start. That adds a tile you can resize and move to suit your preferences.

But what if the program you want to add isn’t in the scrolling list of programs on Start? That can be the case with stand-alone utilities that don’t include an installer, or utility programs that are included with another program, or shortcuts that use special prefixes such as ms-settings?

(For an explanation of how you can create one-click shortcuts to individual tasks in Settings, see Secret shortcuts to your favorite settings and More secret shortcuts to your favorite settings.)

In any of those cases you need to add those shortcuts to the scrolling Programs list, then use the right-click menu to pin those shortcuts to the right side of the Start page.

Start by opening File Explorer and then navigating to the folder where Windows 10 stores your program shortcuts: %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.

Opening that folder should display a list of program shortcuts and subfolders. In this example, we want to add all the new shortcuts into a subfolder called Settings, so right-click any empty space in the File Explorer window, click New > Folder, name that folder Settings, and open the newly created, empty folder.

The rest of the process is straightforward. Right-click and choose New > Shortcut. Enter the full path of the executable file or ms-settings shortcut you want to add (as in the example shown here), click Next, and then enter a name for the shortcut.

Repeat this process for any other shortcuts you want to add. All your custom shortcuts should appear in the Programs list, where they’re one right-click away from being pinned as a tile.

Next week: Another Windows 10 tip from Ed Bott

How to Find Files in Windows

You can search for files directly from the Start menu, or from within File Explorer. The search within File Explorer offers more advanced search capabilities.

Search for Files

Here’s how you can search File Explorer for files.

1. Click the File Explorer icon.
2. Click the Search field.
3. Type keywords or phrases for your search.

As you type, your computer automatically searches for files matching your search criteria. If the desired file appears as you type, stop typing, and open the file.

If the desired file doesn’t appear, expand your search to include other folders.

Change Search Locations

If you’re having trouble finding a file, it may be helpful to expand your search location to include other folders.

1. With your cursor in the Search field of File Explorer, click the Search tab on the ribbon.
2. Specify which folders are included in your search from the Location group.

Your search restarts so every folder in this location is searched.

Refine Search

If you’re still having trouble finding a file, you can further refine your search by date, file type, file size, etc.

1. With your cursor in the Search field, click the Search tab on the ribbon.
2. Click a list arrow from the Refine group.
3. Choose an option.

Only those specific files appear.

Opening a File Location

Once you’ve found the desired file, you can view the folder that contains that file to see other files in that folder.

1. Click to highlight the file in the File Explorer search results.
2. Click the Search tab.
3. Click Open file location.

The folder containing the selected file appears in the File Explorer window.

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Free to distribute with our compliments; we hope you will consider our paid training.

Today, Windows 10’s Start menu only searches for files in your libraries and on your desktop. In the next version of Windows, it will search everywhere on your PC. This uses the existing Windows search index.

This change is coming in Windows 10’s next update, codenamed 19H1 and scheduled for release around April 2019. It’s available today to Windows Insiders—in other words, beta testers—as part of Insider preview build 18267.

The Problem Today

Windows 10’s Start menu will search the entire Internet thanks to Bing, but it refuses to search through most locations on your PC. Instead, it only searches for files in your libraries (Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos) and on your Desktop.

Want to find a file in another folder on your PC? Too bad—the “Best match” is performing a Bing web search for the name of your file.

What’s Improving

In the next version of Windows 10, you’ll be able to tell the Start menu to search your entire hard drive. This uses the Windows search indexer, which has been around for a long time but is ignored by the Start menu on Windows 10—for some reason.

To turn this feature on, you’ll head to Settings > Cortana > Searching Windows. Under Find My Files, Select “Enhanced (Recommended)” and the Start menu search—also known as Cortana—will search your entire PC.

The Next Version of Windows 10 Will Finally Fix Start Menu File Search

Microsoft says that selecting the “Enhanced” option will “begin the one-time indexing process. It will take about 15 minutes for search to begin returning these additional files in results. If you have lots of files, it may take longer. Make sure you plug in before you start, indexing is a resource-intensive activity.”

After the indexing process is complete, you can search from the Start menu and find files anywhere on your PC almost instantly. Windows will keep the search index updated automatically in the background.

