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The default search engine, when you click the Search button
in Internet Explorer, is MSN Search. You can change this default to a different
search engine by clicking the Customize tab, but unfortunately,
Google is not included as one of your choices. However, with a little registry
editing, you can easily make Google the default search engine in Internet Explorer.
(Update Note! See updated info at the bottom for IE 6.)
Here's how:
- Click Start/Run, type REGEDIT and go to
this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
- In the right hand pane, look for the values Search Page
and Search Bar
- Double click Search Page and replace the
existing url with this one:
http://www.google.com
- Double click Search Bar and replace the
existing url with this one:
http://www.google.com/ie
- Next go to this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL
- Double click Default in the right hand
pane and replace the url with this:
http://www.google.com/keyword/%s
- Finally, go to this nearby key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search
- In the right hand pane, double click the value SearchAssistant
and replace the existing value with this:
http://www.google.com/ie
- Exit the registry, and close and reopen Internet Explorer.
- Click the Search button on the IE toolbar. You should
now see Google, instead of MSN, pop up as your default Internet Explorer search
engine.
As well, this reg edit, will result in Google being the search engine when
you do a search from the Internet Explorer address bar. However, if all you
want to do is change your addreess bar search engine to Google, you do not need
to edit the registry, at all. You can make Google your default address bar search
engine by clicking the Search button on your toolbar, then
click on Customize, and choose Autosearch Settings
at the bottom of the box.
In the event you would like to restore MSN as your default search engine, simply
go to your IE Tools menu and click on Internet Options, then
the Programs tab, and click on the Reset Web Settings
button. Close and reopen Internet Explorer to see your change.
UPDATE!
In Windows XP and IE6, you need to disable the Search Assistant to make
the change take effect. At the registray key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
...change the Use Search Asstistant value to No.
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