How To Disable Preview On File Explorer Search Box


  1. Posts : 40
    Win 10
       #1

    How To Disable Preview On File Explorer Search Box


    I recently upgraded my PC -- more memory and switched to a solid state drive.
    I am running Windows 10 -- Version 10.0.19045 -- Build 19045
    It has been a pain to reload all of my software, tweak everything to run/look the way I want, and restore my data.
    A few things have popped up that I don't remember having to deal with before.
    I've solved most of them by Googling for solutions, but there's one thing I haven't been able to fix.
    When I type something in the File Explorer search box, a preview pane shows up below it showing some files it found.
    I haven't seen that before in previous versions, and I don't like it -- I'd like to disable that function.
    I unchecked the "Show Preview Handlers In Preview Pane" option in my folder settings, but that did nothing.
    There did not appear to be an option to enable/disable the preview pane.
    I found two other ways to do it:
    * Adding a NoReadingPane DWORD in the registry
    * Adding a Group Policy Editor setting to Turn Off Preview Pane in the Explorer Frame Pane folder
    However, I still get the previews when I start typing in File Explorer.
    Maybe I'm misunderstanding what the Preview Pane is -- pls refer to attachment.
    What am I doing wrong and how can I fix this?

    How To Disable Preview On File Explorer Search Box-screen-shot.jpg
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 70,702
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #2

    Hello Bob,

    It sounds like you are wanting this below to disable search history in File Explorer.

    Enable or Disable Search History in Windows 10 File Explorer
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 40
    Win 10
    Thread Starter
       #3

    I made that change, closed File Explorer, and reopened it.
    Still get the previews below the search box.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 44,117
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #4

    Try this tweak using this excellent free tweak tool:
    How To Disable Preview On File Explorer Search Box-1.jpg

    Windows search then works as it used to before build 1909, much more rationally.

    It has been a pain to reload all of my software, tweak everything to run/look the way I want, and restore my data.
    Had you been using 3rd party disk imaging, as is endlessly recommended here, you could have transferred your old O/S as was to your new PC- except there's another tricky stage if the old one was legacy BIOS and the new UEFI.

    You can see the Preview Pane to the right here, enabled/disabled by the button top left.
    How To Disable Preview On File Explorer Search Box-1.jpg

    You may want to revisit the changes you made.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 40
    Win 10
    Thread Starter
       #5

    That worked! Thanks!
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 44,117
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #6

    - it's a good tweak tool - many things it does are in tenforums tutorials- not that one I think - which hugely improves search.
      My Computers


 

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