The Next Version of Windows 10 Will Finally Fix Start Menu File Search

If you don’t want to search specific folders, you can click the “Add an excluded folder” option here and exclude specific folders. For example, you might want to exclude a folder containing sensitive files you don’t want appearing in search. You might also want to exclude a folder containing files that frequently change if you don’t want Windows wasting time indexing them.

The “Advanced Search Indexer Settings” option at the bottom of this screen opens the existing Indexing Options desktop utility.

The Next Version of Windows 10 Will Finally Fix Start Menu File Search

Maybe Microsoft is finally paying attention to what Windows users want. The next release will also let you uninstall more built-in apps and make your PC faster through better Spectre patches.

How You Can Find Your Files on Windows 10 Today

Windows still has a search feature that lets you find files, but Microsoft just hides it. Until the update arrives, we recommend heading to File Explorer and using its advanced search features if you truly need to search for files.

Even just searching through the search box in File Explorer will find files that the Start menu won’t. However, it’s very slow by default, as Windows will carefully search your entire PC.

The Next Version of Windows 10 Will Finally Fix Start Menu File Search

To speed up searches, you can enable the search index. To find these options, just search the start menu for “Indexing” and launch the “Indexing Options” shortcut.

The Next Version of Windows 10 Will Finally Fix Start Menu File Search

To have Windows index additional locations, click the “Modify” button and check whichever locations you want. For example, you could have Windows index your entire C: drive by checking the C: option here. Click “OK,” and Windows will begin indexing your new locations.

Search will be much faster in File Explorer. However, even if you choose to index locations, the Start menu search feature will continue ignoring them—until the next Windows 10 update.

The Next Version of Windows 10 Will Finally Fix Start Menu File Search

Windows 10’s Start menu search may be pretty bad, but the File Explorer has lots of useful options. While searching for something, you can click the “Search” tab on the ribbon at the top of the window to find many useful advanced search options. For example, you can search specific folders, search by date modified, specify file sizes, and otherwise refine your search.

You can also type advanced search operators directly into the search box here. You can even save searches, which gives you virtual “folders” you can double-click to perform a search in the future quickly.

The Next Version of Windows 10 Will Finally Fix Start Menu File Search

You can also just skip the built-in Windows search and use something better, like Everything. Unlike Windows 10’s Start menu search today, it searches through everything on your PC. It provides a quick, minimal interface and has near-instant search thanks to a speedy indexing process.

The Next Version of Windows 10 Will Finally Fix Start Menu File Search

Windows 10 is a great operating system, but it’s not perfect. The Recent Files section is a frustratingly difficult place to find the files you use most often. Even if you know the file type (like PDFs, movies, or music), it’s unclear where they’re located, and you’re forced to scroll through a seemingly endless list of files until you find what you’re looking for.

Want to remove recent files from the Windows 11 Start Menu? Follow these steps: 1) Right-click on the Start icon on the Taskbar and select Properties from the menu. 2) In the Properties window that appears, select the Start Menu tab. 3) Click on the Customize button in the bottom-right corner and then click on the View tab. 4) In the Customize view window, scroll down to the bottom and click on the Remove button. 5) Click Apply to complete the process.

Windows 10’s Start Menu is a good place to store apps, files, folders, videos, games, and pictures. But some of your recent files may get deleted in an attempt to keep things tidy. It may be a bit annoying, but you can get them back by following the steps below.. Read more about how to clear recent files list in search box result? and let us know what you think.Have you already switched to Windows 11? If so, you probably like the new Windows 11 interface. It comes with a major user interface update that should improve the interaction between the computer and the user. But there are some changes that could have been better, and the Windows 11 Start menu is one of them. Yes, the Windows 11 Start menu has a suggestions pane that displays recent files and folders. And if you don’t want to see recent files either, you can see how to remove or hide recent files from the Windows 11 Start menu.

An Insider version of Windows 11 is already available and the stable version will be made available to the public soon. It implements almost all of the features of Windows 11, including the new Start menu. As you know, in Windows 11, the taskbar is now centered, making more room for a symmetrical Start menu. It’s no surprise that the new Start menu looks cool and many users are eager to try out Windows 11 because of its new user interface.

After using Windows 11 for at least a week, I can say that performance has really improved, including battery life. This is mainly due to the new centered user interface and new animations. It includes the new Windows 11 start menu. Windows 11 has a minimalist look, which pleases most users. But not everything will please us, as preferences may vary from one user to another.

