ClassicSearch

Microsoft has been taking some rather...unpopular decisions lately. From the design choices of Windows 11, which some consider wholly unnecessary and no more than a refresh that favors form over function, to some updates making your machine perform worse, it's been a rocky few years in the OS department at Microsoft.

Regarding the updates for Windows 10 and 11, such a change some users may or may not have noticed is related to the way File Explorer's search works. Due to modifying how the UI is rendered, searching has become sluggish even on high-end systems. Classic Search can fix that for you.

Aside from just how the UI is rendered for the new File Explorer search, additional problems arose. Among other things, these issues pertain to poorer scaling, and the change also meant that advanced search filters cannot be used. This lightweight, Command Prompt-based utility can fix all of that for you in a jiffy.

To go back to the normal, more responsive search, simply launch the Install.cmd file, and the tool will make quick work of this issue. It's worth noting that the height of the address bar will be modified: the whole area will be lowered a little, and look a bit more condensed, but it'll be much more functional in the end.

As you may have noticed, the program doesn't just come with the Install.cmd file. If you're committed to modifying the File Explorer search this way, you can run that and not worry about the other files. If you're not a fan of the "old" search, you can go back anytime by interacting with the DisableModernSearch.cmd file — here, you can choose between disabling it just for the current user, or for all users on the computer.

ClassicSearch provides a fix that is very easy to execute by anyone, and users who wish to receive better search results when looking something up on their File Explorer need to look no further.