Turn On or Off Search online and include web results in Windows 10  

Brink said:

Hello Steve,

Hopefully, this is just a temporary bug.

Microsoft is rolling out dark mode for Windows 10 Search

That would be nice. Hopefully it's fixed by next patch Tuesday, as some of these temporary bugs go on for months or years

@steve108 & @Brink & @Ghot

Firstly,

1. I've always been a Dark mode/theme user & use Dark mode/theme in all of my devices
2. I am the kind of user who always uses the current retail branch with the latest LCU build. Currently, I am on 21H2.1348 [Before someone points out, I know the latest LCU for Dec-21 v1415 released yesterday & I'll be updating soon]

Now, coming to the main story, earlier, till 21H1, I used the following reg tweak to turn off (Disable) Bing web Search Results in Windows START search completely

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
"BingSearchEnabled"==dword:00000000

Then, MSFT introduced the DARK theme for Windows search from the 21H2 branch, I waited long enough (till current date, December 2021) for that feature to be implemented in my W10 Pro OS 21H2 branch that I've been using for more than four months (using it before the official release via 21H2 Enablement Package).

First I thought as that feature is from server-side rollout & will be implemented eventually for all users gradually batch-wise, so I keep waiting but even after waiting for 4/5 months to till date, that the Dark theme (for search) was never implemented in my system automatically so I lose my patience eventually & started digging the internet, & found a possibility that it blocking the dark theme to be implemented in my W10 21H2

that is the same key I mentioned earlier to block the bing web result in the search in start/windows search

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
"BingSearchEnabled"==dword:00000000


Now, problem is, if I enabled that by changing the value from 0 to 1 & reboot, dark mode is being implemented, but also, the web results are showing in my search. But I want the dark theme to be enabled without the web search result in my search,

So, I continue to search, & today reading all those latest comments here, & then implemented this what @steve108 suggested, but still no luck, the dark mode is enabled & showing all those web search results

I am sharing my current configuration via screenshots as suggested by @steve108





pls advise me what is the way to keep this dark mode enabled without having any web result in search.

Ghot said:

@SM03


I use Winaero Tweaker to disable Cortana and web search.

Disable Cortana: Disable Cortana in Windows 10 Anniversary Update version 1607


Disable Web Search: How to disable web search in Windows 10 taskbar

hi @ghot,

I've checked what you already mentioned in your earlier msg, but I'm more interested to use the dark theme without any web result in windows search, via any reg tweak or GPE settings, without any help of 3rd party app like you said WinAero Tweaker (that would be my last option if everything fails & there is no way to brute force via reg/GP editor), that's why I posted this here.

Let's see what @brink & @steve108 have to say about this matter.

Well, I tested further & it seems when these two keys are configured this way to enable the dark mode

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search]
"CortanaConsent"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer]
"DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=dword:00000000

then this reg key to disable bing search is not effective & doesn't do anything at all
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search]
"BingSearchEnabled"=dword:00000000

Despite selecting the value 0 here for BingSearchEnabled, it will still show the web search result in win search

I believe this "CortanaConsent"=dword:00000001 key is mainly responsible to
1. Sending the request to MSFT server to enable Dark theme from server-side
2. Showing the Bing search result in Win search.

If anyone found more precise result, let me/us know by sharing here.

@Brink: The old method (BingSearchEnabled, AllowSearchToUseLocation...) works for old versions, why don't you keep or archive it?
@Everyone else: for education/information purpose, I found this interesting post which points out exactly which key is responsible for the function on which builds
Deactivate Web search in Windows 10 (using group policies) | 4sysops
Quoted

Until Windows 10 1607:

ConnectedSearchUseWeb (type DWORD32) with the value 0 under HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search

Starting from Windows 10 1607:

AllowCortana (type DWORD32) with the value 0 under HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search

Starting from Windows 10 1803:

BingSearchEnabled (type DWORD32) with the Value 0 under HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search

Starting with Windows 10 2004:

BingSearchEnabled does not work anymore. It has been replaced by DisableSearchBoxSuggestions under

HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer