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

I think you are 100% correct. This thinking is perfectly in line with how they do not even inform new windows users of which libraries in their file explorer are automatically linked to Onedrive when they first open their computer. I remember hours of frustration trying to figure out how I could possibly have my computer hard drive not be affected by changes to files online and also -and I know this is a radical hot take- to have my hard drive on my computer and not accessible by anyone or anything else anywhere. Never even got close to figuring out how to do it, I just never used the main libraries of my file explorer system.

This is like all the push by the government to a cashless society, criminalization of cash etc. Sure, the world will eventually get there. But it ain't there yet. The fact that they might be making things a modicum more convenient, is still not worth my every single transaction being accessible to big government.

Deprecate search on my device because you want it all in the cloud, HA! never gonna happen, MS

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 only recently started following this (and the Taskbar) 'downgrades' threads of Win/11 because I was forced by my company to move from Win/10 to Win/11.

I didn't realize how old Win/11 is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_11 and then read this from the article: "...but was criticized for various modifications to aspects of its user interface that were seen as worse than its predecessor;"

So Win/11 is approaching its terrible twos and I'm guessing is unlikely to see any remediation.

I have the same issue/bug. I attempted all of the possible solutions offered by Microsoft Support and nothing worked. This really shouldn't be so hard to fix and even if it is somehow extremely hard to fix this bug, it should be prioritized, not ignored for several months with no signs of progress or updates. It is even more inexcusable when you consider the fact that for ages, we were given the ability to see and use our search history in File Explorer then it was suddenly taken away from us with Windows 11 which was supposed to be a superior product, not inferior. I have subscribed to this feed and look forward to hearing some news that our seven screens worth of feedback are not being ignored and that a solution is on its way.

Microsoft - when will this be fixed?

This issue , like many, has been hanging around for ages, with seemingly no attempt to fix.