Improved Windows Search arrives... but only for Copilot+ PCs
- Reference: 1737415814
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/01/20/microsoft_unveils_windows_search_improvements/
- Source link:
The tweaks arrived in [1]build 26120.2992 , and Microsoft said the changes are "coming soon" for AMD and Intel-based Copilot+ PCs.
Windows Search has been the punchline to many a Windows joke over the years. The service is intended to provide an easy way of finding content on a local machine, and has previously been mocked for being slow and unreliable. It was blamed for various failures, from [2]causing high CPU usage and toppling over when bits of [3]infrastructure had issues , to tripping up other applications, [4]such as Outlook .
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Microsoft is making improvements in the latest Dev Channel release – although only for Copilot+ PCs – and is "introducing semantic indexing along with traditional indexing." This means typing some natural phrases into the Windows search box on the taskbar or searching in File Explorer, which will produce a list of documents that include items close to or related to the search terms.
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For example, if a user were to search for "pasta," images of lasagna might turn up in the results if they are on the user's local device.
[8]How Windows got to version 3 – an illustrated history
[9]Windows Insiders can now turn on Administrator Protection from settings
[10]Parallels brings back the magic that was waiting seven minutes for Windows to boot
[11]PowerToys bring fun tweaks to Windows 10 and 11
The word "local" is important – the semantic indexing only works with what is stored locally on the user's PC. It is also only in specific locations and for particular file types, which the user controls. Microsoft was at pains to point out that no data gathered during the indexing is sent to the company or used to train AI models.
Microsoft said: "In a future flight, we will support searching for documents and photos stored in cloud storage providers such as OneDrive." For now, however, the experience will be local, requiring a Copilot+ PC, although not a connection to the internet.
Users on non-Copilot+ PCs are unlikely to see the improvements, which Microsoft attributed to "the power of the 40+ TOPS NPU onboard Copilot+ PCs."
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However, Windows Insiders without Copilot+ PCs will receive a swathe of fixes, including several File Explorer tweaks and an update to Task Manager to deal with a scenario where the application misidentifies an HDD as an SSD. ®
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[1] https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2025/01/17/previewing-improved-windows-search-on-copilot-pcs-with-windows-insiders-in-the-dev-channel/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2019/09/11/windows_cpu_cortana/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/05/windows_10_binged/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/11/outlook_search/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z48p-grroCZoV3csRxcxMwAAAJA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z48p-grroCZoV3csRxcxMwAAAJA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z48p-grroCZoV3csRxcxMwAAAJA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/18/how_windows_got_to_v3/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/18/windows_insider_administrator_protection/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/16/parallels_x86_vms_on_apple_silicon/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/12/latest_powertoys_bring_run_fun/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z48p-grroCZoV3csRxcxMwAAAJA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: What is an NPU?
NPU is a 'neural processing unit' which is a fancy way of something that can run an LLM to make up shit you don't need or want. MS is very jealous of Apple having them in all their M chips, under the name 'Neural Engine'.
(There actually are decent uses for one, like Apple uses it extensively for photos... but MS is too dumbass to ever do anything useful with one, can only do annoying).
There is no improved Windows Search
Windows Search has completely cratered in usefulness since Windows XP. And Windows Search service is an all devouring hellbeast that will constantly abuse your CPU and disk even when it doesn't need to, will fill your boot drive with useless crap, and is in every way inferior to just using a decent file manager like XYPlorer to search for things when you actually need them. I can't see how adding LLM to that would possibly make it better.
Look, I get the idea, it's great in concept - Windows Search will index your files only when they change and will only index what it needs to. Then when you want to find something it instantly finds it in the index.
In practice, because MS are complete f@$ing incompetents who don't give a f@#$ about anything actually working, it frequently spazzes out and re-indexes everything even though nothing changed. If you are doing anything with frequently changing files, like, oh, compiling things, it does not understand that at all and there's a good chance it will just balloon a hidden directory on your boot drive with all the indexes of .o files that no longer exist. It constantly burns CPU and through your SSD.
It's much saner to just turn off the Windows Search service entirely. Services -> Services (Local) -> Windows Search -> Disable / Stop. However, since MS are evil f@#$heads it will keep turning itself back on with major updates, assuming you must have made a mistake turning it off. Anyone have a gpedit for this that actually works?
Re: There is no improved Windows Search
Windows Search, if I search for a file named "report-july.docx": "gee I can't find anything on your system but look, even though you didn't ask, here's a Bing result for report-july.docx and here's shopping results for report-july.docx and here's a weather forecast for July... and hey, why don't you switch to Edge and sign up for OneDrive as well, they're really great! ...wait, why did you just put your fist straight through your screen?"
Command prompt, dir /s report-july.docx : 07/26/2024 12:50 PM 9,468,975 report-july.docx (after a negligible delay)
So, yeah. I completely agree.
(The icon is for Windows Search btw, not for your comment)
if a user were to search for "pasta," images of lasagna might turn up
Wow, another killer feature. For all the big lasagna fans out there, desperate to look at images of lasagna, but frustrated that there was no way to find them before. All your layered pasta desires fulfilled! Soon you'll be gazing longingly at lasagna, and praising the wonders of our new miraculous AI powered lasagna finding world.
Re: if a user were to search for "pasta," images of lasagna might turn up
"Windows for [1]Penne Computing "?
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_for_Pen_Computing
What is an NPU?
This is most odd. There are freely available Windows programs that provide great search functionality, lightweight, and don't need an NPU whatever that is. It's not brain surgery.