Windows 10 - Disable web results from Taskbar search

Question

Hello there lovely people,

I found a similar post of what I desire, but it was not helpful as the UI and settings available has changed in an update:

How can web search be disabled in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Build 1607)?

I don't want to see random factoids like "How are the Red Sox doing?" or, "What's a Spartan?"

How do I limit or prevent Cortana's ability to reach the web? Before the text changed to "Search Windows", instead of "Ask me anything". I'm looking for the same thing. I only need the search bar for searching my personal computer.

I've learned that the new updates integrate Cortana with windows search even more than before, and everything I read about is not relevant to the newest updates (or not helpful).

Any insights?

Solution

some of the web search settings have changed if you have a clean install of the Anniversary update (1607).

1. Go to Local Group Policy Editor ("gpedit.msc")
2. Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates
3. Windows Components -> Search
4. Enable "Do not allow web search"
5. Disable "Allow Cortana"

Apply and restart.

Note that Group Policy is not available in the "Home" editions of Windows.

Comments

[Muradin007]

Exactly what I'm looking for! This changes the text from "ask me anything" to "search windows"

[Damn Vegetables]

This is the easiest way? I wonder how Microsoft is getting away with this. I mean, they were sued for including Windows Media Player just ten something years ago, but now they are practically forcing users to use their Bing (disabling web search from Start menu search is very cumbersome for normal users, and it does not allow users to change to another search engine such as Google).

[User5910]

I also had to enable "Don't search the web or display web results in Search" in Windows 10 version 1803.

[User5910]

Win10 Version 1803: These settings still won't block the "See web results" entry in the "Search Suggestions" section. At least the web results are not displayed if you don't click it.