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Make Google Internet Explorer's Primary Search Engine

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When you want to search for something on the Internet, you'd normally navigate to a search engine using Internet Explorer. But you can also just type your query into Internet Explorer's Address bar, and press the Enter key.

Internet Explorer's Address bar search

By default, Internet Explorer will use Microsoft's MSN search engine to execute your search. Since Google is the favorite search engine of many people, here is how to change Internet Explorer's preference from MSN to Google:

  1. Start the Registry Editor
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Main
  3. Double-click the Search Page value, and in the Value data box enter http://www.google.com (overwriting the existing entry)
  4. Select New > String Value from the Edit menu
  5. Name the new value Search Bar
  6. Double-click the Search Bar value, and in the Value data box enter http://www.google.com/ie
  7. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ SearchURL
  8. Double-click the (Default) value, and in the Value data box enter http://www.google.com/keyword/%s
  9. Select the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer
  10. Select New > Key from the Edit menu
  11. Name the new key Search
  12. With the Search key selected, Select Select New > String Value from the Edit menu
  13. Name the new value SearchAssistant
  14. Double-click the SearchAssistant value, and in the Value data box enter http://www.google.com/ie
  15. Close the registry editor

Note: For this to work, make sure that Do not search from the Address bar is not selected on the Advanced tab from Tools > Internet Options.





Last Updated: August 8, 2003