Hide recent files from the Start menu in Windows 11

The first change you will notice is the Windows 11 Start menu, which now has two sections: Attached and recommended. The Attached section contains all your applications, and newly installed applications are also added here. This is a useful tab because it allows us to easily find all the applications available on our computer.

The same cannot be said for the Featured section, which shows recently opened files and folders. This can sometimes be annoying if the recommended area is full of files of the same type. So, many of you want to remove the last files from the Windows 11 Start menu. And here we are, with a guide.

It would be great to be able to select the type of files you want to view from the Recommended section of the Windows 11 Start menu. But it literally shows all the files. Fortunately, Windows 11 has an option to hide recent files in the Windows 11 Start menu. It’s easy, but since Windows 11 is new, you may not know all the settings. So let’s see how you can remove the last folders from the Windows 11 Start menu. This method permanently removes the last files from the Start menu until you restore the settings.

Steps to remove the last files from the Windows 11 Start menu

1. Open the Start menu on your Windows 11 computer.
2. You will find many applications, including settings. Click on the Settings icon to open it.
3. Under Settings you will see many different options, open the Customize tab.
4. Now look for Start in the customization and open it.
5. In Startup Preferences, disable the Show recently opened items in Start, Quick Lists, and File Explorer option.
6. When you open the Windows 11 Start menu from now on, the latest files are no longer displayed.
7. You can also try other settings in Startup Preferences that directly affect the Windows 11 Start menu.

That’s all you need to do to remove recent files and folders from the Recommended section of the Windows 11 Start menu. Some users will appreciate this feature, but others will be frustrated by the fact that the same file type is recommended. Another reason to remove the last files from the Windows 11 Start menu is to make it cleaner.

So much for the tutorial on hiding recent files in the Windows 11 Start menu. If you don’t like the Featured section of the Start Menu, now you know how to get rid of it. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments section.

Check it out:Thanks to the same technology used in the PC world, the Start Menu in Windows 10 is also a folder. This makes it very easy for us to view the recently opened files stored in the folder. The problem is, they keep on showing up after a restart, they are not removed when we delete the folder, and they clutter up the Start Menu.. Read more about windows 10 clear quick access command line and let us know what you think.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove recent items from start menu?

To remove recent items from start menu, follow these steps: Right-click on the Start button and select “Properties”. Click on the “Start Menu” tab. Uncheck the box next to “Show recent items”. Click “Apply” and then “OK”. To remove recent items from start menu, follow these steps: Right-click on the Start button and select “Properties”. Click on the “Start Menu” tab. Uncheck the box next to “Show recent items”. Click “Apply” and then “OK”.

How do I remove recent files from taskbar?

Right-click on the taskbar and select “Taskbar Options”. Click on the “Startup” tab. Uncheck the box next to any recent files you want to remove from your taskbar.

How do I clear recent files in Windows?

To clear recent files in Windows, you can use the following steps: 1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder where your recent files are stored. 2. Right-click on a file and select Delete from the context menu that appears. 3. Click on the Recycle Bin icon in the bottom-left corner of File Explorer to confirm that you want to delete the file. 4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each file you want to delete from your recent files list.

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– Last updated on March 31, 2018 by VG

When we install Windows 10 in a computer or when we purchase a new device containing Windows 10 operating system, we find “This PC” or File Explorer (previously known as My Computer or Windows Explorer) shortcut on Desktop as well as on Taskbar. We frequently need to open This PC window to navigate through drives and folders to open/move/copy/delete files, etc.

If we have no program window opened on screen or all running programs windows are minimized, we can double-click on This PC shortcut present on Desktop to open This PC window. Otherwise we can click on This PC icon pinned on Taskbar to launch This PC window.

Many times users remove the pinned shortcut of This PC from Taskbar as it automatically groups all running This PC instances on its icon which might become very irritating sometimes. I also prefer to unpin all pinned shortcuts from Taskbar. So after unpinning This PC shortcut from Taskbar, Windows 10 users have only one place to access This PC which is the Desktop. The Start Menu doesn’t contain This PC shortcut by default.

Although you can quickly launch This PC window by pressing WIN+E keys together which I always prefer but many users don’t know about this keyboard shortcut or have problems in using hotkeys. So whenever they need to open This PC window, they have to minimize all running programs and then double-click on This PC icon present on Desktop to open This PC window.

