Last Updated on December 24, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake
Windows operating systems have always had a search feature but in more recent versions such as Windows 10, it has become a lot more prominent.
Going back to when most people were using Windows XP, the search box was mainly used to find pictures and other files. These days you can use the search box for a lot more, like typing in some of the names of Windows features and using it as a shortcut to opening them so you do not have to navigate around the place every time you go to do something. For example, no longer do you need to remember how to get to the Control Panel: now you can just search for it.
Cortana Search can find everything you are looking for (i.e. nothing is left out of Cortana search for you to locate elsewhere), but the most popular way to search for files and folders is still by using the other search field that is found after you’ve got the File Explorer window open. File Explorer’s search box does not come with the same features as Cortana Search, and subsequently, that can work in your favor when you are looking for a less cluttered experience.
While most people find the search boxes in Windows 10 useful and wish to continue to use them, one of the features that some feel they could do without is the search field saving the history of past searches. For instance, if you begin typing the letter “M,” all past searches that begin with the letter “M” will show up for people to see.
The idea of showing you the search history is to offer you a way to find what you want without having to type the full words out. But sometimes people do not want visible what the search history shows, especially if there are other people around the computer screen, and thus they might prefer disabling this feature.
Here’s what you need to disable the File Explorer search history when using a version of the Windows 10 operating system.
How to Enable/Disable Search History in Windows 10 File Explorer
You can enable and disable the Search History for File Explorer in Windows 10 in the Local Group Policy Editor. Here is how to do that:
Note: You need to be using either the Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Enterprise, or Windows 10 Education edition of the operating system to enable/disable Search History in File Explorer.
1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor app.
2. Using the keys in the Local Group Policy Editor’s left pane, click through to the following location:
3. User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer
4. With File Explorer selected, click on the right side of the same window on Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box.
5. From the Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box policy window, select either Not Configured (to enable Search History), Enabled (to disable Search History), or Disabled (to enable Search History), and then click on the OK button at the bottom of the window to save the changes.
In conclusion, that is how to enable and disable File Explorer’s Search History in Windows 10.