Windows

Change The Default Search Used In Vista's IE7

Posted by on Jul 4, 2007 | 2 Comments

When you install Windows Vista, you also get the latest version of Internet Explorer (IE). IE 7 has certain default settings when it is installed that you may not like. For example, it defaults to using Microsoft Live Search and this may not be the search engine you want to be using. Settings can easily be changed to meet your needs, including the search engine IE defaults to using.

To change the default search engine:

  1. Open Internet Explorer.
  2. Click the drop down arrow beside the Live Search field.
  3. You will see a window listing various search engines. Click the search engine you want as the default.
  4. A window will appear asking if you want to add the search provider to Internet Explorer. Click the box beside the Make this my default search provider option.
  5. Click Add Provider.

[tags]vista, windows, vista tips[/tags]

  • Clive Mansbridge

    Hi Diana

    I’ve just begun using Windows Vista Home Premium edition. There are a couple things I don’t like about it (well more than that actually but I want to keep this message short). The first is that in the Windows Explorer display, it doesn’t seem possible to customize the toolbar so that you can add the familiar Delete, Copy, Paste and Cut icons. Of course you can use the Edit menu header but that’s awkward and you can also use keyboard commands but I’m a mouse person. Is there way of adding these familiar icons to the toolbar do you know? Right-clicking doesn’t do anyhting. My second gripe is why MS has reduced the depth of the bar at the very top of window display to about half what is was in XP. I know the close, minimize and size reduce buttons sort of glow when you position the mouse cursor over them but why change an easy to see, good design? Is there a way of increasing the depth of this bar do you know?

    TIA,

    Clive

  • Steve

    As you stated when you get IE 7 it defaults to Microsoft Live Search. However with Microsoft Live Search the field is blank, you only find out you are using that search engine when your search query takes you there. I like it that way. When you select a different search engine such as Google to be your default, the search field is no longer blank. It always displays your default search engine name in the box. I don’t like this feature. I work in a corporate office and am never sure what how much of what is default on my PC is corporate choice and how much is just Microsoft default. I changed my default to Google, but now anyone walking into my office while I’m online knows I did this! I would like to keep Google as my default without having the Google name starring me in the face in the search bar every time I load my browser!