This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
I frequently use File Explorer to search for local files. Until recently, it would remember my past file searches, but beginning two days ago, without warning, File Explorer no longer remembers those searches; the search bar is empty. How do I reenable it?
I've confirmed that search and file history is enabled in Privacy settings. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Windows 11 Home 10.0.22621 Build 22621
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
YES! I don't understand why they messed with that feature. At least leave it as a toggle option for those of us who found it so viable to our daily work and productivity! Come on, Microsoft. The issue has been brought to your attention long enough ago - Fix it.
It's encouraging to see more people are still replying to this thread and voicing their dissatisfaction with the removal of this feature. Keep it up, guys. Let's make this thread go viral lol. It's bad enough that Microsoft basically has a monopoly and now forces updates on their operating system that in many cases cause more problems than they solve. Microsoft needs to be held accountable and have a channel where they actually respond to customers about issues and work with them to resolve them, rather than giving ****responses and then going completely silent.
Yes, exactly, we want that feature back! I use a lot of files constantly and search a lot. Its a dealbreaker for me.
This is a resounding cry from a production point of view.
Bring the feature back.
Glad my next PC purchase will be non microsoft.
Bad decisions from developers.
Yes, exactly, we want that feature back! I use a lot of files constantly and search a lot. Its a dealbreaker for me. Maybe its a technical limitation or something, but I dont think so. It sounds very simple
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(281.6, 34%, 37%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ELF%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
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.
