Removing the Settings and Search shortcut from the start menu applications list

Question

I want to remove all the default Windows 10 applications from the start menu list, and I have managed every single one except for the Settings shortcut and the search shortcut.

Is it possible to remove those two last icons and start filling it up with my own custom shortcuts?

Solution

Remove Settings from Windows 10 Start Menu

• Launch Settings
• Click Personalization
• Click Start on the left
• Scroll down and click Choose which folders appear on Start
• Toggle the Settings option to Off

To can still access Settings by pressing Win+I.

Remove Search from Windows 10 Start Menu

This is harder, since Search has become Cortana, and Microsoft loves Cortana. I have not tried the manipulation described below, but they might also break the general search in Windows 10. They are also not guaranteed to work in the latest version.

I suggest before starting to create a system restore point, just in case, since this might be destructive. I wouldn't blame you if you skipped this section.

In elevated PowerShell session run the command:

remove-appxpackage Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_1.10.7.17134_neutral_neutral_cw5n1h2txyewy

If this does not work, to totally disable search, enter in an elevated Command Prompt (cmd):

dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:SearchEngine-Client-Package

You might also be interested in the PowerShell script that does Remove Windows 10 Built-in Apps, which removes much Microsoft bloatware.

Another method for getting totally rid of Cortana is as follows:

• Go to %WINDIR%\SystemApps
• Take ownership of Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy
• Rename this folder. If successful then reboot, else continue.
• if Cortana is running, the dialog box Folder Access Denied will appear
• Click Continue.
• Leave the dialog box open, go to Task Manager, end the Cortana task, then very quickly click the Try Again button on the dialog box. Try again if not quick enough.
• Reboot.

For good measure, I add here the registry update for disabling Web search in the Start Menu for Windows 10 version 1803 :

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search]
"BingSearchEnabled"=dword:00000000
"AllowSearchToUseLocation"=dword:00000000
"CortanaConsent"=dword:00000000

If all this does not help, then this Search icon on the Start Menu might come from a third-party product. You could verify by booting in Safe mode and seeing if it's there.

Comments

[mt025]

How did you go about removing built in system apps like Alarms & Clock and Calculator? What version of windows 10 are you using?

[Viktor Axén]

I'm using Windows 10 LTSB, all those default apps are removed by default. Everything that was there was just a shortcut in the start menu folder in the Windows directory. @mt025

[Ramhound]

I am in the process of writing an answer, but I have looked through multiple virtual machines all running different versions of windows 10 and none of them have a Search shortcut in the start menu. Which makes me wonder, what it does, I assume it’s because your running an Enterprise 1607 (LTSB) and that’s the one version I have not checked. So can you confirm it simply act like the search box that Windows 7 SP1 has?

[harrymc]

@Ramhound: This doesn't exist either on Enterprise 1803, but Cortana and Search are both disabled.

[Maharaj]

Even after trying all three approaches still search option is present everywhere. I would appreciate if you could provide some solution through c# or it will be also ok if you could provide some source from Microsoft that it is not possible...

[harrymc]

If you see Cortana running in the Task Manager, then I added above a method for final kill.