How to make Windows Explorer show all results

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How to make Windows Explorer show all results

mjremijan 0

This seems to be new in Windows 11, at least this is the first time I noticed it. I was searching in Windows Explorer for something I knew I should find but it wasn't showing in the results. I searched a few different ways until I found what I was looking for. I tried my original search again and same results; what I was searching for was missing. I was dumbfounded because I knew it was there. After looking more carefully, it seems like Windows 11 changed the search results and added a "(Show All XX)" link.

Can someone please tell me what is happening with UI design nowadays? How in the world did this feature get approved and developed. This makes absolutely no sense. Please tell me there is a setting somewhere to disable this and show all the results by default again?

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Answer 1

Kimberly Olaño 19,855 Independent Advisor

Hi! mjremijan. Thanks for the details.

Starting with Windows 11 (23H2 and newer), File Explorer search now shows a limited “preview” of results by default, usually the top 20–50 matches, and then adds a “(Show all XX)” link at the bottom (like in your screenshot).

This is a deliberate UI change meant to:

Make the search panel load faster by not rendering hundreds of results at once.

Push users toward using the new Search in Home or Windows Search indexer instead of the classic Explorer search.

Unify search behavior between File Explorer, Start Menu, and Settings.

Unfortunately… there’s currently no built-in option or setting in Windows 11 to always show all results by default.

Best regards,

Kimberly

ProvPC 0 Reputation points

2025-11-13T18:35:45.5133333+00:00

The problem here is that all the other searches tend to be more universal in nature. The Windows Explorer search is used for searching within a particular and specific branch of the directory.

For example, I can open Explorer and point to my Downloads directory and search for "*.zip" to list all of the compressed files within the Downloads directory. I don't need or want to find all of the zip files in the entire PC, or discover how to make zip files on the internet, or be sold a copy of WinZip, or anything else. I just want to be able to see the complete list of zip files in that directory.

I realize I can click the "Show all" option, and if I have no interaction with the files as a whole, that's a semi-acceptable solution. However, suppose I want to right-click on each one and open the file location to verify that the file was successfully extracted, and I have 80 such files. Having to "show all" each and every time I return to the search results becomes significantly annoying.

At the very least, perhaps things could be changed so that clicking on the Show all option would leave the list expanded until the search window was closed, or a new search was entered?
leeuniverse 0 Reputation points

2025-12-13T01:40:29.91+00:00
Hello, this is a problem, and the official "reasons" for the change don't make any sense.

First, we are searching in a particular "Folder", so there's no "need" for the "Show All" Link because we are searching a limited number of files.
However, even IF we were searching the entire OS, we are using Windows Indexing, thus it makes the search and display "fast".

The Folder Search USES "Windows Search Indexing", so it's actually a FAST search, thus no need to be showing a "link", limiting the results we see.
You need to give us a "Setting" in which we can CHOOSE to "show all" if we want.
Don't just "remove" things because YOU think it's better that way.

How is "pushing" us to use Home/Windows search somehow "helping" us when we are wanting to search the particular Folder we are In? That's the opposite of "helping" us.

I don't even know what this means "Unifying search behavior". Search is already "unified".

BTW, I'm on Windows 10, you guys must have put it in there too, because I don't remember it before until recently.

This is very IRRITATING.... I'm trying to search for Files and Folders with particular words in them, and they are DATE organized, which is how I have the Folder setup, but then you're making me OPEN EVERY DATE.
I'm having to open these "Show All" Links OVER and OVER and OVER again. You are ONLY showing a "small number" of files. Certainly know-where close to 50-100.

This is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Microsoft is RUINING every aspect of the OS.

Ruined the Start Menu in Win11. I have literally over "100" Programs all Named/Grouped/Sized just how I like in Windows 10.
11's Start Menu is literally UNUSABLE for me. I have to use a 3rd Party Program to "revert" to the Windows 10 Start Menu.
All you really had to do to improve 10's Menu is add some additional features, for example "auto-adding" the EXE Icons when we install a program. Then we "arrange" them how we want.

Or.... You should have left all these features you've removed and changed in the "PRO" version of Windows at least, you know, for us PRO Users.

You've ruined the Explorer Menu Bar.... It's someone's "Personal Theme" instead of like Windows 10 which is proper usable for the masses, in design, size of elements, etc.

You've removed the "This PC" "Shortcut Folders".... This is not acceptable.
I use these.... I like to see my primary folders and Drives all one place.

Of course, I won't even talk about the Right-Click Menu how you didn't do that right.

Anyway, NONE of this is acceptable.... And I haven't even gotten into all the other things you've been doing, Ad's, Spying, AI, etc.
When I'm forced to finally start using Windows 11 in a few years, I'm going to have to literally change/remove 1,000's of things in order to have a CLEAN, low Resource usage system, like it's SUPPOSED to be.
I'm already doing a couple of 100 on Windows 10, but 11 you're become NT's.

Please FIX...! Thank you.

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How to make Windows Explorer show all results

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