How to Disable Bing Web Search in the Windows 11 Start Menu Using the Registry

The Windows 11 Start menu includes a unified search bar designed to help you find local files, installed applications, and system settings. However, Microsoft has deeply integrated its Bing search engine into this feature. If you search for an application you do not have installed, or accidentally mistype a file name, the Start menu instantly populates with web results, trending news, and Bing image thumbnails. For many users, this web integration is distracting, clutters the interface, and slows down local search performance.

Unfortunately, Microsoft does not provide a simple toggle switch in the Settings application to disable this behaviour. To force the Start menu to only search your local computer, you must modify the Windows Registry.

A Warning Regarding the Registry Editor

The Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores low-level settings for the operating system. Modifying or deleting incorrect keys can cause system instability or prevent Windows from booting. Follow these instructions exactly as written. If you are uncomfortable modifying the registry manually, do not proceed.

How to Disable Bing Web Search

To remove web results from the Start menu, we must create a specific policy key that overrides the default Windows behaviour.

1. Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialogue box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter. Click Yes when the User Account Control window prompts you for administrative privileges.
3. In the Registry Editor, look at the address bar near the top of the window. Delete whatever is currently there, paste the following path, and press Enter:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
4. We need to navigate to an “Explorer” folder. Look in the left pane under the Windows folder.
   • If a folder named Explorer exists, click on it.
   • If an Explorer folder does not exist, right-click on the Windows folder, select New > Key, name the new folder Explorer, and press Enter. Then click on it.
5. With the Explorer folder selected in the left pane, move your mouse to the empty white space in the right pane. Right-click, select New, and choose DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. A new value will appear. Name it exactly as follows, with no spaces, and press Enter:
   DisableSearchBoxSuggestions
7. Double-click the newly created DisableSearchBoxSuggestions entry.
8. In the “Value data” field, change the number from 0 to 1.
9. Ensure the “Base” is set to Hexadecimal, and click OK.

Applying the Changes

For the registry changes to take effect, you must restart the Windows Explorer process or restart your computer entirely.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
2. Locate Windows Explorer in the list of processes.
3. Right-click on it and select Restart. Your taskbar will briefly disappear and reappear.

Open your Start menu and type a random phrase. You will notice that the “Search the web” section has been completely removed, and the search interface will only display local applications, documents, and settings. This results in a significantly faster, cleaner, and strictly local search experience.

If you ever wish to restore Bing web results in the future, simply navigate back to the same location in the Registry Editor, right-click the DisableSearchBoxSuggestions value, and select Delete.