Microsoft’s Windows 11 has been bringing out multiple changes to how you see and use the operating system. There are a lot of new features to Windows 11 such as widgets, the ability to install Android apps, tabs in File Explorer, tabs in Notepad, and Command Prompt as well as a slew of new features. While these new features and changes are for the good of the operating system, there will always be a bunch of people who would not like to have some things changed. One of those things that a lot of people seem to not want to change is the search button.
You see, previously the Search button on the Taskbar for Windows 11 was the Magnifying glass icon. Now, that icon has been replaced with a dedicated Search bar present on the Taskbar. While the new design in my personal opinion looks good, not everyone seems to be rolling well along with it. So, if you’re someone from a bunch of people who wants to revert back to the old Search button on Windows 11, this is the guide for you.
How to Get Back Old Search Button in Windows 11
Now, if you don’t like the Search box that’s there on your Taskbar on your Windows 11 PC, there is no problem! You see Microsoft has thought about its users and has provided you with options to change or revert back to the older Search button. Here are the steps that you need to follow.
- Open the Settings app on your Windows 11.
- Click on Personalization from the left menu.
- On the right-hand side, click on the Taskbar option.
- Click on the drop-down menu on Taskbar Items.
- Next to the search box option, you should see a drop-down menu. Click on it.
- You have 4 options to choose from, Hide Search icon only, Search icon and Label, or the Search Box.
- Choose what you like the best and see the changes get reflected instantly on the Taskbar.
- This is how you can revert back to the older Search icon on the Taskbar for your Windows 11 PC.
However, if you don’t seem to be having the Settings to change the icon of the Search button on your Taskbar in your Windows 11 PC, you will have to make use of a third-party tool that has been spoken a lot about. Follow these steps to change back to the old Search button for your Taskbar on your Windows 11 PC.
How to Change Search Button Layout to Old Layout in Windows 11
ViveTool for Windows 11 is a third-party tool that lets you enable or disable a number of new testing features for your Windows 11 PC. The process to use this tool and obtain it is simple and easy. Vive Tool is free to use. Here are the steps to change the search button to the previous one.
- First, download the Vive Tool from its GitHub page by heading over here.
- Once you have downloaded the zip folder, extract it and place its contents in a folder that you can easily navigate to.
- Now, launch the Command Prompt or Windows Powershell from the Start Menu. Make sure to run them with Administrator Privileges.
- Now, enter the command CD C: Vive Tool. Where C represents the drive that you saved in the Vive Tool folder.
- Once you’ve set the path for the Vive Tool, you can enter the following command
- vivetool /disable /id:42038001
- Alternatively, if the above command doesn’t work, you can use this other command
- vivetool /disable /id:40966682
- Once you have entered the command, hit the Enter key. Now, close the Windows Powershell or Command Prompt Tool and restart your Windows 11 PC.
- You should now see the old Search icon back in your Taskbar.
This concludes the guide on how you can change the current Search button icon to the previous Search icon easily on your Windows 11 PC. The best way to change the icon is by using eh Settings menu.
However, if you do not have the option, you will slowly but surely be receiving it via a Windows 11 update. Have questions or queries? Feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
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