Windows 11 File Explorer no longer remembers search history; how to reenable?

Are you referring to the search drop down list in Explorer like this?

I had to fire up Windows 11 21H2 build from two years ago to get this screenshot.

AFAIK, when Microsoft changed the Explorer search behavior to display results as you type, the history feature was removed. That happened a long time ago, but maybe you received that change more recently.

Just found this thread after losing this ability, as well. Funny thing is it was working fine up until the other day when my job set up my new PC. This is so ridiculous that they would remove such a feature. Half of my job is searching through files so this is going to make my life miserable. Microsoft, you need to STOP ignoring all these users and bring back the feature!

Please Microsoft, let us go back to a good feature that you once innovated. Why do you spend all your time and money on making new emojis that no one asked for that are also worse? Just give us the intuitive search history back that earlier and much more skilled Microsoft employees developed. It literally feels like we would all be better off if you had a strike and stopped programming. If it's not broken, THEN DON'T FIX IT!!! Well, now it IS broken so just click restore earlier version.

It was believed that the even numbered Windows releases were inferior to the odd numbered ones - until Microsoft skipped a number and released Windows 10. It seems to me that the sequence is now reversed with the odd numbers denoting what are basically alpha test operating systems and maybe the best we can hope is that this is fixed in Windows 12. Therefore I will now refer to this release of the OS as "Windows llemon"

Trying to see some logic behind Microsoft actions... there has been a move to the cloud and the contents of a folder tree could change at any time as some other user makes a change or a file change syncs. Therefore there is no reason to cache search results. So perhaps the thinking is that the search history is now pointless... though that would be very wrong as it is still would be great use to the users.

I would also like to find documentation stating Microsoft intentionally did not include file explorer search history in Windows 11.

Changing the default for displaying recent search entries to off is somewhat understandable.

Removing the option and not allowing user control of that feature is not understandable.

I found a YouTube video 'How to Disable File Explorer Search History in Windows 11' thinking if you can disable it, surely you can enable it. Following the video, I used gpedit.msc to get to the File Explorer, Windows Components settings for 'Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box'. Available options are: Not Configured, Enabled, Disabled.

My setting was "Not Configured".

Setting to 'Disabled' did not resolve the problem.

Setting to 'Enabled' then 'Disabled' (again) did not resolve the problem.

Note: The settings window shows "Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7".