Windows 11 Notes

Table of Contents

Disable web search from Start menu

The Start menu in Windows 11 will attempt to search the web before any local results. If it thinks it has access to the internet but only has LAN, entering a search causes it to hang for a while.

Source (user: Limitless Technology): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/782951/how-do-you-disable-the-search-box-from-showing-web

  1. Press Windows Key + R to launch Run
  2. Type regedit
  3. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
  4. Right-click the Windows key and select New > Key
  5. Name it Explorer
  6. Right-click the newly created Explorer key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
  7. Name the DWORD DisableSearchBoxSuggestions
  8. Double-click the newly created DWORD and set the value from 0 to 1. Click OK and restart (required)

If you want to change it back and add web results again, go back and change the DWORD value for DisableSearchBoxSuggestions to 0 or delete the keys you created originally.

Restore old context menu

No more clicking “Show more options”. Enough said.

  1. Press Windows Key + R to launch Run
  2. Type regedit
  3. Navigate to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID
  4. Right-click > New > Key
  5. Enter {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}
  6. Right-click > New > Key
  7. Enter InprocServer32
  8. Select InprocServer32 and then double-click (Default) in the right pane
  9. Leave Value data blank > OK
  10. Restart Explorer.exe by right-clicking it from the Task Manager or restart PC

Format a USB drive with diskpart in Command Prompt

Run Command Prompt as Administrator

Delete and initialize to store files:

diskpart
list disk
select disk <1|2|3...>
clean
# Convert to gpt
#  - gpt (recommended for modern systems, NVMe drives, and UEFI)
#  - mbr (only for older BIOS-based systems or drives <2TB | pre-UEFI, pre-2012)

# Initialize for regular use
create partition primary
format fs=ntfs quick OR format fs=ntfs quick label="DataDrive"
assign letter=<E|F|G...>
exit

Delete only:

diskpart
list disk
select disk <1|2|3...>
# Use `list disk` again to check the asterisk on the left-most column for confirmation
clean
exit

PowerShell Hash (SHA256)

This ensures a long hash won’t be cut off.

Open PowerShell

(Get-FileHash "<PATH_TO_FILE>" -Algorithm SHA256).Hash