Default search engine in IE6 - changing it?

[PersianImmortal]

It doesn't work that way, but as long as you backup your registry why not give it a try. Basically I've tried everything I can think of in the registry (believe me I tried for an hour) and nothing will make it change the default search engine. There must be another way.

[asklepios]

man this is strange...
anyways after changing my default search engine to google the main change that i observed was not in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE rather it was in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
Look for HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Search Assistant
In that I have a String Value named "DefaultSearchURL" with its value set as "http://www.google.com/search?q=" while in another key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl there is a String Value named "provider" with value "gogl".
After changing it to yahoo the values changed to "http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=" and "yaho" respectively.
I don't know whether its the thing that changes the default search engine but give it a try...it might work...but do back up the registry.

[Spectrix]

You legend! :kay:

All the other strings already said google, except this one :
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl "provider" my value was 'test'.
I changed it to 'gogl' and now it searchs google from the address bar :thumb:

I still don't have any options in customize, and it's still set to MSN (apparently) but it searches google anyway... figure that one out?

Funny what you said about backing up the registry - I was mucking about for hours last night editing the registry and now I have script errors here and there :laugh:.
Anyways I'm still reinstalling windows tonight, and I'll be setting everthing to US spec until explorer is setup properly.. that way I might even get options and not have to reg edit at all.

Thanks heaps for yout help Persion. and asklepios

[asklepios]

its great that the thing worked...:)
here's the list of all the search engines I have in the list and the provider code it sets in registry.
LookSmart--->lksm
Google Sites--->gogl
InfoSpace Search--->infs
AOL Search--->aols
Yahoo!--->yaho
MSN--->msn
Altavista--->alta
Ask Jeeves--->askj
Netscape Search--->nets

Now you can have all the engines we have...:D

and hey...best of luck for that windows reinstall...:thumb:

[Spectrix]

Thanks dude :)

[PersianImmortal]

Thanks Asklepios and Spectrix...I'm currently still writing up the second XP guide, and this definitely makes it in there!

Now I know exactly how to get this tweak working, and hopefully we've helped a large number of other people do it too once they read the 2nd XP Guide :)

Note: I'm pretty sure it's using MSN which then uses the appropriate engine (given the code entered), but that's still better than just defaulting to MSN!

[Spectrix]

I think you're right P.I, as it still says the same thing at the bottom of the IE window - Opening page http://autosearch.msn.com/response...etc but then it comes up with a google results page.

P.I can you check out this reg file I made, it should change the search parametres for the both the search button and the address bar in IE6.
It's the first reg file I've ever made but it seems to be right.. let me know what you think. Also can you tell if it will work for other OS's like 98 or other versions of IE? I'm unsure how the reg paths differ.

Google reg fix

[PersianImmortal]

Seems fine, but it has a few entries we know not to work. It can be abbreviated to these tweaks:

Changing Search Companion bar to Google

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Search Page"="http://www.google.com"
"Search Bar"="http://www.google.com/ie"


Changing search from Address Bar to another engine (MSN is default)

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl]
"Provider"="gogl"

Or use a provider code from the following list:

MSN = msn
LookSmart = lksm
Google = gogl
InfoSpace = infs
AOL = aols
Yahoo! = yaho
Altavista = alta
Ask Jeeves = askj
Netscape = nets

That's pretty much a summary of what we've found to work. Copy and past the registry entries above into a text docoument and rename it search.reg, double-click on it and it will do the job!

[Spectrix]

As far as I know what the other entries do is make IE search google from the search button, or more specifically open the results in the main window rather than the left hand search pane.

[asklepios]

Yeah i feel that it just tells IE to re-direct itself to provider specifically mentioned out there in the registry...but the results will be exactly similar to the ones from a search done from google itself (or any other search engine).
Damn these M$ products...will they ever learn to work exactly what is wanted.

[Spectrix]

So do you think my reg file work with other OS's or IE's?

[asklepios]

I have never worked with writing reg files myself but i feel that it should work. Only thing that concerns me is that what will happen in case where multi-users exist.
This tweak will change the provider in only the "Current User" IE and not for all users as it makes entry in HKEY_CURRENT_USER and not in HKEY_USERS.
Any way to change it in HKEY_USERS...:?:
I know that the same kind of entry exists in HKEY_USERS too.

[Spectrix]

I have multiple users, and the reg file doesn't effect the address bar search parameters of my dad's profile, but it does change the lefthand search pane to google.

Not sure how to make the file work properly for all users other than running the fix in both profiles.

[asklepios]

Well you can apply the same tweak to the HKEY_USERS section.
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1390067357-413027322-839522115-1003\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl
just do the same thing with the provider part out there. it will do it for all the users.

That big number is at the second last point in my registry when I expand HKEY_USERS key. Now i how can you write a reg file common to every puter cos i feel that this number is specific to every one and it might be different in your puter too.

[Spectrix]

Yeah I can see the folders on my system, and yes they have slightly different numbers. ;)
You'd need some pretty tricky code to get around that.. actually you'd prolly need an executable, and that's way beyond my skill.
PersianImmortal can do that one :laugh: