In Windows 7 the search feature has been greatly improved, however if you are like me i have a third party application which i use to search for items on my computer.  Since i no longer need the windows search capability, i have disabled these feature all together.  By disabling it I free up some space in both Explorer and the start menu.   In order to do this, follow the steps below:

1. Click on start and select control panel
2. Select Programs and Features
3. On the left pane, select Turn Windows Features on or off
4. In the window that appears, scroll down until you see windows search and uncheck the box
5. A box will appear asking if you want to continue and select yes
6. Click on ok in the Windows Features window.
7. Once prompted, reboot your computer