If you’re seeing a blank box when searching for a file or running a web search in Windows 10, don’t panic — you’re not alone. According to multiple reports on Reddit and from across the internet, Windows Search is down for many users around the globe, but you can partially fix it with a technical workaround.
This issue appears to be linked to a problem with the Windows Search integration with Microsoft’s Bing search engine, as noted by Windows Central. Microsoft hasn’t officially acknowledged this yet, but mentioned other latency concerns with Microsoft 365 services and confirmed it is investigating.
Not every Windows 10 user is experiencing the problem, but as a partial fix and workaround, those experiencing troubles can disable the Bing integration in Windows 10 while waiting for an official Microsoft fix. Digital Trends was able to verify this process and use it to restore local non-web searches with the search box in Windows 10.
This process involves tweaking with the registry editor, so backing up the registry and your PC with a system restore point might be a good idea before making any changes. It also will remove the web search integrations from your PC, so be sure to make a backup to have on hand once Microsoft officially resolves the issue.
To get started with the partial fix open the registry editor in Windows 10. You can then navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER on the sidebar. Once there, you can then, double click Software, scroll down and click to Microsoft, Windows, Current Version, and Search. Then click in a blank space in the right pane and choose New followed by D-Word (32-bit) Value.
To end, type BingSearchEnabled and hit enter on your keyboard. Continue by double-clicking CortanaConsent and clicking OK. You can then restart your PC, and resume using Windows Search to find your files, programs, and settings.
This sort of issue is rare in nature, but Microsoft has had its fair share of problems as of late. On Monday, February 3, the company’s Microsoft Teams collaboration service (and a competitor to Slack) was offline for many users for several hours. That problem was due to an expired certificate, and was resolved by Microsoft within two hours of users reporting issues.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.