University of Kwazulu-Natal

6 Tools That Make Windows 11 Search Feel Ancient Windows Central

Bonisiwe Shabane
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6 tools that make windows 11 search feel ancient windows central

Are you tired of slow Windows 11 search? Check out these alternatives to the default Windows Search experience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Windows 11 includes a search feature that should be enough for most users, but it often struggles with speed, particularly in non-indexed locations or when handling a large number of files. The search home also feels cluttered with advertisements and lacks polish, which is surprising given it comes from the world's largest software company.

If you want something faster, lighter, or more customizable, several third-party tools can deliver a significantly better search experience. Popular options include Command Palette from PowerToys, Fluent Search, Everything, Listary, Flow Launcher, and RayCast. In this guide, I'll highlight six tools you can use to replace the Search functionality on Windows 11. Windows 11 includes a search feature that should be enough for most users, but it often struggles with speed, particularly in non-indexed locations or when handling a large number of files. The search home also feels cluttered with advertisements and lacks polish, which is surprising given it comes from the world’s largest software company. If you want something faster, lighter, or more customizable, several third-party tools can deliver a significantly better search experience.

Popular options include… We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We StartupNews.fyi want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It’s possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work.

Thank you for your trust and support. Windows 11 includes a search feature that should be enough for most users, but it often struggles with speed, particularly in non-indexed locations or when handling a large number of files. The search home also feels cluttered with advertisements and lacks polish, which is surprising given it comes from the world’s largest software company. If you want something faster, lighter, or more customizable, several third-party tools can deliver a significantly better search experience. Popular options include… If you only ever use the Windows search function to track down the occasional program or settings menu, you’d be forgiven.

In the past, Windows search was notoriously slow at tracking down files, and in recent years the search panel has become more bloated with things like Bing search results. As such, the Windows search bar might not be your first stop when looking for files or information. But with the right tweaks—and, perhaps, an extra app or two—you can turn Windows in to a powerful search solution, not just for your own files, but for quick answers, web searches, and your... First, an oft-overlooked tip on searching in Windows: The actual search bar is completely superfluous. Just press the Windows key or click the Windows Start menu button, then begin typing to bring up search results—no separate search button required. That, in turn, means you can hide the Windows search bar to free up some taskbar space.

Right-click the taskbar, select Taskbar Settings, then select “Hide” in the Search drop-down menu at the top. Software evolves in both user interface and functionality, or it gets replaced with new technology. Take Microsoft Word, for example. It has undergone countless changes and looks nothing like it did when it first debuted in 1983. The theory of evolution applies not just to us as a species, but also to the things we create. However, some software has seen little to no change since its debut and has still managed to survive.

In fact, many applications that are over two decades old remain fully functional on Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 11. Many Microsoft discontinued apps were a lot more stable and reliable than the ones we have today. Here are some forgotten gems that simply worked. Disk Cleanup is a computer maintenance utility included in Microsoft Windows designed to free up disk space. It was introduced in Windows 98 and has been a part of Microsoft Windows ever since. While Windows 11 introduced Storage Sense for automated cleanups, Disk Cleanup persists as a manual, granular tool for advanced users.

It excels at deleting system restore points, temporary files, and outdated Windows Update remnants — features Storage Sense lacks. You can access Disk Cleanup by simply searching for it in the Start menu. Windows Media Player first made its debut as part of an optional package in Windows 3.0. Over the years, it grew into a full-featured media player. Back in the days of Windows XP and Windows 7, it was your all-in-one solution for playing DVDs, organizing your music collection, ripping CDs, and even syncing some music players. Even today, many people still turn to it for those classic tasks.

Sometimes, it can be hard to quickly find the information you need using Search on Windows 11. But with a few tips and tricks, you can make it a breeze. Here's how to enhance the way you use Windows Search. If you want more organized and precise results when using Windows Search, you can use categories to filter out irrelevant results. These categories include "Apps," "Documents," "Web," "Settings," "Folder," and "Photos." By default, when you type your search query, Windows Search will display results from all categories. To filter the results by category, click the one you want at the top after entering your search query.

Alternatively, you can type the category, followed by a colon, and then the search query. If you were going to search for a particular setting, here's an example of what you could type: This will filter out all the other categories and only show you the relevant settings that match the word "Bluetooth." Files v3.4 ships with a powerful search tool, shortcut customization, real-time filtering, and more. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Microsoft has undoubtedly been pushing significant updates and features to its File Explorer app in Windows 11 in the past few years. The same can also be said about its best third-party alternative, the Files app, which recently received a new update bumping it to version 3.4. The update ships with new features and quality-of-life improvements, including background images, shortcut customization, real-time filtering, Listary, and more (via Neowin). Right off the bat, Files app users can create custom themes that can be used as the app's background. The background's opacity can be adjusted based on your preference. If you want to improve the way Windows Search works on your computer, we recommend you use Semantic Search.

It is a new feature introduced in Windows 11, allowing Windows to leverage AI to search through File Explorer, Taskbar, and Start menu. Semantic Indexing improves the way your computer organizes and searches files. AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) enables the system to grasp the intent and meaning of your queries. This makes it easier to locate files, settings, and other information using everyday conversational language. Semantic Search in Windows 11 relies on AI and machine learning to deliver accurate results by analyzing the structure and meaning of queries, rather than performing basic keyword searches. For instance, if you search for “mouse,” a regular search engine might show results about the computer accessory and the animal indiscriminately.

However, Semantic Search understands context, such as your files and history, to determine that you’re likely referring to the computer device, tailoring results accordingly. If you want to use Semantic Search in Windows 11, follow these steps. If you do not see the feature in your Windows, please wait for it to be rolled out to your PC. Much of Windows is cobbled together from parts from the past. There are decades-old Windows tools that are still useful today, menus that haven’t changed since Windows 7, and choices all over the OS that reflect Windows' focus on backward compatibility. If you look closely enough, you’ll also find traces of decades-old technology in Windows 11.

These have no practical use today, but are fun to explore and enjoy a nostalgia trip with. Once you’re connected via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, you likely don’t visit the internet settings in Windows 11 often unless you have a problem. You thus might have missed the Dial-up option under Settings > Network & internet, right alongside the modern options like VPN and Mobile hotspot. That’s right—Windows 11 supports the old-school internet connection technology that everyone who had a computer in the 1990s will remember. Clicking Set up a new connection opens the old Control Panel box, which still has a Dial-up option. When I try this, Windows tells me it can’t detect a modem.

While you can get USB modems on Amazon, you’ll also need a service provider to connect to. This year, the legendary AOL ended its dial-up service, which began in 1991. There are three main options remaining:

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