how do I change the default search engine from msn?

[aticus]

Problem: When I type in google in the address bar I used to get

http://www.google.com

(Got to the most likely site selected in the internet tools control panel). Now when doing so, msn search comes up, as well as a darn pop-up window. Also the first entry in the search results is "keyword" google. It seams to me that MSN search has disabled both the go to most likely website choice AND the internet keyword options and I believe that it (MSN search) should stop or at least my trash immediately.

So, How do I change the default search engine from MSN?

I'm running win2k on a qwest.net DSL.

Possibly related: Could my ISP be using IEAK to force MSN hits and ad revenue up? Perhaps they should burn as well.

 

[reghakr]

aticus,

Open IE, click the Search button. In the panel that appears, click the Customize button. Under Find a web page, move MSN search from the top of the list. Now clcik the Autosearch settings button and select anything other than MSN search.

========================================================
Not many people use it, but they should.
A slight twist on that from Lockergnome.

http://www.lockergnome.com

As we you may know, you can connect to Microsoft's Search the Web site by selecting the On the Internet command on the Find menu. However, if you'd rather use another search site, you can customize the On the Internet command so that it connects to your preferred site.

Backup the registry and/or export the following keys:
go to Start>Run, type regedit. Navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Double-click on the Search Page entry in the right-hand pane. When the Edit String dialog box appears, type the URL to the search site you'd rather use in the Value Data text box. To activate your change, click OK, close the Registry Editor, and restart Windows 98.

reghakr

 

[aticus]

Didn't work. Did both things you suggested and i still get MSN BS when I type anything other than a complete url in address bar. Keyword google in there pulls up MSN search results page listing keyword google as the most popular result of that search.
"
Google
This Internet Keyword goes directly to the Google site.


Search the Internet
Find it on the Web with MSN Search.


Get Search Help
Search engine reviews and tips for better searching.


WEB DIRECTORY SITES



Google
Search engine returns keyword search results based on relevance of content and the number of links to a particular URL from other sites.

http://www.google.com/

"


PLEASE HELP!

 

[reghakr]

Have you shutdown and restarted?
When you go back into Customize, are the settings changed back?

Then there is only one other way to do it, but you loose all the other search engines and have Google exclusively.

open Notepad and copy and paste the following between the lines and save the file as google.reg. Double-click on the file to merge the contents into the registry.

=====================BEGIN CUT==========================
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Search Page"="

http://www.google.com"

"Search Bar"="

http://www.google.com/ie"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL]
""="

http://www.google.com/keyword/%s"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search]
"SearchAssistant"="

http://www.google.com/ie"

===========================END CUT==========================

reghakr

 

[austim]

Hi, reghakr.

In your advice to aticus you said :

"Open IE, click the Search button. In the panel that appears, click the Customize button. Under Find a web page, move MSN search from the top of the list. Now click the Autosearch settings button and select anything other than MSN search."

My problem is that both "lists" show me MSN and nothing else. How can I add other search engines to my customize options? (Iam running Win2K, IE 6.0)

 

[austim]

Hi again, reghakr.

I now have a partial solution. If I change the language setting in IE from english-gb to almost anything else, I get a series of options.

 

[TheOldMan346]

austim,

This backs up the suggestion of changing the language and getting more options.

http://www.mvps.org/inetexplorer/answers.htm#search_engine

There are some additional suggestions for enhancing the search options.

Good luck.
The Old Man

 

[austim]

Hi TheOldMan346,

That is a very useful link, which I have promptly added to my favourites. Thanks.