One way to fix this issue is to pin This PC shortcut to Start Menu but many users like me don’t pin any shortcut to Start Menu. I personally remove all default pinned shortcuts from Start Menu to make it compact and to to make it look-like classic Start Menu as shown in following screenshot:

Did you know Windows 10 allows users to add This PC shortcut to left sidebar present in Start Menu where other icons such as power options, settings and user account are shown?

Today in this tutorial, we’ll tell you how to add This PC shortcut to Windows 10 Start Menu’s left-side pane for easy and quick access so that you don’t need to minimize all running programs windows. You can launch This PC from Start Menu anytime.

1. Open Start Menu and click on Settings option. It’ll open Settings app. Alternatively, you can direct open Settings app using WIN+I hotkey.

2. Now click on “Personalization” icon and in left-side pane, click on “Start” section.

PS: Alternatively, You can directly launch the “Start” page using “ms-settings:personalization-start” command in RUN dialog box as mentioned here .

3. Now click on “Choose which folders appear on Start” link present in right-side pane.

4. It’ll open a new page where several toggle buttons are present to show/hide various items in Start Menu.

UPDATE: In newer Windows 10 versions, you can right-click on an icon present in Start Menu left-side toolbar and select “Personalize this list” option to open this Settings page directly.

You need to set the toggle button for “File Explorer” to ON.

That’s it. It’ll immediately add This PC shortcut to left-side pane of Start Menu.

Now you can launch This PC window anytime from Start Menu. If you want to always open drives list page in This PC window and want to disable the new Quick Access page, following tutorial will help you:

Published in: Windows 10

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

Very us-full thanks

Thanks for all the great tips! I have used many of them today and it was a great help.

You’re wrong! This PC and File Explorer bring up two different folders and views—they are not the same even though you use the two Interchangeably. I’m looking for a quick method to access This PC from the start menu to view network folders. This article should be edited big time!

this is NOT thiss pc, this is file explorer, different things

“File Explorer” is not “THIS PC”. That’s how little you know. Pathetic

Search File Explorer: Open File Explorer from the taskbar or right-click on the Start menu, and choose File Explorer, then select a location from the left pane to search or browse. For example, select This PC to look in all devices and drives on your computer, or select Documents to look only for files stored there.

How do I see all drives in Windows 10?

See drives in Windows 10 and Windows 8

If you’re running Windows 10 or Windows 8, you can view all mounted drives in File Explorer. You can open File Explorer by pressing Windows key + E . In the left pane, select This PC, and all drives are shown on the right.

How do I find what drives are on my computer?

To find detailed hard drive information in Windows, take the following steps:

1. Click “Start” and navigate to the control panel. …
2. Select “Systems and Maintenance.”
3. Click the “Device Manager,” then “Disk Drives.” You can get detailed information about your hard drive on this screen, including your serial number.

How do I find F drive in Windows 10?

Press Windows key + X, then select Disk Management. See if the drive is listed and if there is a letter assigned to it.

How do I access my old hard drive on Windows 10?

Whether you have a desktop or laptop computer, using an external adapter is the easiest way to connect an old drive to your new Windows 10 computer. The most common type converts the drive connection to a USB connection, providing both data and power in one convenient package.

Why can’t I see my drives in my computer?

If your drive is powered on but still isn’t appearing in File Explorer, it’s time to do some digging. Open the Start menu and type “disk management,” and press Enter when the Create and Format Hard Disk Partitions option appears. Once Disk Management loads, scroll down to see if your disk appears in the list.

How can I see all drives in command prompt?

Once Diskpart is open, the first thing you should do is check the current layout of your hard drives and attached storage. At the “DISKPART>” prompt, type list disk and hit enter. This will list all of the available storage drives (including hard drives, USB storage, SD cards, etc.)

What is the D drive on my computer?

The D: drive is usually a secondary hard drive installed on a computer, often used to hold the restore partition or to provide additional disk storage space. … drive to free up some space or perhaps because the computer is being assigned to another worker in your office.

How do I tell which hard drive is booting?

Distinguished. Simple, the Windows operating system is always the C: drive, just look at the size of the C: drive and if it is the size of the SSD then you are booting from the SSD, if it is the size of the hard drive then it is the hard drive.

How do I know if my drive is SSD?

