Disable Windows Search for Microsoft Family

[brwchanpo]

Hello,

I've added my child's computer to our family safety settings and blocked access to all websites to help with homeschooling. However, my child has found a way to use the search bar and spends hours browsing through search results.

Is there a way to disable the search bar for him permanently? Even when I disable it, he manages to reactivate it. I need a solution to prevent him from using the search bar altogether.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Mjnnn_90]

Hi! You can disable the Windows Search feature through Group Policy if you're running a version of Windows that supports it: Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter. Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar. Locate the setting called "Remove access to the search box" and set it to Enabled. This should disable the search bar for all users on that computer.

 

[GeraldMerald]

If the child manages to bypass this, it might be worth looking into parental control software.

 

[Pristanita_bob87]

You could try setting up a standard user account for your child rather than an administrator account this can help limit their ability to change system settings

 

[brwchanpo]

Thank you for your suggestions. Mjnnn_90, I tried the Group Policy method you mentioned, but it seems my child's account was somehow still able to reactivate the search bar. Maybe I didn't do it right so I'll give it another go. I'm now looking into third-party parental control software for more control. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. If anyone else has more tips, I'd love to hear them.

 

[GeraldMerald]

Any update here?