Filter Search Results in Windows 8.1 Using SafeSearch

Filter Search Results in Windows 8.1 Using SafeSearch

Jul. 2, 2014 11:23 am / Posted by Michael Eric to Windows Tips
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"How to configure smart search results in Windows 8.1?"

For Windows 8.1, the release does in fact offer two major new features. One is its deep SkyDrive integration, the other is deep Bing integration, which results in a truly innovative and useful new feature called Smart Search. But if you are not a fan of Smart Search, you can disable it. Now you may be wondering how to find what you exactly look for.

By default, the Search in Windows 8.1 filters adult images and videos but not text from your web search results. This is because the SafeSearch feature is set to Moderate. So you need to adjust SafeSearch to filter your search results easily. Here you are allowed to filter search results in Windows 8.1 with using SafeSearch, which means you are supposed to set the SafeSearch setting.

How to Filter Web Search Results in Windows 8.1 Using SafeSearch Setting?

Keep reading the two options to set the SafeSearch in Windows 8.1. Under SafeSearch, there are 3 options: Strict, Moderate and Off. Knowing the different explanations as following, then choose one from them as you like:

Strict: Filter out adult text, images, and videos from search results.

Moderate: Filter adult image and videos but not text from search results.

Off: Don't filter adult content from search results.

Option 1: Set The SafeSearch Setting Using Local Group Policy

• 1. In Windows 8.1 Pro and Enterprise Editions, press Windows Key + R combination, type put gpedit.msc in Run dialog box and hit Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
  
  
• 2. Navigate as the instruction to get Search: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Search.
  
  
• 3. In the right pane of this location, look for the setting named Set the Safesearch setting for Search which must be showing Not configured status by default. Double click on the same to get this picture:
  
  
• 4. In the window as shown above, click Enabled and then for the Default Safe Search Setting drop down menu. Under SafeSearch, there are 3 options: Strict, Moderate and Off. Select from one of them. After figuring out the different explanations of these filters, choose one and click OK.
• 5. After you finish the setting, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor and reboot to see changes effective.

Option 2: Set The SafeSearch Setting Using Registry Editor

If your edition of Windows 8 does not have the Group Policy Editor, do the following:

• 1. Press Windows Key + R combination, type put regedit in Run dialog box and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
  
  
• 2. Navigate as the instruction to get Windows Search:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
  
  
• 3. In the right pane, right click in a blank space and navigate through New -> DWORD Value to create a new registry DWORD named as ConnectedSearchSafeSearch. Then double click on the DWORD to modify its Value data:
  
  
• 4. As shown in the above box, put the following Value data corresponding to the filter you'd like to have:
  Strict: 1
  Moderate: 2
  Off: 3
  
• 5. After you make your choice, you can click OK. Then you can close the Registry Editor window.

Thus you can configure smart search results in Windows 8.1 fully. As for features of Windows 8.1, click here to learn more info about Windows tips.

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