Press the Windows Key + S and type in defrag, then click on Defragment & Optimize Drives. As mentioned, we don’t need to defrag SSD drives, but we’re just looking for Solid State Drive or Hard Disk Drive. Open PowerShell or the Command Prompt and type in PowerShell “Get-PhysicalDisk | Format-Table -AutoSize”.

How do I access the F drive?

Navigate to the “My Computer” section of your computer, and look for “F” under the removable storage area of the window. The name of the device should appear alongside the drive name. Double-click it, and you will be connected to the drive.

How do I save to F drive?

Click and hold the left mouse button as you drag the folder from the first Windows Explorer window to the window displaying the F: drive folder in the second Windows Explorer window. After you drag the selected fold to the F: drive folder, release the left mouse button.

How do I access my e drive?

If all goes well, you should be able to open the E drive or any other drive on your Windows computer using the File Explorer. Click the “File Explorer” link on the Windows taskbar at the bottom of your screen or within the Start Menu. If you see a link called “This PC” on the left side of the screen, click it.

How do I access my old hard drive?

How to Get Data off an Old Hard Drive FAQ

1. Use a USB hard drive enclosure: slide the old drive into it and connect it to your new computer.
2. Use a USB hard drive adapter to connect the old disk to your new computer.
3. Connect the old disk as a secondary internal drive if the new computer is a desktop.

By default, the search bar in the Start menu or the Search icon on the taskbar in Windows 11 is meant to only search from general directories (Documents, Pictures, Musics and Desktop folders), installed apps or programs, or from the web. It is, by default, not set to search for files or folders from all other directories or drives on your PC.

However, you can configure the Start and Search to also be able to include searching your entire PC when you search for a query.

• Can’t search or see results from the Start menu search?
• Expected files or folders don’t appear in the search results?
• Search is slow in Windows 11?

If you have any of the issues listed above, this guide will show you how to configure search indexing in Windows 11 to either include entire PC for indexing, or manually selecting only folders or directories you want to search in. This guide also shows how to exclude folders from the search index so that files from these excluded folders don’t appear on the search results when a query matches.

How to search entire PC for files in Windows 11 Start menu search

For the Start menu search to also be able to search your entire PC for files, you need to enable Enhanced indexing for Find my files in Windows 11. Here’s how to do it.

1. Click on Start, then select Settings. Alternatively, press Win + i keys to open Settings app directly.
2. In Settings window, on the left pane, select Privacy & Security.
3. On the right pane, select Searching Windows.
4. Click on “Find my files” to expand it.
5. Select Enhanced.

Windows will now begin to index your entire PC so that files and folders can appear in the search result when you search on the Start menu or Search app.

It will also significantly speed up the search time after indexing is completed. The improvement in search time also affects the search in File Explorer since both use the same index.

However, depending on the files and folders that need to be indexed, it may take some time for the indexing to complete. The indexing will run itself in the background. It will automatically pause when you shut down and resume when you start your PC again. You can leave it alone and continue doing what you’ve been doing. Eventually, the indexing will be done.

As stated in the settings, the indexing process may affect battery life and CPU consumption. You may want to make sure you’re plugged in if you’re using a laptop or notebook computer. Optionally, you may want to turn on the “Respect power settings when indexing” option for Windows to automatically pause or resume indexing based on your laptop’s power and battery settings.

How to manually choose which folders to index

If you have too many drives with too many files to be indexed, you can manually customize which folder to be included to the Windows search index.

To do so, follow step 1 to 4 in the instruction above. Select Classic, then click on the “Customize search locations” link below the Classic option.

In the indexing options window, click on the Modify button.

Under “Change selected locations“, browse to and select the folders you want to include to the Windows search index. Click OK when you’ve done selecting.

Windows will now index only the selected folders.

If there is any folder that doesn’t appear as you browse the list, click on “show all locations” first to allow Windows to show hidden folders.

How to exclude folders from Windows 11 search

If you have certain folders you want to exclude from the search index so that files in those folders will not appear on the search results when a search query matches any of them, here’s how to exclude these folders from the Windows 11 search index.

Follow step 1 to 3 in the instruction above. In the “Searching Windows” settings, under “Exclude folders from enhanced search“, click on Add an excluded folder. Next, browse to the folder you wish to exclude and then click Select Folder.

Once a folder is added as an excluded folder from the search index, Windows will not search in this folder.

Description for sharing: Can’t search for files using Start menu search bar in Windows 11? Here’s how to configure Start menu to also search entire PC for files.

