Change Default MSN Engine for IE

Well if I understand you correctly than maybe this is what you are after.

Open IE now go to the menu View > Explorer Bar > Search. Now look for either the word "Customize" and/or the double right pointers >> and click on it. Now there are several settings. I would suggest starting with the "Use Search Assistant..." and check out some of the settings there just to get an idea of what is available for customization.

Next click on the "Use one search serivce..." and choose the one you want from the list.

Now click on the button at the bottom labeled "Autosearch settings" and tinker with this a little to set this portion up as you desire.


The Crazy One

No, that is not what i want

try to type some wrong url like "saith" without www and .com

just type "saith"  in address bar and press go

MSN Will automatically open a page shwoing that url is not correct and chosse from the list of urls below..

How to change that msn search..?

Ajay Chadha

I am not sure if I understand. Do you want to change which search engine it goes to? Or change the way MS Search is setup.

If you want to change which search engine it goes to then the I what descibed in my first comment does work. I got mine setup to go to GOOGLE.

I did this
Clicked on the button at the bottom labeled "Autosearch settings" and in the box labeled "Choose a search provider for address bar searches:" I selected Google and in the box labeled "When searching:" I selected "Just display results in the main Window"

If you are looking on how to change the way MSN search is setup, then as far as I know you can't.

Please see this picture. you'll get a clear cut idea of what i'm saying. I just entered "saith" as awrong url and auto msn search came into existance..!!

http://63.175.188.73/msn.gif

Ajay Chadha

Hello, anybody there..??

Ajay Chahda

I am still confused what it is you want. When you enter the wrong url what is it the you want to happen or not happen?

Hello,

As you can see from the picture above, when You type a wrong url in hte IE address bar then automatically auto.search.msn.com looks for the avilablinty of that domain and tells you that the urls is wrong.

Did you get it what I'm saying..!!

Ajay Chadha

I want to change that url so my own search url..!!

Is there a way..?

Ajay Chadha

(backup your reg first before any changes)   Hkey_ local machine/software/microsoft/internet account manager/internet explorer/search    it says customizesearch       http://ie.search.msn.com/sub_rfc1766)-srchasst/sr 
i'm thinking changeing here or adding your own     not sure.....what do you think Spence??

disregard that (didn't work:>)

If I'm not mistaken you're talking about the typed URL history which is found in the registry.  Don't have the path handy at the moment but this may at least point you in the right direction.

That might be it Sandy. Ajay enter the entire legitimate url

Example:
www.saith.com

or whatever the actuall url is and then hit the enter key. If your history settings are settup correctly then this url is now in your history repository. If everything is working correctly when you type in saith then the url should come up in the address area and then all you would have to do is to hit the enter key.

You could at least spell my name right sweety!

Cheers!
Sandi

yea  spell it right crazy dude :>)   10 lash's with a frayed monitar cable..put it on him sis..........I may be wrong here but I'm thinking chadhaajay is talking about  example    you type in a missspelled url and hit enter    ok by default msn search come's up and offers different suggestions or search options....he wants to know how to change this default (msn.autosearch) to his own search engine

Ooooh!  Like how I use Copernic instead?  Now if I could only remember how I changed that.............

Crazy you have been duly whipped....:-)

Ouch, that whip hurt sis! :>)

James thats what I thought as well and the procedures I outlined will work to change which search engine comes up. At least it works with IE6. I got mine gooing to Google and a minute ago I changed to Yahoo and which ever one I change it to that is the engined that comes up. So I think Ajay means the History list instead.

well you are right :>)  works for ie5.1 in 2k as well

Well here is the registry key for typed URL's

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs

Hey what happened to the dude who was asking the question?
He was getting somewhat impaitent and now is not answering the comments. I was going to try to help out but I hate to talk to my self, well I don't hate talking to myself since that is the only time I can have an intelligent conversation with anyone around here.

Whoops, was I mumbling again??
sorry, what was the question again?

Hello, Experts,

Let me try what you mentioned. I'll be back..!

:>)

Ajay, go to the Tools|Internet Options|Advanced screen and tell me what you have for the Search options.  This will control what IE does when you click on the Go button in the address bar.  If you don't want to search, then check the option not to search from the address bar.

If you do want to search, I think treckie1 was on the right track, but if I know Microsoft, I don't think that they are going to make it easy for you to use something other than MSN for your default search.....

Hello mdougan ,

Yes, You are right. If I check "Donot search from address bar" then it stops making MSN Search

But I am looking for some way to replace the MSN Seearch URL so that address bar check it from my search url instead of MSN...!!

Got my point..!!

Do you know how to do it..!!

Ajay Chadha

Hello Experts,

I just found this article on how to do what i want.

http://www.pcmag.com/article/0,2997,s%253D1486%2526a%253D14597,00.asp

But I can't figure out how to do as it is mentioned there. I have done till "Export the SearchURL key to REG File" but can't do what is mentioned after that..!!

Can you do that and let me know what is the new registry file..!!

Ajay Chadha

Anybody there..??

What is the question? You seem to be very confusing as to what you are looking for. The link you posted give instructions for changing the default search engine.
Maybe if you would try explaining what exactly you are needing and quit with the attitude..!!

Please remember we are not paid for helping others, and when we get someone who seems to have a poor attitude towards us then we can and will ignore them..!!

Would you like to start over and explain "exactly" what you are wanting and stop with the "..!!" after each statement.

Hello Friends,

What I want is to change the Search URL which IE uese when ever you'll try to search from the address bar (not the search bar)

I think it is very mich clear now. I found the above links on web while searching for this but i never founf any <noname> registry entry at the point where they mentioned it to be.

Ajay Chadha

It's pretty clear what you want.  I went to the link above and their explanation was pretty clear.  However, they are talking about adding custom secondary search engines.  So, for example, if you just typed your search term and hit go or enter the [default] search engine would be invoked.  However, if you created one of these custom entries for google, for example, and called it gl then you'd type something like this on your address bar and hit go:

gl saith

Your question is how to replace the default search engine.  I just did this successfully (and thank you, I wanted to do that myself but never researched it before) by opening up Regedit.exe and then navigating to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL

Now, do you not have this entry?  If you don't are you sure you have IE?  And if so, what version?  I think I have 4.0.  If you don't have this registry key, then you can build that tree.  Under the SearchUrl key there are several string values.  Mine looks like this:

(Default)  http://home.microsoft.com/access/autosearch.asp?p=%s
(blank)    "+"
#          "%23"
&          "%26"
etc....

All I did was replace the default string above with this:

(Default)   http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%s

Where the stuff to the left of the %s at the end was what I'd found in the address bar after doing a search on google. After the search on google, my address bar looked like:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=saith

(plus, there were some additional stuff after the search word that I ignored)

Then, I just replaced my search term with the %s as your link suggested, pasted the whole thing in the (Default) string value under SearchUrl and it works perfectly.

If you're missing any of the registry keys mentioned, please say specifically what you don't have and we might be able to help you construct it.

Hello mdougan,

Here is the screenshot of what i have in my registry at that key.

http://63.175.188.73/regedit.gif

So, You can see that I have the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL

but i don't have all the other things like you said that you have in your registry.

Can you please send me the scressnhot of your registry at the location above so that I can see what exactly you ave there..!!

I'm using Windows 2000 Server with IE6 on it and You cxan see that I don't have the sub-keys like

(blank)    "+"
#          "%23"
&          "%26"

I think that Microsoft has made it harcoded in IE after the versions IE 5 and above.

So, I want to see a screenshot of your registry at that location so that I can make te entries myself and then i can check if it works in IE6 or not.

Ajay Chadha

Any Response or Reply..??

What search engine do you want it to defualt to. If you look at my earlier comments regarding "Autosearch settings" and the search engine you want to use is listed then what I have outlined is the simplest approach to doing this. And what I outlined works using the ADDRESS bar. I used the method I outlined to go to Google when I type something in the ADDRESS bar that isn't a valid URL. Example I typed in the word saith and IE went to Google and automatically did a search on the word saith. I then change the settings to go to Yahoo and did the same test and IE went to Yahoo and Yahoo did and automatic search on the word. I changed the "Autosearch settings" back to Google and typed in the word saith again and IE went to Google and did an automatice search again. All I did was to type in the word and hit the Enter key it goes right to the search engine that I chose and does the search without any other input from me. I am using IE6 so I know the methods I outlined work. here is what my registry setting looks like.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl

(Default)   (Value not set)
provider    gogl

Hello Crazy,

Can you please give me the instructions once again to do the change of address bar search url so that I can do it step by step myself.

I'll wait for your reply..!!

Ajay Chadha

Hello mdougan,

I'm still waiting for the screenshot from you. It will help me a lot (I suppose)

Ajay Chadha

Ajay,

You're making a bigger deal out of this than you need to.  I gave you the exact text to type into the Default Value for the SearchURL key.  But, in case you're not exactly sure what it should look like when you're finished, here is the screenshot.

