I stopped Windows from searching the web with a simple registry hack and my Start menu is much better now. Why Windows Start feels slow for no good reasonOnline search, Bing calls, and why your PC hesitates before doing anythingWindows Search isn't just looking through your local files when you type in the Start menu. Disabling web search also reduces CPU load because Windows isn't constantly processing web results, rendering preview thumbnails, or managing network connections in the background. But if you wanted to search the web, you'd already be in your browser of choice, not the Start menu. Web search in the Start menu might make sense for Microsoft's earnings calls, but not for actual users.