The fastest way to open something on Windows is to open the Start menu and start typing the name of the application or file. The exact thing you are looking for will appear, at which point you can press "Enter". Or, at least, that's how it used to work.
For years, Microsoft has insisted on slowing down Start menu searches by providing "useful" information from around the internet. Now, some people may like this, but I personally prefer to do internet searches in the browser and use the Start menu to quickly find apps and files. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to turn off Internet content in the Start menu, but it can be done with a registry tweak. Back in 2020, we wrote about turning off this "feature" in Windows 10. The process hasn't changed for Windows 11, but let's quickly review it.
Just to explain, here's what I typed "why" into the start menu before this change:
This is what it looks like:
All results are actual results on my computer. The results load instantly, which can't be said for searches with the internet feature turned off.
How to disable internet search suggestions in Windows 11
First, open Registry Editor, which you can find (ironically) in the Start menu by searching for it. Registry Editor can be a little confusing, and you might mess up things by fumbling around, but don't worry - it's not difficult. The left panel has a series of folders confusingly called "Keys." You need to browse to: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindows .
There may be a folder called Explorer inside. If you don't have one, don't worry: right-click the Windows key in the left panel and click New > Key to create one; name it Explorer. Open the folder and right-click in the right panel, then click New > DWORD (32-bit) Value .
Name the new value DisableSearchBoxSuggestions , leave the "Base" as "Hex", and change the "Value" data to 1. As follows:
Click OK and close Registry Editor. Restart your computer and try searching for something in the start menu. Internet search results should disappear completely. If not, go back to Registry Editor and make sure you have configured everything correctly. I tested this feature on and off multiple times and confirmed that it works on the latest version of Windows 11.
