Forum Discussion
I hope Windows 11 Search will bring back web results
I’d like to re-enable web search results in Windows 11 Search so that I can open a page by simply pressing Enter after entering the URL, rather than having to select it with the Tab key or the mouse.
4 Replies
The most common workaround is to use the Run dialog box (Win + R), paste or type the URL there, and press Enter. This has been confirmed to work normally and opens the link directly in your default browser.
He is searching for HWMonitor. If not found locally as program on the PC (In this case he has not installed HWMonitor locally, so the result is empty.) Windows tries by using Bing by searching the internet for that program. In this case the normal and standard behaviour is turned off. He has to go to the registy-location that I mentioned earlier turn this on again. The whole idea is not to enter an URL (do you already know what kind of URL you have to enter? I think normally nobody. Not after searching with a browser for it. So that is pointless.) to search for that. Bing understands and will search for it online.
I for one have turned this option off. It's quite annoying while I am typing I see web results while I know I installed that program locally. I use this method instead of using the start-button. It's much quicker because after 3 letters it found it already. All I have to do is to press enter to start. Beats a manual search for it on alphabetical order for it. If it can't find a program then I know I haven't installed it locally and I will open a browser to look for it.
Windows includes normally a search through Bing. The fact that it does not now, shows this is because you turned this option off. The way to turn this option on/off is:
Start regedit. Goto HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\ExplorerLook at DisableSearchBoxSuggestions If the value is 1 then the search is turned off. Just change it to 0 to turn it on again and reboot your PC.
Hi Jacob, Windows Search behavior is partly controlled by Microsoft design and partly by policy. For now, the quickest workaround is Edge address bar or Run dialog shortcuts, but Feedback Hub is the best place to request Enter-to-open web behavior again.
