Windows 10 is a Microsoft product, so by default, any desktop search is set to run through Bing, sending everything through Microsoft on the way. Fortunately, this is one of the Windows bindings that is easy to cut, so you can cut Microsoft out of your desktop or local device searches.
Open the Start Menu and type ‘Cortana & Search settings’ into the search box. Even Bing should be able to find that.
The ‘Cortana & Search settings’ dialog will open. To disable the Bing integration, you also have to disable Cortana – you either have to have all Redmond’s toys or none of them. Easy – set the Cortana switch to Off.
This refreshes the rest of the dialog box to open up the other settings. Disable the option for ‘Search online and include web results’, this really means disable Bing from the Start Menu. This means that desktop searches only search your own PC and connected devices. The search prompt now says ‘Search my stuff’ in place of ‘Search the web’. AJS
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