Weird red asterisk in Win11 search bar

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Kookoo

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#303892 17-Mar-2023 23:07

This thing popped up after one of the recent updates.

Does anyone know what it is?

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SepticSceptic

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#3051388 17-Mar-2023 23:21

HAL's forerunner?

:-)

Kookoo

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#3051390 17-Mar-2023 23:25

SepticSceptic: HAL's forerunner?

:-)

Makes sense. I tried asking it to open the pod doors, but it just won't do it.

On a more serious note, it just doesn't fit into the overall windows design language - it feels like a random add-on that popped up out of nowhere.

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eracode

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#3051391 17-Mar-2023 23:32

Kookoo:

Makes sense. I tried asking it to open the pod doors, but it just won't do it.

Maybe because you didn’t get the instruction quite right. Try “Open the pod bay doors, Hal” - and update us how you got on.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Kookoo

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#3051392 17-Mar-2023 23:32

Oh my freaking god. I just realised what it is.

I'm using my employer's Office 365 account on this PC, so Windows added its logo to the search box. I presume it means that I can search my employer's SharePoint from within the Windows search bar.

Bloody hell.

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gehenna

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#3051438 18-Mar-2023 10:49

Suppose it depends on which Microsoft accounts you have logged in as actively. If it's a domain computer then you've got to expect it. If it's a personal computer which is just logged into an app or two with the work Microsoft account, that's different and would bother me.

Kookoo

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#3051459 18-Mar-2023 11:34

gehenna: Suppose it depends on which Microsoft accounts you have logged in as actively. If it's a domain computer then you've got to expect it. If it's a personal computer which is just logged into an app or two with the work Microsoft account, that's different and would bother me.

It's my personal PC, logged in with my personal account, but with Office 365 logged in using work account.

It kind of makes sense now. It's a very confusing way of showing which account you're searching. I can click on Search and in the top right corner of the bizarre pop-up box select my personal account to search with. That changes the logo to something else I don't recognise, but at least when I enter a search term it only runs against my hard drive and my personal onedrive account. Change it back to work account - get the purpose asterisk and the ability to search work Sharepoint.

Props to Microsoft for making a search function so bewilderingly confusing I guess.

Hello, Ground!