Now, I have IE 4, so, like you said, there is probably all of the other stuff built right in.  Maybe they even build in the default search url, I don't know, but, if you type in exactly what I have, at least for the (default) key, then you should invoke Google when you enter a search term and click go.  If not, then Microsoft has changed the way this works under IE 6.

http://www.greatsoftware.net/google.jpg

Here you ajay

Open IE now go to the menu View > Explorer Bar > Search. Now look for either the word "Customize" and/or the double right pointers >> and click on it. Now click on the button at the bottom labeled "Autosearch settings" and in the box labeled "Choose a search provider for address bar searches:"  Select the one you want and in the box labeled "When searching:"  select "Just display results in the main Window".

Helo Crayone,

I don't have ">>" after the "customize" thing. when I click Customise, it opens Google in new peopup again because I have set the search bar URL to google.

What to do now?

Ajay,

You are smarter than this, I know, I've seen your ratings on rent-a-coder.com... what is so difficult about adding a registery entry?

Hello mdougan,

I have added the registry entries as they are on your machine but with no luck.

I think the MS has hardcoded the search url in either IE or some other syste file.

I have given up. So, what's about this thread? I am thinking of getting the points split up within You and CrazyOne.

IS it ok with all the other experts..?

Ajay Chadha

Points reduced for split.  Now you can accept one experts comment as an answer and make another question in this topic area for the other expert.

Thank you
Computer101
E-E Moderator

I solved this in a round about mistake type fashion for IE 6.  I could not find a way to use the new XP search assistant to customize the autosearch in the address bar, the same problems chadhaajay was having.

I resolved to change back to the old search assistant and got those options readily available.  To switch back change your regkeys under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search

CustomizeSearch = http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchcust.htm

SearchAZssistant = http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchasst.htm

Then open your search bar in IE.  It will look like the old version.  Click the Customize button near the top.  Click AutoSearch Options near the bottom left of the resulting pop-up screen.  Choose the search engine you want to use from the drop down box.

You may have to shut and restart explorer for changes to take effect.  The downside to this method is it still contacts msn search before it hits google/whatever else you want, but I can't find a way to get around that and it is still pretty fast.

Seems no text problem is resolved

Computer101
E-E Admin

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20382406/Answer-to-question-Change-Default-MSN-Engine-for-IE.html

kennethxu has asked that the link above be deleted. His post, for the benefit of future users, was as follows:

I was try to gave answer, but EE keep failing to let post, got error: Error (-2) - this comment was not added to the database.

OK, I was searching for a solution to this problem too. And now I got clear answer, I figured this out by reading CrazyOne's post + my own thought, here is my contribute back:

A. for quick hacking:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl

(Default)   (Value not set)
provider    gogl

restart you IE, it will work now, if still doesn't work, restart your computer!

B. for a more safer solution: IE6 default to use "Search Companion" on search bar.
1. Menu->View->Explorer Bar->Search, you got "Search Companion";
2. click "Change preference";
3. click "Change Internet search behavior";
4. select "With Classic Internet search"; click OK.
5. restart you IE, or if doesn't work, restart you PC, come back to IE.
6. do step 1 again. now you should see classic search and follow the steps that CrazyOne has already described. just repeat here to be complete:
7. click Custom or >>+Custom, "Custom Search Settings" window pops up.
8. click Autosearch button at bottom.
9. you should know what to do next.

Actually, CrazyOne gave the solution already, you guys just don't have patient to try it out youself and use you own brain.

Do any of these besides mine work on XP?

In addition, why isn't this page indexed on google?  I can find all other posts I've made but not this one.  Had to go look at my old emails.

Stucco

the solution just above your last comment worked on 6 XP PCs (my friends' PCs) as far as I know.

Stucco,

No idea why it isn't. You might want to leave a message in EEBugs: https://www.experts-exchange.com/Community_Support/EE_Bugs/

Netminder
CS Moderator

Hi
I feel there is no way. Only google search engine works
if u give value in regitery

searchUrl(key) -> gogl (value)

Yahoo and infoseek etc are not working.

>>Yahoo and infoseek etc are not working.
of course! gogl means google.

try procedure B of my solution transfered by Netminder. (just a few comments above)

Thank you Stucco!  Your answer is the only one I found to work for me on XP.  What a beautiful thing NOT to see msn crap when I miss-type a URL!

tis true SimplySad ive been using google for years and ive just recently added an address bar to my start bar on xp pro saves time opening iinternet explorer and having google as default makes things a lot quicker as now all i have to do to search the web is type my query right in the start bar :D id reccomend this option to anyone on xp