New changes to Windows 11 Start menu and search look genuinely exciting and thank the heavens that we'll be able to disable web results

Say what you want about Windows—I've certainly said my fair share—but recent months have shown at least that Microsoft is willing to make some positive changes. Now, at least some of these are coming to fruition, as the company is releasing an improved Windows start menu search box for Insiders.

The changes are ones that do look genuinely substantial for, well, probably anyone who regularly uses a Windows PC. They include:

• A calmer home screen
• Clearer results
• No promotional content in web results
• Choice over whether web and MS store suggestions appear
• Local results prioritised when they're a better match
• Tuning to which Windows settings appear highest in results
• Improvements to surfacing the correct files
• General reliability improvements (reduced issues/crashes)

Obviously, a lot of the proof will be in the eating of the pudding. The improvements to reliability and search surfacing the correct files, for instance, aren't something to gather from screenshots alone. But the screenshots that Microsoft does provide for some of the other changes are promising.

In particular, I like the simplified and cleaner menu when searching, showing only a list of recent searches. I also like the preview pane for files and the fact that file extensions aren't hidden.

Probably the best thing, though, is the ability to disable web and app store results. I can't remember the last time I wanted to search for something online via the Start menu. I can, however, remember the number of times I've been bombarded by web results when I only wanted to search locally. I'm sure many can relate. Previously, you couldn't disable this without messing with the registry.

At any rate, changes are most certainly afoot, and I'm excited for this Insider build to roll out in a standard release. It's these 'little' quality of life improvements that could make Windows enjoyable to use once again, if Microsoft keeps in this direction.

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Jacob got his hands on a gaming PC for the first time when he was about 12 years old. He swiftly realised the local PC repair store had ripped him off with his build and vowed never to let another soul build his rig again. With this vow, Jacob the hardware junkie was born. Since then, Jacob's led a double-life as part-hardware geek, part-philosophy nerd, first working as a Hardware Writer for PCGamesN in 2020, then working towards a PhD in Philosophy for a few years while freelancing on the side for sites such as TechRadar, Pocket-lint, and yours truly, PC Gamer. Eventually, he gave up the ruthless mercenary life to join the world's #1 PC Gaming site full-time. It's definitely not an ego thing, he assures us.