Search Everywhere Shortcut - Create in Windows 8.1

Brink · Jan 26, 2013

How to Create a "Search Everywhere" Shortcut in Windows 8.1

Information

This tutorial will show how to create or download a "Search Everywhere" shortcut that opens directly to Search charm screen with Everywhere selected in Windows 8.1.

Note

In Windows 8, this shortcut opens directly to your Apps screen in the Search charm with Apps selected instead.

EXAMPLE: "Search Everywhere" in Windows 8.1

OPTION ONE

To Download a "Search Everywhere" Shortcut for Windows 8.1

1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the ZIP file below.

Search_Everywhere_Shortcut.zip

2. Save the .zip file to your desktop.

3. Open the .zip file and extract (drag and drop) the Search Everywhere shortcut to the desktop.

4. Unblock the Search Everywhere shortcut.

5. If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar on desktop, Pin to Start screen, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

6. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .zip file on the desktop if you like, or save it to use again.

OPTION TWO

To Manually Create a "Search Everywhere" Shortcut in Windows 8.1

1. Right click or press and hold on a empty area of the desktop, and click/tap on New and Shortcut.

2. Copy and paste the command below into the location area, and click/tap on the Next button. (see screenshot below)

%windir%\explorer.exe shell:::{2559a1f8-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}

3. Type Search Everywhere for the name, and click/tap on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)

NOTE: You can name this shortcut anything you would like though.

4. Right click or press and hold on the new Search Everywhere shortcut, and click/tap on Properties.

5. Click/tap on the Shortcut tab, then click/tap on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)

6. In the line under "Look for icons in this file", copy and paste the location below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

%SystemRoot%\System32\twinui.dll

7. Select the icon highlighted in blue above, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot above)

NOTE: You can use any icon that you would like instead though.

8. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below step 5)

9. If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar on desktop, Pin to Start screen, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

That's it,
Shawn

Search Everywhere Shortcut - Create in Windows 8.1

To Download a "Search Everywhere" Shortcut for Windows 8.1

To Manually Create a "Search Everywhere" Shortcut in Windows 8.1

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