How to Enable Search Box on Lock Screen in Windows 10
The lock screen is the screen you see when you lock your PC (or when it locks automatically after you haven't been using it for a while). The lock screen will also show at startup, and when you are signed out and idle for one minute. You will need to dismiss the lock screen to be able to see the sign in screen and sign in to Windows. Users can dismiss the lock screen using touch, the keyboard, or by dragging it up with the mouse.
Starting with Windows 10 build 18932, a new hidden experimental feature is available to enable adding a search box on the lock screen allowing users to search the web with Bing directly on the lock screen.
If enabled, the search box will only be on the lock screen when users lock the computer (Win+L). The search box will not be available on the lock screen at startup.
When users type in the search box, it will show them Bing web search results. If a user clicks/taps on a link in the search results, it will only open in Microsoft Edge after they sign in.
This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable a search box on the lock screen to search the web with Bing for all users in Windows 10.
While you must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable the search box on the lock screen, all users will be able to use the search box if enabled.
WarningIt is recommended to create a restore point before enabling this feature using Mach2 in case you have adverse effects.
If you do adverse effects afterwards, you could simply just do a quick system restore using the restore point to undo and fix it.
EXAMPLE: Search Box on Lock Screen
Here's How:
1. Close Task Manager if open.
2. Click/tap on the Download button below to go download the 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) version of Mach2 by Rafael Rivera for your system from its official GitHub page. (see screenshot below)
3. Save the mach2_0.3.0.0_x86.zip or mach2_0.3.0.0_x64.zip file to your desktop.
4. Unblock the downloaded ZIP file.
5. Right click or press and hold on the mach2_0.3.0.0_x86.zip or mach2_0.3.0.0_x64.zip file, click/tap on Extract all, and click/tap on Extract. (see screenshots below)
6. In the extracted mach2_0.3.0.0_x86 or mach2_0.3.0.0_x64 folder, click/tap on the Home tab, select the mach2.exe file, and click/tap on Copy path in the Ribbon. (see screenshot below)
7. Do step 8 (enable) or step 9 (disable) below for what you want to do.
A) Open an elevated command prompt.
B) Press Ctrl+V to paste the full path of the mach2.exe file from step 6 into the elevated command prompt. (see screenshot below)
C) Add a space after the full path, type enable 17917466, and press Enter.
For example:"C:\Users\Brink\Desktop\mach2_0.3.0.0_x64\mach2.exe" enable 17917466
D) Close the elevated command prompt, and go to step 10 below.
This is the default setting.
A) Open an elevated command prompt.
B) Press Ctrl+V to paste the full path of the mach2.exe file from step 6 into the elevated command prompt. (see screenshot below)
C) Add a space after the full path, type disable 17917466, and press Enter.
For example:"C:\Users\Brink\Desktop\mach2_0.3.0.0_x64\mach2.exe" disable 17917466
D) Close the elevated command prompt, and go to step 10 below.
10. Restart the computer to apply.
11. If you like, you can now delete the mach2_0.3.0.0_x86.zip or mach2_0.3.0.0_x64.zip file and mach2_0.3.0.0_x86 or mach2_0.3.0.0_x64 folder on your desktop.
That's it,
Shawn
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