39. Disable/Enable Windows 7 Search

At the bottom of the Windows Start Menu, the Windows Explorer window, Control Panel as well as Libraries you will find a Windows Search box.

Some users find the Search boxes useful, whereas others do not. While they are useful they do have a tendency to take up rather a lot of real estate.

If you don't use the Search facility then, clearly, it is far better to remove the option altogether. This can be done in the following manner:

Click the Start button.
On the Right of the Start Menu, click the Control Panel option.
In Control Panel, click the Program And Features Icon.
On the Left Hand pane of the Programs And Features window, Click the Turn windows features on or off option.

Fig: 39-1 Select Windows Search from the Turn windows features On or Off window
Scroll down the list of options until you see Windows Search.
To Disable this function Remove the Check Mark (Tick) from the box to the left of the Windows Search option and then press OK.
A Warning message will now appear.

Fig: 39-2 Click the Yes button to change the setting
Click Yes to Continue.
Another message box will now appear indicating that Windows is making changes to features.

Fig: 39-3 The progress bar will indicate that the Search option is being changed
Click the Restart button to re-start your computer

Fig: 39-4 Click the Restart Now button to restart your PC
After the computer has been re-started, if you click on the Start button or open Windows Explorer or Control Panel you will see that the Search box has disappeared.

Fig: 39-5 If you now check your Start menu you should find that the Search box has disappeared

To Re-enable the Search box, follow steps 1 to 6.
At step 7 place a Check mark in the box to the left of the Search option and press OK.
Follow the remaining steps and then Re-start you computer.
After Re-starting your computer the search box will re-appear.