Start Menu - Add or Remove Search Button

How to Add or Remove the Search Button in the Windows 7 Start Menu​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to add the Search button back to the right dark side of the Windows 7 Start Menu by replacing either the Help and Support button or Run button with Search instead.

By default the Search button in the Start Menu is not available in Windows 7.

   Warning

You will only be able to do this while logged in as an administrator.

EXAMPLE: Start Menu with Search Added

EXAMPLE: Search
NOTE: This is the Search window that opens when you click on the Search button in the Start Menu. It is the same Windows Key + F Search window.

OPTION ONE

To Add Search Button to Start Menu

1. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search box and press enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

3. To Replace "Help and Support" Button with Search
A) In regedit, navigate to the location below.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
B) Go to step 5.
4. To Replace "Run" Button with Search
A) In regedit, navigate to the location below.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
5. Take ownership (Option Three step 2 at link) of the {25591f.......} registry key number from step 3 or 4 above, then set permissions to Allow your user account Full Control of the registry key. The screenshot below has the steps numbered in order to help make it easier to do.

6. To Replace "Help and Support" Button with Search
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Replace_Start_Menu_Help_with_Search.reg

Download


B) Go to step 8.
7. To Replace "Run" Button with Search
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Replace_Start_Menu_Run_with_Search.reg

Download


8. Save the .reg file to the desktop.

9. Right click the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.

10. Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

11. Log off and Log on, or restart the computer to apply changes.

12. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

OPTION TWO

To Remove Search Button and Restore Default Button

1. To Remove Search and Restore "Help and Support" Button
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Restore_Start_Menu_Help.reg

Download


B) Go to step 3.
2. To Remove Search and Restore "Run" Button
A) Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Replace_Start_Menu_Run.reg

Download


3. Save the .reg file to the desktop.

4. Right click the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.

5. Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

6. Log off and Log on, or restart the computer to apply changes.

7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Search in Windows 7
• How to Change or Restore the Default Windows 7 Search Options
• How to Create a Search Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Customize the Windows 7 Start Menu
• How to Add the Run command Button to the Windows 7 Start Menu
• How to Turn Windows 7 Search On or Off

 

[pbahnson]

error reported citing ownership problem

When applying the registry patch Replace_Start_Menu_Help_with_Search.reg Windows (Pro) returns an error that the data was not written to the registry because "some keys are open by the system or other processes." I have enabled the ownership for the administrator as outlined in the tutorial. Looking through the open processes I don't find something that obviously is editing or "owning" the registry file. Can you suggest how I can troubleshoot? The patch fails to install.

 

[Brink]

Hello Pbahnson, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Did you also set the permissions to Allow your user account Full Control of the registry key?

 

[jehpih]

Hello there! My windows 7 dont have a "search" feature so I followed your thread on how to add the "search feature" and also the "replace run with search". After this one i restarted my pc, and there it was the "search feature". But when I click the search button this error message prompted, "There is no program associated to perform the requested action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel. What should I do next? Thank you very much!

 

[Brink]

Hello Jehpih, and welcome to Seven Forums.

As a test, do you get the same message when you press the Windows + F keys to open Search instead?

 

[jehpih]

Thanks for the reply Shawn

nothing happens when I press ctrl F

regards

 

[Brink]

That's the Windows + F instead.

 

[jehpih]

oh haha! yep same error message

 

[Brink]

In that case, see if downloading and merging the .reg file for the listed Search option in the tutorial below may be able to help. It restores it's default associations.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html#post208633

 

[jehpih]

now this is the error message:

search:
Class not registered

 

[Brink]

See if running a sfc /scannow command may be able to help.

If not, then you could also do a system restore using a restore point (if available) dated before search went missing to hopefully fix it.

 

[jehpih]

still not working

 

[Brink]

Well, in that case you may need to do a repair install.

 

[pbahnson]

Hello Pbahnson, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Did you also set the permissions to Allow your user account Full Control of the registry key?

I am uncertain what you mean by "allow your user account full control." My user account has had adeqiate permission no update the registry usning other .reg files downloaded from SevenForiums. Not sure why this one would be different...

 

[Brink]

pbahnson,

It's from doing step 5 in OPTION ONE. Clicking on the links in the step will give you more details on how to do that action.

5. Take ownership (Option Three step 2 at link) of the {25591f.......} registry key number from step 3 or 4 above, then set permissions to Allow your user account Full Control of the registry key. The screenshot below has the steps numbered in order to help make it easier to do.

Those keys are owned by only the system by default, and administrators do not have rights to access or modify them without doing step 5 first.