Published by Nyau Wai Hoe – Updated on July 30, 2021

Microsoft is constantly rolling out new versions of its Windows operating system, and the latest is finally here — the first major update of Windows 10 in 2019. Find out what you can expect from the Windows 10 May 2019 update and how it can help you be more productive.

Light theme

If Windows 10’s dark mode is, well, too dark for you, you’ll love the new light mode. You can enable light mode on your Windows 10 computer by tweaking the Colors settings. In the Settings app, click on Personalization > Colors, then select the Light option from the “Choose your color” drop-down menu.

Alternatively, you can enable light mode by changing your PC’s Themes settings. In the Settings app, click on Themes > Windows (light).

A cleaner Start menu

The May 2019 Update features a new, less cluttered Start menu. The tiles and shortcuts are now arranged in a single column instead of the default two columns in previous versions.

Also, for those using a new Windows computer or user account, the number of pinned apps on the Start menu has been reduced and grouped together in a single section. This way, you can quickly unpin all of them without having to remove tiles one by one.

Uninstall more built-in apps

Paint 3D, Groove Music, and Mail are just some of the built-in applications that you can now uninstall from your Windows 10 device. To uninstall one of these apps, go to the Start menu and right-click on the app’s shortcut and select Uninstall. If you change your mind, you can always get the app for free from the Microsoft Store.

Separate Cortana and search box

The May 2019 Update separates Cortana from the search box. The Windows 10 digital assistant now has its own icon on the taskbar, while the search icon keeps its place right next to the Start menu. Settings and group policies for these two functions have also been split up.

The split means you can use the search box for text queries and Cortana for voice queries. This is a change from previous Windows 10 versions, which showed Cortana every time you clicked the search box. The new search interface also lists your most used apps as well as recent files and activities along with options to filter search results by apps, documents, email, and web results.

Automatic backup for folders

Backing up your folders has never been easier with Windows 10’s new OneDrive option. You can now specify which folders you’d like to automatically sync to Microsoft’s cloud file storage service. To enable this option, click the OneDrive icon on the right side of the taskbar, then go to More > Settings. On the AutoSave tab, click Update folders and choose the folders you’d like to automatically sync.

Space for updates

A common problem when updating is not having enough disk space on your computer. When this happens, it’s likely that Windows updates won’t install properly. Microsoft has solved this problem by allocating 7 GB of your hard drive to Windows for updates and temporary files created by apps and processes. When it’s time to update your PC, these files will be automatically deleted to free up space for downloading the update files.

Note that reserved storage depends on other features and languages installed on your computer. If there are more of such on your system, more space will be reserved for temporary files.

Installing the latest updates ensures that you get the most out of your Windows 10 device. For more information on the latest Windows 10 updates and features, give us a call today.

The Start Menu is the main point of access to your applications. There are two main ways to open it −

Step 1 − Use your mouse to click Windows icon in the lower-left corner of the taskbar.

Step 2 − Press the Windows key on your keyboard.

The Windows 10 Start Menu features two panes.

The left pane resembles the traditional Start Menu from Windows 7 and earlier, while the right pane features live tiles that were used in Windows 8.

Left Pane

Among the things you can do in the left pane are −

Click the username at the top of the menu to change account settings or log in with another user.

Access the applications you use more frequently.

A small arrow next to an application will open a sub-menu with a list of recent documents opened with that application.

Open the “File Explorer” to navigate your folders and files.

Change the settings of your computer like your Internet connection or changing your background.

See different options to shut down your computer.

See a list of all the applications installed in your computer.

Search Box

The “Search box” on the Taskbar will allow you to search within your documents and files or on the Web for anything you write. The initial results will appear within the Start Menu itself.

The results will be grouped according to the closest match (or matches) labeled “Best match” at the top of the list.

The remaining results will be grouped according to what they are or their location −

• Web results
• Documents or folders
• Apps
• System settings

The icons on the left side of the menu do the following −

The Gear icon will allow you to configure the settings of your Search.

This icon will let you send Feedback to Microsoft on what you like or dislike about Windows.

The Cortana icon will activate Windows’ new personal assistant.

Clicking “My stuff” or “Web” at the bottom will expand the Start Menu and limit your results to the location you choose, as well as streamlining the search.

Right Pane

The right pane features a varied array of tiles, similar to the ones that were seen on the Start Screen of Windows 8.

