Microsoft Tries Once Again to Fix Windows 10's Search Tool
Umpteenth time's the charm?
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more. Microsoft released an update to the Windows 10 November 2019 Update (1909) this week in an effort to fix long-standing issues with the search utility in the Control Panel and File Explorer.
You probably guessed from the Shakespeare verse that this wasn't the first time Microsoft's tried to address issues with Windows 10's search tool. It isn't. The company released similar updates throughout 2019 in a vain attempt to fix various issues with a core part of the operating system (OS). It was only partly successful.
Perhaps the most vexing of those problems was the inability to right-click in search results. Microsoft said it fixed that issue with the KB4532695 update released yesterday. The company also said it made the following changes in this release:
- Updates an issue that causes a grey box to appear when you search within Control Panel and File Explorer.
- Updates an issue that prevents File Explorer's Search Bar from pasting clipboard content using the right mouse button (right-click).
- Updates an issue that prevents File Explorer's Search Bar from receiving user input.
Not all of the changes in the KB4532695 update are related to search. Microsoft said it made Windows Hello face authentication more accurate, fixed an issue with USB-C drives and stopped Windows 10 from causing "multiplayer PC games to drop the invitation to play the game in multiplayer mode," among other things.
In addition to the Windows 10 November 2019 Update, the KB4532695 update is available for systems running the Windows 10 May 2019 Update because they "share a common core OS and an identical set of system files," according to Microsoft. Many of the fixes in this update apply to both versions of the OS.
As is common, we are seeing reports of issues potentially stemming from the update on Microsoft's forum.
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Nathaniel Mott is a freelance news and features writer for Tom's Hardware US, covering breaking news, security, and the silliest aspects of the tech industry.
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USAFRet Reply
wrong threadPat Flynn said:CPU made in China? Probably loaded with more back doors than a porn convention. -
Giroro I can't wait for this "fix" to start funneling all my local searches through slow ad-filled Bing web searches, again.Reply
Because when I type "run" into the Windows search bar, the first thing I want to see is Nike shoes. -
jamesbchz She's gonna need to do more than cross her fingers if she's hoping for File Explorer search to work on that Mac she's got there.Reply -
gaaah I'm a retired programmer that has used versions of Windows since 2.1. I never remember the File Manager or Windows Explorer search function working as expected even once. I always have to revert to the command line and DIR or FIND.Reply -
spongiemaster Reply
No, it wasn't. He was posting his Windows search results for "printer not detecting."USAFRet said:wrong thread -
USAFRet Reply
?spongiemaster said:No, it wasn't. He was posting his Windows search results for "printer not detecting." -
spongiemaster Reply
Pat Flynn didn't post in the wrong thread, he was posting his broken windows searching results.USAFRet said:? -
USAFRet Reply
Not sure how you gleaned that out of his comment, but whatever...spongiemaster said:Pat Flynn didn't post in the wrong thread, he was posting his broken windows searching results.