According to the latest reports, as early as 2019, Microsoft changed the search box in Windows File Explorer to allow users to search their OneDrive cloud storage and local files at the same time.
Microsoft also updated the recent files section in File Explorer and added support for Office.com entries. These features make the file explorer slow, and when users try to search their local files, the search box may become unresponsive. However, Microsoft seems to be planning to give users more control over their results in the Quick Access View of File Explorer.
According to reports, a new change included in the early preview version shows that Microsoft will allow users to turn off Office.com integration in File Explorer. According to the new entry in the Group Policy Editor, users can disable files from Office.com in the operating system, and File Explorer will stop including cloud files in the quick access view.
In addition, when the user closes the Office.com integration, File Explorer will no longer send Web requests to Microsoft’s services to retrieve the most recent cloud file data. This can reduce the use of background data and resources, and improve the overall Windows experience.
This change also applies to the recommended part of the Windows 11 start menu. After disabling this feature, the start menu will stop obtaining Office documents.