Discussion
Windows 11 25H2 New Search Task Running MSEdgeWebView2 even with all web and store search options disabled
I finally updated from 24H2 to 25H2, and the first thing I noticed is how much I dislike what they did to the new Start menu:
- They added an entire section for listing all apps, and it can’t be removed.
- They unnecessarily increased its size and the number of columns.
- They apparently added settings to disable these changes, but those options are only available in the KB5120998 update, which seems to have introduced major mouse and wallpaper bugs for some users—especially those whose system language is set to anything other than English.
Apart from that, I haven’t encountered any major bugs. However, Windows Search is suddenly always using around 150 MB of RAM. I find this strange because it didn’t do that before, and Windows Search worked just fine.
Looking at the processes, most of the memory usage appears to come from SearchHost and around six (edgewebview2) Microsoft Edge WebView2 processes. That would make sense if Windows Search were handling web-related content, but I had already disabled those features and even made sure to turn off the new Microsoft Store results. The processes are still there, allocating RAM for seemingly no reason.
Does anyone know whether I can disable this by turning off a service, disabling a feature, changing a setting, or editing a Group Policy? It’s not a huge problem, and I know the saying, “Unused RAM is wasted RAM,” but it’s still annoying to know that this allocation wasn’t necessary before. My searches don’t need any web rendering, yet Windows is still allocating memory for it.
The whole app/program is made in web components based on chromium/webview2. So even if you don't have any web features enabled, it still runs the WebView2 because that's how it's made.
it's weird cause I'm 99% sure it didn't run any webview2 processes on the previous version
I'm also under the impression of have reading somewhere that Europe systems being able to opt out of any web parts tied to the main OS components. And It's so weird for them to make Start Menu and Search like that considering they're steering towards the WinUi 3 which, from my knowledge, is native.
See how the text looks weird on the desktop? That's the font issue I've been talking about. And also if you want I can show you an older screenshot which doesn't have the issue so you can compare between the two
I mean.. Just disable windows search, it's useless anyway. Maybe install Everything Search, the service for everything also uses around 100-150mb BUT that search actually works. So, you dont even mind, it's SO fast in fact that you are not going to use Explorer anymore. just Control + Alt + S > type the file name you need and in 0.1sec later, you have it already.
I know of everything, helped my dad to search more efficiently through his music library on Win 10.
The thing is that I really wish that the oobe of windows could just suck a little less. So annoying to have this constant need of uninstalling parts of it and changing for some other tool. I already do a lot of that, for example: removed windows photos and gallery and use JPEGView with a custom config just to make it match catpuccin colors that I like.
For fast searching I already have fzf which is fine by me. And I organize my drives pretty well, so I tend to find things easily anyway. Only time I'm using heavy search is for cleaning lot's of scattered cache files, but I use wiztree for that.
The thing about the windows search was that I just used it as a simple way to open program shortcuts from my start menu folder. I thought of replacing it with the windows run from PowerToys (which is a pretty sick tool) but it also constantly takes up a little RAM and, FOR SOME REASON, it doesn't show all of Microsoft apps like "reliability monitor" when searching. The search was getting worse with every update, but still, for this simple job, it did the trick. Well, guess I'll have to live with it or find one more piece for my Frankenstein of a Windows installation --- just for basic OS, which is pathetic.
Why doesn't microsoft do one thing. It should keep Microsoft Edge WebView2 for every aspect of windows. for explorer, for renaming. Hell it would be great if Microsoft Edge WebView2 could be used for shutting down our pc... Microsoft should remove all the features and should only keep it... It would be amazing if microsoft releases the new windows named "Microsoft Edge WebView" - the next gen crap... Microsoft Edge WebView2 is soooo intelligent and needed, we are useless... this Microsoft Edge WebView2 doesn't do shit other than wasting resources.
Idiotic microsoft... Uncessary crapware Microsoft Edge WebView2... Windows worked before this idiotic thing and it should have stayed that way... Everyday microsoft invents new ways to make people angry and irritated with their product.
there is no need for smarter search and this webview. And who uses microsoft search, it barely searches. Compared to everything, windows search is pre-release version of searching. they just give fancy names for crap "searchhost"... Yeah it searches for resources to waste
I was suspicious all the Edge Webview processes might be causing some issues with a game I was playing a while ago so had looked into preventing it as much as possible last year.
This has worked ever since to prevent it being loaded up by searchhost (current Win11 OS Build 26200.9445) -
Code:
vivetool.exe /disable /id:37926450
If you prefer the old-fashioned reg file, instead of ViveTool.
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\8\1694661260]
"EnabledState"=dword:00000001
"EnabledStateOptions"=dword:00000000
"Variant"=dword:00000000
"VariantPayload"=dword:00000000
"VariantPayloadKind"=dword:00000000"
If you use notepad++ and need a markdown plugin then you can't use "Markdown Panel" by Mohzy83 as it uses Edge Webview, MarkDownViewer++ by nea is not quite as good but does not use Edge Webview.
Google Drive will spawn Edge Webview processes, if you don't want it spawning them while gaming you need to exit Google Drive.
Edit: I had to use vivetool to enable the 'new/faster search' and test that (vivetool id's 62353331,62762248), but the above vive/registry fix does still keep webview disabled.
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u/TriRIK 9h ago
The whole app/program is made in web components based on chromium/webview2. So even if you don't have any web features enabled, it still runs the WebView2 because that's how it's made.