Earlier we saw how to clear the search MRU entries in Windows 7. Are you one of those who find the Search Box suggestion pop-ups annoying, and don’t require this feature? Here is a registry edit which disables the search box suggestions in Windows Explorer.

1. Click Start, type Regedit.exe and press ENTER
2. Navigate to the following branch:
Note: The above key may not exist by default, and you may need to create the above branch manually.
3. Create a DWORD value named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions
4. Double-click DisableSearchBoxSuggestions and set its data as 1
5. Exit the Registry Editor.
This setting disables suggesting recent queries for the Search Box and prevents entries into the Search Box from being stored in the registry for future references.
Registry Fix
To automate the above download w7-disable-search-suggest.zip, unzip and run the enclosed REG file. To reverse the changes run the file undo.reg
Using the Group Policy Editor
This is only for Windows 7 editions that include the Group Policy Editor.
1. Launch the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
2. Navigate to the following branch:
3. Set Turn off display of recent search entries in the Windows Explorer search box to Enabled
4. Exit the Group Policy Editor.
Note: If you enable this policy, Windows Explorer will not show suggestion pop-ups as users type into the Search Box, and it will not store Search Box entries into the registry for future references. If the user types a property, values that match this property will be shown but no data will be saved in the registry or re-shown on subsequent uses of the search box.
Bookmark this Page!
BlinkList | del.icio.us | Digg it | Furl | reddit | Spurl | StumbleUpon |
Related Posts
- How to Remove the “Download Windows Search” Prompt in Internet Explorer 8 Address Bar
- How to Disable Internet Explorer 8 Welcome Screen (Tour and RunOnce) for All Users
- Add Google Search Option to the Right-Click Menu in Internet Explorer
- Microsoft Support Knowledge Base Search Using Windows 7 Search Connector
- Creating Search Federation Providers (Connectors) in Windows 7
- Add a Custom Instant Search Internet Search Provider to the Vista Start Menu
- Internet Explorer 8 Final Is Released to the Web
- How to Clear File Search MRU History in Windows 7
- Search Results
- Fix Windows XP Search Companion Displaying a Blank Window
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed! We feature Tips, Troubleshooting information, Scripts and Utilities for Microsoft Windows Operating Systems!
Prefer an E-mail subscription?

› 
when you do not want your wife to know what kind of videos you have search in your harddrive
I want remove explorer, messenger, media player and that freaking search bar from everywhere!
Thanks, Ramesh. But please tell me: Why would somebody want to disable Explorer Search Box suggestions in Windows 7