What is Windows 10 Broadcast Search and Do You Need to Enable it?

Searching for programs, files and websites in Windows 10 is quite distracting. Maybe I’m a little picky. Looking at the bottom left corner of the screen always tends to change my focus. That’s when I learned about Deep Search and how it can help solve this problem.

Intensive Search is a hidden feature available in Windows 10 since the April 2018 Spring Creators Update. And like many other hidden features it is easy to miss. Let’s take a quick look at what it is, whether it’s worth using and how you should enable it.

What is Comprehensive Search?

Every time you click the Search box on the taskbar (or type in the Start menu), you will see a popup in the lower left corner of the screen. This window provides convenient shortcuts to the applications you use the most, and you can query queries for an application, document, folder, etc. It offers easy filtering.

But dealing with it changes your focus and can be annoying when you’re in the middle of work and want to quickly open a file or program.

Comprehensive Search aims to fix that. Activate the function and the same popup will open in the middle of the screen by default. This is hugely helpful when it comes to searching for something on the go.

Instead of clicking on the search bar or opening the Start menu, you can also use the Windows Key + S shortcut to immediately bring up the Extensive Search. This makes the functionality even better in real use.

Aesthetically, there is very little difference other than a few things. The search bar is now placed at the top of the window instead of at the bottom. And the whole pane has rounded corners, but you can compose them normally if you want.

So, whether you’re aiming to improve your workflow or what Extensive Search looks like, here are the full steps needed to enable the functionality.

Enable Extensive Search

Surprisingly, Windows 10 does not offer a direct way to enable Extensive Search. This is surprising considering how long this useful feature has been around.

However, you can easily enable the feature manually by creating a few registry entries. Don’t worry — you don’t have to worry as long as you follow the steps below perfectly.

Note:

Stage 1: Press the Windows Key+R shortcut to open the Run box. Next, type regedit Click the Open field and then OK to open the Registry Editor.

Step 2: Create a backup of the system registry. We are not doing anything difficult. However, if you accidentally delete an important registry entry, it’s always a good idea to have a backup.

Click File and then Export to create a backup. All you have to do is specify a location to save the backup. After that, proceed to the next step.

Stage 3: Copy and paste the following file path into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window, and then press Enter:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search 

Step 4: Click the folder labeled Search in the left navigation pane. Next, right-click an empty space on the right side of the Registry Editor window, point to New, and then select DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 5: Name the newly created registry entry as: Comprehensive Search.

Step 6: Double click the ImmersiveSearch registry entry, enter a value one Enter it in the Value Data field, and then click OK.

Step 7: Right-click on the folder labeled Flighting in the left-hand navigation pane. Hover over New, then click Key.

Step 8: Name the newly created folder like this: overrideand then press Enter.

Step 9: On the right side of the Registry Editor window, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it like this: ImmersiveSearchFull.

Step 10: Double-click the ImmersiveSearchFull registry value. Sting one Enter it in the Value Data field, and then click OK.

Step 11: Create another DWORD (32-bit) Value key and then name it like this: CenterScreenRound CornerRadius.

Next, double-click the CenterScreenRoundedCornerRadius registry value. Enter a value 9 Enter it in the Value Data field, and then click OK.

Note:

Step 1/2: Open the File menu and then click Exit to close Registry Editor.

Click the search bar (it will now appear as an icon), or Windows+S Shortcut and after that you should see the Extensive Search window appear in the middle of the screen.

Note:

Enable Comprehensive Search Bar

For those of you who find the Extensive Search window a bit too large, here’s a great tip – you can just have a floating search bar appear instead.

Once you start typing on it, it will expand into the full Comprehensive Search box. But it still provides a nice touch.

All you have to do is change one of the registry values ​​you created earlier to reduce the Extensive Search to a simple search bar. Start by opening the Registry Editor, copy the following path into the address bar and then press Enter:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search\Flighting\Override 

Open the registry key labeled ImmersiveSearchFull, enter a value 0and click OK. Next, exit the Registry Editor window.

Open Extensive Search and you will see the change reflected immediately.

Immersed, Still Focused

Extensive Search is one of the most helpful additions to Windows 10 and I really hope it becomes the standard going forward. Not only is it a blast to use, it’s also terrific to look at.

Only me. What do you think about this functionality? Do you intend to keep it active? The comments section is just below.

Next: Tired of Windows 10’s Night Light function due to its various limitations and issues? Switch to one of these three great alternatives instead.