How to Enable or Disable Show Cloud Content in Search Results in Windows 10
Search on your taskbar makes it easier for you to search the web and Windows.
Starting with Windows 10 build 16237, Microsoft added a new option to Cortana to enable or disable showing your cloud content in the search results.
Cortana and Search has been separated starting with Windows 10 version 1903.
Windows Search can personalize your search results by including your content from OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, Bing, and other services.
You can allow Windows Search to provide results from the apps and services that you are signed in to with your Microsoft account and/or your work or school account.
This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off Windows Cloud Search showing cloud content in the search results for your account or all users in Windows 10.
Contents
- Option One: Turn On or Off show Cloud Content in Search Results for Current User in Settings
- Option Two: Turn On or Off show Cloud Content in Search Results for Current User in Search
- Option Three: Turn On or Off show Cloud Content in Search Results for Current User using a REG file
- Option Four: Enable or Disable show Cloud Content in Search Results for All Users in Local Group Policy Editor
- Option Five: Enable or Disable show Cloud Content in Search Results for All Users using a REG file
1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Search icon.
2 Click/tap on Permissions & History on the left side. (see screenshot below)
3 Turn On or Off (default) Microsoft account for what you want under Cloud content search on the right side.
4 Turn On or Off (default) Work or School account for what you want under Cloud content search on the right side.
5 You can now close Settings if you like.
1 Open Search (Win+S).
2 Click/tap on the Options (3 dots) button, and click/tap on either Turn on cloud search for your Microsoft account or Turn on cloud search for your work or school account. (see screenshot below)
3 Turn On or Off (default) Microsoft account for what you want under Cloud content search on the right side. (see screenshot below)
4 Turn On or Off (default) Work or School account for what you want under Cloud content search on the right side. (see screenshot below)
5 You can now close Settings if you like.
1 Do step 2 (Microsoft account) and/or step 3 (Work or School account) below for which type of account you want to turn on or off Cloud content search.
The downloaded .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SearchSettings
IsMSACloudSearchEnabled DWORD
0 = Off
1 = On
A) Click/tap on the Download button below you want to use to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_ON_Cloud_content_search_for_Microsoft_account.reg
Download
OR
Turn_OFF_Cloud_content_search_for_Microsoft_account.reg
This is the default setting.
Download
The downloaded .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SearchSettings
IsAADCloudSearchEnabled DWORD
0 = Off
1 = On
A) Click/tap on the Download button below you want to use to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_ON_Cloud_content_search_for_Work_or_School_account.reg
Download
OR
Turn_OFF_Cloud_content_search_for_Work_or_School_account.reg
This is the default setting.
Download
4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
You must be signed in as an administrator to do this option.
If enabled or disabled, this option will override and gray out Option One, Option Two, and Option Three.
The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
All editions can use Option Five.
1 Open the Local Group Policy Editor.
2 In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search
3 In the right pane of Search, double click/tap on the Allow Cloud Search policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)
4 Do step 5 (always enable), step 6 (disable), or step 7 (default) below for what you would like to do.
A) Select (dot) Enabled, select Enable Cloud Search in the "Cloud Search Setting" drop down menu, click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)
A) Select (dot) Enabled, select Disable Cloud Search in the "Cloud Search Setting" drop down menu, click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)
8 When finished, you can close Local Group Policy Editor if you like.
You must be signed in as an administrator to do this option.
If enabled or disabled, this option will override and gray out Option One, Option Two, and Option Three.
The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
AllowCloudSearch DWORD
(delete) = Default
0 = Disable
1 = Always enable
1 Do step 2 (always enable), step 3 (disable), or step 4 (default) below for what you would like to do.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.
Always_enable_Cloud_Search_for_all_users.reg
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.
Disable_Cloud_Search_for_all_users.reg
Download
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.
Default_user_choice_Cloud_Search.reg
Download
5 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn
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