These tiles can be moved and dragged to different places by holding the mouse button.

You can also configure them by right-clicking on them to see options to resize them or “unpin” them (remove them) from the Menu.

The whole Start Menu can also be resized by dragging the borders with the mouse to the desired size.

No matter the version of Windows you are using, you may have some problems with Windows Search running too slow or possibly not running at all. Before jumping into how you can solve this issue, just know there are many other viable alternative desktop search options out there. If right now a Windows search alternative is not something you want to use, then here are some fixes for when Windows 10 and Windows 8 search aren’t working properly.

Looking for a Windows Search alternative? Learn more about professional search here.

The function that powers most Windows searches is the Windows Search Indexer. It indexes all of the files and locations you have chosen, and subsequently stores them in a database. When you type in your search terms, it will go to the database, instead of making real time search through your computer. This is why searches can be done so quickly on a PC.

Why then, does the Windows Search slow down for some?

Slow Windows 10 Search

The issue is probably going to be very similar across the board no matter what version of Windows you are using. Even through it’s the newest version, Windows 10 search can stop working sometimes too.

Some people believe that slowed search stems from updating from Windows 8 or 7 to Windows 10, meaning that the search index may have some differences so after you update it isn’t making the correct connections. It could also simply be that there was a problem when the index tried to run for the first time on the new version.

Whatever it may be, here’s what you should do to solve it:

• Press Windows Key+X, or right click on the Windows icon, a menu will open up
• Click Control Panel
• Select Indexing Options.
• Now click Modify. Here you can choose which drives you actually want indexed, make sure to keep the drives that contain all of your programs and files.

• NOTE: Most files and folders (eg. ‘My Documents’) are saved in the C: drive, but you shouldn’t index the whole C: drive because it contains lots of files that you won’t want to see in your search results (eg. Program Files), or that may even cause problems down the road (eg. your antivirus quarantine file).
• Instead, click the little arrow next to C: to list all folders on your PC.
• Click the arrow next to Users
• Find your username and check the box next to it.
• This way, only documents and files you create will be indexed.
• Click OK when you’re done.

If Windows 10 search still doesn’t speed up or find the files you need, you might want to try rebuilding your index:

• When you are back in the Indexing Options window, click Advanced
• Inside the Advanced Options, click Rebuild and then click OK

It will take some time to rebuild the index, but once that is done, your Windows Search speed should be much faster.

Slow Windows 8 Start Menu Search

If your Start Screen search is slow in Windows 8, then the following steps will help you fix it. The steps are similar in most versions, but here’s what to do with Windows 8:

• Open the Control Panel by right clicking on the Start Menu button & selecting it from the list
• Click to open Folder Options
• Click the View tab at the top and then uncheck “Hide empty drives”.
• Click Apply and head back into the Control Panel

• Find Indexing Options and click on it.
• Under Included Locations the Start Menu folder should be on the list of indexed locations.
• If your Start Menu searches are slow, then most likely you won’t see the folder on the list.
• Click on the Modify
• Then add the Start Menu
• Click OK

Your Start Menu search should be up and running now. If your Windows Search is still slow, you can try rebuilding the index by following the steps outlined for Windows 10 above. Click here if you need more help using Windows 8 Search.

These easy fixes should speed up your desktop search on Windows 10 or Windows 8.

Date: 27. Jan 2016
Author: Joana Simoes
Tags: Windows 10 Windows 8 Windows Search

In this post, you will learn how to disable web search from start menu. When you perform a search in Windows 10 start menu, It will first look for local search results are displayed, such as Settings, Programs, Apps, and Files that are available locally in device. If don’t get local search results by default it will start navigating you to search online and include web results from Bing search. These suggestions are based on their past entries into the Search Box that providing you web results as well.

How many of you have seen Bing web search results in Windows 10 start menu when you try to search some application or files. Let’s learn how to disable this setting for end users to avoid confusion. Web search is supported for all the regions or only specific regions. I think this is supported only for some regions.

Disable Web Search From Windows 10 Start Menu

Lets start to disable search online and include web results from Bing Search using Group policy and Registry tweaks.

This is what it shows results on the start menu searches –

Windows 10 How to Disable Web Search From Start Menu

Note – You may experience different options if you are not using Windows 10, version 1909 or later.

Disable Web Search Results Using Group Policy

• In Windows 10 device, click Start type gpedit.msc in search to run the Local Group Policy Editor.
• Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer. Double-click the Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box policy to edit it.

Windows 10 How to Disable Web Search From Start Menu

• To disable Bing search, Select Enabled, click Apply and OK.

Note: If you enable this policy, File Explorer will not show suggestion pop-ups as users type into the Search Box, and it will not store Search Box entries into the registry for future references.

• Close the Local Group Policy Editor. Restart Windows Explorer or restart your computer to apply the changes.

Disable Web Search Results Using Registry

To add or import a registry value follow these steps:

Important – We recommend you create a backup before editing the registry.

Unpopular opinion – I like the Windows 10 Start menu more than the one we got with Windows 11 and want to replace Windows 11 Start menu with Windows 10. The main reason being I can access more apps from the Windows 10 Start menu and I also can club them into folders. For example, I can place all the Adobe apps into one folder, Chrome Apps into another, and Office apps also get their own folder. Whereas Windows 11 provides you the option to pin 18 apps in the Start menu and the remaining part is covered with recommendations. I also prefer the Taskbar icons when they are aligned towards the left rather than the center as in macOS.

You may have other reasons like Live tiles, the ability to change the size of the start menu, etc to want Windows 10’s Start menu. Whatever might be your reason to revert to Windows 10 Start menu, here’s how to do it.

How to Get Windows 10 Start Menu in Windows 11

The option isn’t natively available in Windows Settings, but you can do it by modifying the registry keys using the Registry Editor.

1. First, open the Registry Editor by clicking on Win+R to open Run, type regedit, and hit Enter. Alternatively, you can search for Registry Editor using the Windows Search.

2. In the Registry Editor, copy and paste the following directory and hit Enter.

3. In the Advanced folder, right-click in am empty are in the right window-pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) value to create a new key.

4. Rename the newly created Key as Start_ShowClassicMode.

5. Now open the key that you just created and change the value to 1 from 0 and click OK to save changes. Now restart your PC for the changes to take place.

6. Upon reboot, open the Start menu and enjoy the retro Windows 10 look instead of Windows 11.

How to Move Taskbar Icons to Left on Windows 11

Once you have enabled the Windows 10 Start Menu, it will open on the left side just like on Windows 10. There is no way to move it to the center where your Start button is located. Instead, we can move the Taskbar icons along with the Start button to the left instead just like on Windows 10.

1. Right-click on the Taskbar and select Taskbar settings option.

2. Here scroll down and select the Taskbar behaviors option.

3. Now you shall find Taskbar alignment option. Click on the Center option beside it and select Left in the down-down menu.

4. That’s it, your Start button will be moved to left just like on Windows 10.

How to Enable Transparency Effects on Windows 11

Unlike Windows 10, Windows 11 turned off all the transparency effects by default. So, you won’t view any transparent effects in the Start menu that you have activated. But if you like the effect and want to complete the Windows 10 look, here’s how you can do it.

1. Click on the Start menu and then select Settings icon at the bottom left to open the Settings app. (Considering you have already enabled the Windows 10 Start menu).

2. Here click on Accessibility > Visual effects and turn on Transparency effects option.

3. It will instantly make Windows Store, Settings, Taskbar, and Start menu transparent.

Enable Full-Screen Start Menu in Windows11

Windows 10 has an option to open Start menu full screen under Settings > Personalization > Start > Use Start full screen. Windows 11 removed this option from Settings but nonetheless, we have Registry Editor to the rescue.

1. Open the Registry Editor by clicking on Windows+R to open Run prompt and type regedit and hit enter.

2. In the Registry Editor, copy and paste the following directory and press Enter.

3. In the Explorer folder, right-click anywhere in the right window-pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) value to create a new key.

4. Rename the newly created Key as ForceStartSize.

5. Now open the key that you have created and change the value to 2 from 0 and click OK. Now restart your PC for the changes to take place.

6. Upon reboot, open the Start menu to see Windows 10 Start menu in full-screen on Windows 11.

Wrap Up: Windows 10 Start Menu in Windows 11

I like the rounded corners, redesign of system apps, new Microsoft Store, and even the new Start menu. But I still prefer the old Windows 10 Start menu and Taskbar icons aligned to the left. If you are like me and prefer the old Start menu and Taskbar layout, now you know how to get it back.