Search

As with its predecessors, Windows 11 offers an integrated Search feature that's accessible from the Taskbar or the Start menu. Search helps you find apps and documents on your PC, as you might expect, but it also searches the web and can find other types of files on your PC. There is also a search feature built into File Explorer so that you can easily find documents and other files.
Get to know Search
By default, Windows 11 displays a prominent Search box on the Taskbar.

But this can be configured to display as a more normally sized Search icon or a Search icon with a label. You can also hide the Search icon/box altogether if you'd like.

To configure how Search appears in the Taskbar, right-click an empty area of the Taskbar and choose "Taskbar settings" from the context menu that appears. In the Settings window that appears, select the option you prefer.

In this book, we typically display Search in the Taskbar as an icon because it takes up the least space and looks the most natural.
To initiate Search, select the Search box/icon in the Taskbar.
Microsoft really wants you to use Search because its built-in web integration requires you to use Microsoft Edge (no matter which web browser you chose as the default), Bing, and MSN, and you thus be exposed to Microsoft's web advertising services.

Here are a few other ways to access Search:

Open Start and select the Search field at the top of the window

Tap WINKEY and just start typing your search query.

Type WINKEY + S (or, oddly, WINKEY + Q).

Search provides the following interfaces:

Search bar. This control is auto-selected when Search opens so that you can simply start typing to initiate a new search query.

Recent. On the left, you will see a columnar list of your most recently-accessed apps.
You can remove any item from the Recent list. Just mouse-over it and select the small "Remove" ("x") button that appears to its right.
Search highlights. The largest area of Search is taken up by a new feature called Search highlights that exists solely to distract the user into clicking on one of its links so you can---wait for it---launch Microsoft Edge (even if you chose a different default web browser) and access Microsoft websites like Bing or MSN that are monetized using Microsoft's advertising services.
Search highlights is a problem, but you can at least disable it. We explain how later in this chapter.
As you begin typing---remember, you came here to find something specific---Search switches to a query results view, which provides a column on the left with search results segregated by types---like apps, settings, the web, and more--and a right column that displays details about whatever item is selected on the left.

There is also a Bing chatbot icon and a set of filters on the top so that you can apply the search phrase you're typing to a conversation with the Bing chatbot on the web or, more likely, display results in the Sea...