If you want to add the Search option to right-click context menu in Windows 10, here is how you can do that. There is no need to use third-party apps since Registry Editor does the job pretty well. Therefore, follow this detailed guide to add Search to context menu in Windows 10.
We all know that Search is a must-have feature for any operating system. In this article, I’ll tell you the manual way to add the search option to context menus at different locations of your Windows PC using Registry Editor. 
Add Search To Context Menu in Windows 10
This method only works in Windows 10 and not in Windows 11. Most of the registry sections which we have recommended below are missing in the current version of Windows.
1. Press Windows Key + R combination on the keyboard and type Regedt32.exe in the Run dialog box. Press OK.
2. Navigate to the following location:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CABFolder\shell\find
3. In the right pane of this location, create a string with Value Name as Icon and put it’s Value Data equals to imageres.dll,-177.
Also, ensure that there must have a 32-bit value for SuppresionPolicy is 80.
4. Repeat step 3 for these locations as well:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\find
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\find
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\shell\Search
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Search
5. Now go to this location:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\shell\Search\command
In case you don’t find:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\shell\Search\command
Then go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\shell\Search
And create a subkey as command.
In the right pane of this location, edit the Default string with Value Data as explorer.exe search-ms:
6. Repeat step 5 for this location also:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Search\command
That’s it! You can now make searches directly from the right-click context menu.
Have fun searching!
How do I add items to the context menu in Windows 10?
There are multiple tools available in the market to add items to the context menu in Windows 10. If you want to customize the context menu further, check out our list of tools you can use to achieve that. These are 3rd-party freeware context menu editors to remove context menu items or to add or edit them.
How do I add options to context menu?
If you want to add options to the context menu in Windows 10, you need to follow the aforementioned guide or some third-party tools. However, this specific method doesn’t work smoothly on Windows 11. In that case, you must take the help of third-party apps. For that purpose, ContextEdit is one of the best options.
That’s all! Hope this guide helped you.
I struggled to get this to work. Maybe I misread the instructions. When I finally succeeded, here’s the .REG file that worked.
Cheers, PW.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Add Search to Context Menu for Drive, Folder, Cabinets, & DeskTop
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCABFoldershellSearch]
“Icon”=”imageres.dll,-177″
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCABFoldershellSearchcommand]
@=”explorer.exe search-ms:”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryshellSearch]
“Icon”=”imageres.dll,-177″
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryshellSearchcommand]
@=”explorer.exe search-ms:”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDriveshellSearch]
“Icon”=”imageres.dll,-177″
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDriveshellSearchcommand]
@=”explorer.exe search-ms:”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDesktopBackgroundshellSearch]
“Icon”=”imageres.dll,-177″
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDesktopBackgroundShellSearchcommand]
@=”explorer.exe search-ms:”
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}shellSearch]
“Icon”=”imageres.dll,-177″
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}shellSearchcommand]
@=”explorer.exe search-ms:”
the “Search” at the end of “[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDesktopBackgroundshellSearch]” doesn’t exist. what i see when i expand “shell” are the words “Display and Personalize”.
Hello Btan31, welcome to TWC :)
If you’re unable to found HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDesktopBackgroundshellSearch, then go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDesktopBackgroundshell and create a subkey Search and in the right pane of it create a string named Icon and put its value data equals to imageres.dll,-177.
Then create subkey of Search and name it as command, edit its default string with value data equal to explorer.exe search-ms:.
Hope this helps, Goodluck :)
I just tried this on my 64-Bit Windows 7 Workstation and it did not work. I went back and double checked all values.
Thank you Kapil Arya.
Thank you so much Kapil Arya for your great tips. I’ve just finished to add “search” on Win7 context menu. And I have to add improvement otherwise it won’t work, as follows :
1. For CabFolder : (which i think it’s not necessary)
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCABFoldershellsearch
String Value
Value Name : Icon
Value Data : imageres.dll,-177
DWORD (32-bit) Value
Value Name : SuppressionPolicy
Value Data : 80 (Base: Hexadimal)
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCABFoldershellsearchcommand
Change the deafult value data to be “explore.exe search-ms:” (without “)
2. For Drive:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDriveshellSearch
String Value
Value Name : Icon
Value Data : imageres.dll,-177
DWORD (32-bit) Value
Value Name : SuppressionPolicy
Value Data : 80 (Base: Hexadimal)
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDriveshellSearchcommand
Change the deafult value data to be “explore.exe search-ms:” (without “)
3. For Directory or Folder
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryshellSearch
String Value
Value Name : Icon
Value Data : imageres.dll,-177
DWORD (32-bit) Value
Value Name : SuppressionPolicy
Value Data : 80 (Base: Hexadimal)
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryshellSearchcommand
Change the deafult value data to be “explore.exe search-ms:” (without “)
4. For My Computer/Computer
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}shellSearch
String Value
Value Name : Icon
Value Data : imageres.dll,-177
DWORD (32-bit) Value
Value Name : SuppressionPolicy
Value Data : 80 (Base: Hexadimal)
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}shellSearchcommand
Change the deafult value data to be “explore.exe search-ms:” (without “)
5. For Desktop
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDesktopBackgroundShellSearch
String Value
Value Name : Icon
Value Data : imageres.dll,-177
DWORD (32-bit) Value
Value Name : SuppressionPolicy
Value Data : 80 (Base: Hexadimal)
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDesktopBackgroundShellSearchcommand
Change the deafult value data to be “explore.exe search-ms:” (without “)
I added search key and command subkey as they were not there before for each parrent key
Thank you.