Microsoft promises smarter, faster search with AI in Windows 11, but don't hold your breath

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Something to look forward to: Microsoft introduced a proper search feature in its PC operating systems with Windows Vista. Despite undergoing several iterations over the years, Windows search functionality still lacks the basic ability to provide consistent, reliable results when searching for files, applications, or settings. Is this finally going to change?

Windows Search has long been one of the least enticing features of modern Windows systems, and this has remained true for a very long time. Microsoft recently vowed to improve local search through the power of AI, claiming that AI will revolutionize search engines, web browsers, and nearly everything else in the coming years.

The company has started to showcase how AI will enhance search, and unpaid Windows beta testers can now get a sneak peek at these improvements by installing the latest Insider Preview Build of Windows 11.

Microsoft recently released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2992 (KB5050083) to the Dev Channel. One of the most notable changes introduced in this build is the improved Windows Search experience, which requires the 40+ TOPS NPU inside a Copilot+ PC system to perform its AI magic.

According to Microsoft, finding documents, photos, or even system settings in Windows 11 will become significantly easier. The new OS build adds a "semantic indexing" layer on top of the traditional indexing feature, enabling users to perform search tasks in a conversational, prompt-like manner.

Instead of searching for specific file names or exact keywords, users can now describe what they're looking for in their own words – such as "bridge at sunset" for photos – or even instruct the Settings app to perform tasks like changing the GUI theme.

Currently, the AI-enhanced search is limited to local search, though Microsoft has plans to extend the feature to cloud storage and OneDrive. The feature will be gradually rolled out to Copilot+ PCs based on Snapdragon SoCs, with support for AMD and Intel-based systems planned for a later date.

The new search supports a limited selection of widely used languages, including Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Similarly, the number of supported file formats is currently restricted to popular document and image types, such as: .txt, .pdf, .docx, .doc, .rtf, .pptx, .ppt, .xls, .xlsx, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, and .bmp.

Users can customize Windows Search indexing settings through the Privacy & Security page in the Windows Settings app. There's even an "Enhanced" option to index the entire PC, though I've always advised against enabling system-wide indexing throughout my career in PC support.

If you are looking for a powerful, fast, and reliable search solution and don't want to use AI, third-party tools like Everything effectively solved the "search problem" on Windows many years ago for me.

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Microsoft promises smarter, faster search with AI in Windows 11, but don't hold your breath

 

[wiyosaya]

IMO, Microsoft has been making their search(s) progressively worse over at least the last 20-years. It would not surprise me if instead of making their search better, this also makes it worse. It would be unlike Microsoft to actually improve anything that they say they want to improve.

 

[llamapanda]

Never mind AI, just fix the abysmal performance of standard file searches in Explorer. Brute force searching on an SSD shouldn't be taking multiple minutes to find files even with wildcards any more than I should be waiting any time at all for Explorer windows to refresh or context menus to appear. Stop adding new features and make the existing ones fit for purpose.

 

[winjer]

I just want Ms to make it faster to remove.

 

[SiJiL]

Just remove searching the web from the start menu... why would anyone ever want that?? We want to see our programs to find the one we want to open, and maybe some people want to search for their documents from the start search. But it just can't do either of those 2 basic things properly!

 

[yRaz]

Just remove searching the web from the start menu... why would anyone ever want that?? We want to see our programs to find the one we want to open, and maybe some people want to search for their documents from the start search. But it just can't do either of those 2 basic things properly!

Data collection and to sell those top stops in your start menu to advertisers

 

[Win7user]

I turned Windows search off when I was using Windows 7 Pro, and now on my Windows 11 Pro machine also. I've been using "Everything" for years now. Works, very well...

 

[brucek]

Despite the title of "local search", my bet is the actual final deployed product will encourage you to use OneDrive "for best results"; will require a (well-buried) agreement that MS can backhaul your file metadata and contents, and use them to the improve the AI (generally, not just your search); and in the end will still slow the performance of the local device at every stage including indexing, searching, and simply opening Explorer windows.

 

[Mr Majestyk]

My custom install removes all copilot BS, Edge, telemetry and a dozens of other utterly useless bloatware apps/services.

It's bad enough seeing this sh!t forced on Office 365 users and seeing prices rise 40%.

 

[LimyG]

Oh God help us. Whenever MS introduces something new, especially if they say its revolutionary, the way of the future etc...

Blue screens occur. Only that if lucky.

 

[KingKappa]

My custom install removes all copilot BS, Edge, telemetry and a dozens of other utterly useless bloatware apps/services.

It's bad enough seeing this sh!t forced on Office 365 users and seeing prices rise 40%.

You can go to subscriptions, cancel and then pick O365 Classic for 30 bucks cheaper without the Copilot stuff.

 

[zulu53]

A big sigh as you have done. All users have wanted since day 1 of Microsoft Search: Boolean search criteria and indexing at the read speed of HDDs. Its not rocket science" pretty much every web search engine from the days of AltaVista does it. But head in the sand Microsoft wants to reinvent the wheel. Microsoft's programmers intelligence is truly artificial: just like the plastic daisy in the "new" VW Beetle of the 1997.

 

[lazer]

Never use any windows products if I can help it. especially browsers and search.
Micro$lop is expert at harvesting info about you and using it to market to you new crap.

 

[Win7user]

My custom install removes all copilot BS, Edge, telemetry and a dozens of other utterly useless bloatware apps/services.

It's bad enough seeing this sh!t forced on Office 365 users and seeing prices rise 40%.

I did the same...

 

[LimyG]

A big sigh as you have done. All users have wanted since day 1 of Microsoft Search: Boolean search criteria and indexing at the read speed of HDDs. Its not rocket science" pretty much every web search engine from the days of AltaVista does it. But head in the sand Microsoft wants to reinvent the wheel. Microsoft's programmers intelligence is truly artificial: just like the plastic daisy in the "new" VW Beetle of the 1997.

LOL, I liked,

Microsoft's programmers intelligence is truly artificial: just like the plastic daisy in the "new" VW Beetle of the 1997.

A shame is pretty much true!

 

[LimyG]

I did the same...

Add me, too.

 

[Win7user]

I've been using "Everything", (a stand alone, free software search program) for years. It works, flawlessly.

 

[LimyG]

I've been using "Everything", (a stand alone, free software search program) for years. It works, flawlessly.

Thanks. "Everything" Haven't checked it out yet but probably will.
Sounds good.

Does it also update windows itself?

 

[Win7user]

Thanks. "Everything" Haven't checked it out yet but probably will.
Sounds good.

Does it also update windows itself?

"Everything", just searches all the "drives" in your machine, and external hard drivers as well. It takes the place of Windows search, which has always been horrible in my opinion.

 

[LimyG]

Got it. Yeah, windows search sucks. Totally disabled on my machine.