Microsoft Is Making File Explorer Search Much Faster

File Explorer search is getting faster as Microsoft works to improve performance and result relevance, starting with searches across “This PC.”

Marcus Ash, Microsoft’s Design and Research lead for Windows and Devices, confirmed the planned improvements on X. Microsoft has not announced a release date.

File Explorer Search Can Take Several Minutes

Search performance inside File Explorer can vary significantly from the main Windows Search interface.

The improvements we are making to performance and relevance for file searching are coming next to File Explorer. Starting with dramatic speed improvements when searching across This PC.

— Marcus Ash (@marcusash) July 13, 2026

In testing, Windows Search located a recently opened file in about one second. Searching for the same file through “This PC” in File Explorer took several minutes.

The results highlight the performance gap between the two Windows search experiences.

Windows Search Improvements Are Coming to File Explorer

Microsoft plans to bring recent Windows Search improvements to File Explorer, promising faster file discovery, more relevant results, and better searches across drives and folders.

Microsoft will begin with “This PC,” where searches often cover several storage devices and large numbers of files.

Microsoft Has Already Improved Windows Search

Microsoft recently simplified the Windows Search interface by removing MSN content, daily images, and other unnecessary elements.

The company also removed sponsored product cards from web search results.

Users can disable Bing and Microsoft Store suggestions by opening:

Settings > Privacy & security > Search

Windows Search also handles misspelled queries more effectively, helping users locate files even when they enter an incorrect filename.

Why File Explorer Still Has Performance Problems

File Explorer uses a hybrid architecture that combines older Win32 technology with newer WinUI components.

The underlying file-management system still relies heavily on legacy Windows code, while Microsoft has added modern interface elements on top.

This combination may contribute to slower performance and inconsistent behavior. Microsoft continues to modernize File Explorer gradually with newer Windows technologies.

When Will Faster File Explorer Search Arrive?

Microsoft has not provided a release date for the File Explorer search improvements.

The changes may still require several development builds before they reach regular Windows 11 users. However, because Microsoft has already completed much of the related Windows Search work, the first improvements could appear in Windows Insider builds relatively soon.

Via Windows Latest