Why is the maps app and Bing maps online so bad at giving results in the Netherlands?

Hi,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

1) Does it showing the directions?

2) Have you tried to change the location in Map app?

You can search for locations, get directions, add favorites and more in Map app.There is no particular settings to look for in Map app.

You can refer to the Microsoft article for more information.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/maps-app-faq

Note: Also applies to Windows 10.

Thanks.

Yeah, I figured as much as I have searched high and low for these settings :)

But you do understand what I mean right? So if I go to Bing.com. Search for (for example) "koestraat hattem" I get some results. If I then hit the "Maps" option below the search screen I see "koestraat hattem" filled out in the "Business/category" field and there are no results. If I then cut and paste "koestraat hattem" from "Business/category" to the field for "Location" I see the "Koestraat" in a small place called "Hattem" in The Netherlands. So, the place and street is on the maps and it can be found, just not using the default settings.

I have the impression that the Maps app in Windows 8.1 and 10 uses the same default settings. And as I feared they cannot be changed. Which is a pity, because I really would like to buy a Surface 3 LTE (which has GPS as well) and use the default Maps app.

Before responding please do try to reproduce it. I have a very specific case and I think it is all pretty obvious if you see it yourself.

On a side note: is this default setting to search for "business" rather than a "location" more useful in the US? Any idea to why this distinction has been made? Why not just search in everything?

Perhaps this is more a Bing question than a Maps app question.

Hi,

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Thank you.

Hi,

Thank you for your response. But, what on earth are you talking about?!? I have absolutely NO issue with the "Windows bar". I don't even know what the "Windows bar" is. Do you mean the task bar?

Please read my question, including a detailed description of exactly how to reproduce the issue, better.

Thank you

Today again I had a really disappointing experience...

I wanted to plan a route to "Zaanstraat" a specific street in "Groningen"

Using the maps app in Windows 10:

Search: "Zaanstraat" --> I get "Politie Enschede Zaanstraat" at (yes) the Zaanstraat in Enschede

Search: "Zaanstraat, Groningen" --> returns both "Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands" and "Groningen, Netherlands" as if there is no Zaanstraat in Groningen (of which I am sure there is)

The strange thing is: if I zoom in to the location I do see the street being there in the maps app.

Using the maps app in my Windows Phone 8.1 phone:

Search:"Zaanstraat" --> I get "Zaanstraat" in Deventer. (Funny thing is, since I have been looking for Zaanstraat on the pc the suggestion that I got was "Politie Enschede Zaanstraat") Probably this comes up because it is the closest "Zaanstraat" for me.

Search: "Zaanstraat, Groningen" --> Yes! There it is! (I would expect this is all using the same Bing maps right?)

Now for Bing (should be the same right?). First I go to www.bing.com.

Search:"Zaanstraat" --> Interesting enough the first result is the parking spot I am looking for

Hit "Maps" (since I want to plan a route) and I see "Zaanstraat" filled out in "business or category". That is why the maps app is most likely returning the wrong result as well.

Copy "Zaanstraat" to "location" --> "Zaanstraat, 8226 Lelystad, Nederland 52,487780 5,494770" is found (yet another one!)

Search "Zaanstraat, Groningen" in "location" --> Yes, there it is!

Let's briefly move to the dark side:

www.google.com

Search:"Zaanstraat" and click on "Maps" --> I get the question whether I am looking for Zaanstraat in several cities; Groningen is not one of them. If I just hit search I get the one in Amsterdam.

Search "Zaanstraat, Groningen"  --> Spot on. If I start typing in Google Maps I also get the suggestion "Zaanstraat Groningen" (Tried that on another machine as well)

Why is this so hard?!? Especially since the street IS on the map in the Maps app. If I search for "Zaanstraat, 9725 Groningen, Nederland 53,209550 6,561510" (which I got from Bing maps) or even "zaanstraat 9725 Groningen" I get to exactly the right location. Do I really need to include the postal code always?

Would be nice to get a response to this!

A few weeks ago another one: Van Keppelmarke in Zwolle. Guess what: the maps app doesn't find it! If I look it up with another app and zoom in on that specific location in the Microsoft maps app the street IS there! That really sucks!

The street cannot be found on my Surface 3, not on my desktop nor on my two Windows 10 Mobile Phones!

Finally, a usefull discussion for the same problem I have. This issue was bothering me for a long time. For my issue, the solution was in switching the region to another one (so for Netherlands for example to Germany or US). I have played a lot with these settings and found out that different region - language settings on Windows 10 mobile result in different success in searching in other countries. So what may result in good searches of streets in the Netherlands may result in no results on street search in Spain. I consider this a major bug in this app! This must be corrected! Any home settings on Windows 10 (mobile) must result in proper street / house address search in any country of the world!

Microsoft, please, reply on this issue and correct this bug!

Unfortunately this discussion makes me feel rather schizophrenic as I am mostly discussing with myself. I hope that at least someone is helped by these findings.

Currently on both Windows Mobile as on my tablet and desktop I have set the region to Netherlands and only the language to ENG-UK. That seems to do the trick.

I agree this is a bug and really needs to be fixed! It is pretty stupid that I cannot find a street a few hundred meters from my house when I have set my phone to Dutch! That's why I was asking where I can file an official bug report.

I think I will open a new thread here pointing to this one. As (once again) after the first few responses I am getting nothing back!

Unfortunately this discussion makes me feel rather schizophrenic as I am mostly discussing with myself. I hope that at least someone is helped by these findings.

Currently on both Windows Mobile as on my tablet and desktop I have set the region to Netherlands and only the language to ENG-UK. That seems to do the trick.

I agree this is a bug and really needs to be fixed! It is pretty stupid that I cannot find a street a few hundred meters from my house when I have set my phone to Dutch! That's why I was asking where I can file an official bug report.

I think I will open a new thread here pointing to this one. As (once again) after the first few responses I am getting nothing back!

Is this so difficult Microsoft. Shame on you