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# How to Turn Off Web Search in Start Menu on Windows 10/11
- URL: https://techbytefix.com/turn-off-web-search-start-menu-windows/
- Published: 2026-10-25T00:34:28.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T00:34:28.000Z
- Author: Jake Whitman
- Tags: Windows

To turn off Bing results and online suggestions in the Start menu, enable the Search policy for your Windows version or create the matching Registry value. Windows 10 and Windows 11 use different policy and Registry settings, and the available controls vary by edition and build. Local Group Policy is the safest reversible method when available; Windows Home normally requires a Registry change. These settings affect web results in Windows Search, not searches you perform in a browser. Back up the Registry before editing it, and do not download unverified debloat or privacy-tweak tools.

## Which Windows version are you using, and do you need the Registry method?

Check your Windows version and edition before choosing a method.

- Your Windows version and build. Press `Windows+R`, type `winver`, and press Enter.
- Your Windows edition. Open `Settings > System > About` and check `Windows specifications`. On Windows 10, use the same `Settings > System > About` page.
- Administrator approval for Local Group Policy or Registry Editor if Windows requests it.

Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education generally include Local Group Policy Editor. Use that method first because it is easier to reverse and keeps the change in a documented policy location.

Windows Home does not normally include Local Group Policy Editor. Use the Registry method for your Windows version instead.

Windows updates can add, remove, or rename Search policies. A setting shown below may be absent on an older build, while a newer build may expose a similar control under different wording.

If `gpedit.msc` opens, use the policy method. If Windows reports that it cannot find the file, use the Registry method rather than downloading a replacement policy editor.

![A Windows version dialog is open above the Start menu search interface.](https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?q=Windows%20Start%20menu%20search%20version%20dialog&w=624&h=352&c=7)

## Turn off Start Menu web results with Local Group Policy

On supported Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions, configure the Search policy before using the Registry method.

1. Press `Windows+R`, type `gpedit.msc`, and press Enter. Approve the User Account Control prompt if it appears.
2. Open this policy location:

```text
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search
```

Local Group Policy path

1. Open `Do not allow web search`, select `Enabled`, select `Apply`, and then select `OK`.
2. If your build shows `Don't search the web or display web results in Search`, open that policy too. Select `Enabled`, select `Apply`, and then select `OK`. Some Windows 10 and Windows 11 builds show one wording, while others show both.
3. Close Local Group Policy Editor. Restart Windows, or refresh Explorer using the steps in the next section.

Do not disable the Windows Search service or local indexing to remove web results. Do not change location-based Search options or other Search policies unless you want those separate behaviors to change.

If web results remain after enabling the policy, restart the PC. A managed work or school computer can receive a policy that overrides local settings.

![The Local Group Policy Editor displays Windows Start menu search policy settings on a monitor.](https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?q=Windows%20Start%20menu%20search%20Group%20Policy&w=624&h=352&c=7)

## Turn off web search on Windows Home with a reversible Registry change

Windows Home normally requires the Registry method. Use the branch that matches your Windows version, and create only the value listed for that branch.

Back up the Registry before changing it. In Registry Editor, select the key you will edit, choose `File > Export`, and save the `.reg` file somewhere safe. Do not download random “debloat,” “privacy,” or Registry-tweak tools; an unverified utility can change unrelated settings or contain unwanted software.

1. Press `Windows+R`, type `regedit`, and press Enter. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
2. For Windows 11, open this key:

```text
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
```

Windows 11 Registry path

If `Policies`, `Microsoft`, `Windows`, or `Explorer` is missing, create each missing key under its parent with `Edit > New > Key`.

1. In the `Explorer` key, create or edit a `DWORD (32-bit) Value` named `DisableSearchBoxSuggestions`. Set its value data to `1` and leave the base set to `Hexadecimal`.

```text
Name: DisableSearchBoxSuggestions
Type: REG_DWORD
Data: 1
```

Windows 11 Registry value

1. For Windows 10, open this key:

```text
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
```

Windows 10 Registry path

Create or edit both `DWORD (32-bit) Value` entries below. Set each value data to `0` and leave the base set to `Hexadecimal`.

```text
Name: BingSearchEnabled
Type: REG_DWORD
Data: 0

Name: CortanaConsent
Type: REG_DWORD
Data: 0
```

Windows 10 Registry values

1. If the Windows 10 policy path already exists, you can use this policy-style value instead:

```text
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
```

Windows 10 policy Registry path

Create or edit this `DWORD (32-bit) Value` under that key:

```text
Name: DisableSearchBoxSuggestions
Type: REG_DWORD
Data: 1
```

Windows 10 policy Registry value

Do not add every value blindly. Start with the values for your version, refresh Search, and verify the result.

To reverse the change, return to the same key and either restore the previous data or delete the value you created. If you exported a backup, you can also double-click the `.reg` file to restore the saved key, then sign out or restart Windows.

![The Windows Registry Editor displays keys used to change Start menu search behavior.](https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?q=Windows%20Start%20menu%20search%20Registry%20Editor&w=624&h=352&c=7)

## Restart Search and confirm that only local results appear

Refresh Explorer so the policy or Registry change can take effect.

1. Press `Ctrl+Shift+Esc` to open Task Manager.
2. Select `Windows Explorer`, select `Restart task`, and wait for the taskbar and desktop to redraw. If `Windows Explorer` is not visible, use Task Manager's search box or scroll through the Processes list.
3. If web results still appear, restart the computer. A full restart refreshes the user policy and Search components more reliably than closing the Start menu.
4. Open Start and search for a clearly web-oriented phrase, such as the name of a current news story or a made-up phrase that cannot be a local file name. Web pages and online suggestions should no longer appear. You may instead see local apps, files, settings, or a message indicating that web results are unavailable.
5. Search for a known local application or file, such as `Notepad` or a document stored on the PC. Local results should still appear.

If web content remains, check that you edited the key for the correct Windows version, that the DWORD data is exactly `0` or `1` as specified, and that you restarted Explorer or Windows. On a managed computer, an organization's Group Policy can replace local values. A future Windows update can also change which Search policy controls the Start experience.

## What this setting does not disable

Turning off Start menu web search has a narrow effect: it prevents Windows Search from adding Bing web results and related online suggestions to Start search.

Local file indexing, application search, Settings search, and searches for files stored on the PC continue to work. If a file is not indexed, changing the web-search policy will not make it appear; indexing and privacy locations are controlled separately in Windows Search settings.

The change does not affect searches typed into Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or another browser. It does not disable websites, Bing itself, Microsoft account features, Windows Update, online help, or every online suggestion shown elsewhere in Windows. Some Start content, advertisements, or recommendations use separate Windows settings and policies.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 builds do not all expose the same Search controls. If a later update restores web results or changes the policy wording, revisit the Search policy location and check the current Registry value instead of adding unrelated tweaks. Set the Group Policy setting back to `Not Configured`, or remove the Registry value you created, to return control to Windows.

## Conclusion

Use Local Group Policy first on Windows Pro, Enterprise, or Education. On Windows Home, use the Registry value for your Windows version, back up the Registry first, and restart Explorer or Windows afterward. The change worked if a web-oriented Start search no longer shows Bing content while a known local app or file still appears.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Will this disable Windows Search completely?

No. It removes web results and online suggestions from Start search while leaving local app, file, settings, and indexing features available.

### Why can’t I find Local Group Policy Editor?

Windows Home normally does not include \`gpedit.msc\`. Use the Registry method for your Windows version, and do not install an unverified policy-editor download.

### Can I undo the change?

Yes. Set the Group Policy setting to \`Not Configured\`, delete the Registry value you created, or restore the Registry backup. Then sign out or restart Windows.

### Will this stop searches in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox?

No. The setting affects web results and online suggestions in Windows Search from the Start menu. It does not change searches performed in a browser.