windows taskbar search

Question

So when i try to search for example cars into the windows search task bar it takes me to my search then bing quickly refreshes the page and i have to start the search all over again.

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

To help narrow down the issue:

1. Just to clarify, does this happen every time you search from the Windows taskbar search bar, or only with certain searches like "cars"?
2. Also, does it happen in both Edge and other browsers?
3. Have you tried restarting Windows Explorer from Task Manager?

If possible, sharing a screen recording using Snipping Tool or Xbox Game Bar would greatly help in diagnosing the problem. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you with that: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/learning-center/how-to-record-screen-windows-11

Please save the video on OneDrive or any other available cloud service. Then get the share link of the uploaded file and share the link here so I can take a look and provide further assistance.

That will help us see if it’s a browser issue, Windows Search issue, or something related to Bing Search integration.

---

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Answer 2

Windows Search on the taskbar uses Bing for web results, so typing a query like “cars” opens a Bing results page in the default browser. The behavior described (page loading, then quickly refreshing and losing the query) is not standard Windows Search behavior and is likely caused by the browser or Bing page itself, not by the taskbar search feature.

To keep using Windows Search reliably while troubleshooting the browser issue, use these approaches:

1. Use Windows Search for local results only
   • In the search box on the taskbar, type the query.
   • In the results pane, select a category such as Apps, Documents, Settings, or Folders instead of Search the web. This keeps the search inside Windows and avoids the browser refresh issue.
2. Use Start menu search
   • Press the Windows key or select Start.
   • Start typing directly (for example, “cars”).
   • Use the results under Best match, Apps, Documents, or Settings instead of choosing the web search option.
3. Check Windows Search and privacy settings
   • In Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions.
   • Under SafeSearch, choose Strict, Moderate, or Off as desired. This controls how Bing content is shown in previews but does not require the page to reload.
4. Use File Explorer search for files
   • Open File Explorer.
   • Use the search box in the upper-right corner to search within the current folder and its subfolders. This avoids the browser entirely and is useful if the goal is to find files rather than web content.

If the browser continues to reload or clear the query on Bing pages, the issue needs to be addressed in the browser (for example, extensions or settings) rather than in Windows Search itself.

---

References:

• Search for anything, anywhere
• Find what you need with Microsoft Search
• Windows Search and privacy
• Fix problems in Windows Search