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Thread: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    93

    Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    Hello,

    I am using Internet explorer 8 for XP, by default it searches in the search box go to Live Search, and I want to use Google. How do I change it? Does anyone have the method to change Live Search to Google search.

    Thank you
    Computer:

    Windows XP Professional
    Asus A8N-VM Socket 939 Motherboard with NForce 410
    AMD Athlon 64 3500+ 2.45ghz-Venice Core
    2x1024MB PC3200 Kingston Ram in Dual Channel
    ATI Radeon X800XL 256MB GDDR3,16 Pipelines overclocked to 442mhz/1080mhz
    Enermax 420W "Silent" Powersupply

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    2,572

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    When you open IE8, in the search bar, there is a small arrow to the right of a magnifying glass. Clicked and then select "search for other search engines."A page will appear with several search engines, you will just choose google as default search engine

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    93

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    Hi,
    Nice but I can not change the default engine, which remains stubbornly on live search. In my view, is blocked because even if I choose another engine than Google, nothing moves.
    Thank you
    Computer:

    Windows XP Professional
    Asus A8N-VM Socket 939 Motherboard with NForce 410
    AMD Athlon 64 3500+ 2.45ghz-Venice Core
    2x1024MB PC3200 Kingston Ram in Dual Channel
    ATI Radeon X800XL 256MB GDDR3,16 Pipelines overclocked to 442mhz/1080mhz
    Enermax 420W "Silent" Powersupply

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    2,358

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    Here's how to add more search options to the IE 8 search bar.

    Go to Tools and select Manage Add-ons.

    Then select Search providers.

    You'll see Microsoft Live Search and whichever options you chose during install. If that was Live Search, that's all you'll see.

    Now click Find more search providers.

    You'll get a list of various options. Press "Add to Internet Explorer" to add the providers you want. Each time you'll get the option to make it a default search provider, and include terms in the suggested search terms. If you don't see your favorite. Scroll to the bottom and click "Create your own search provider."

    Now open a new tab, and enter the URL of the search engine you want to include. Search for the word TEST in all capital letters. Copy the URL of the search results page by highlighting it and pressing the "Windows" and "C" keys at the same time.

    Now click back to the tab that says "crate your own search provider." Use the "Windows" and "V" keys to paste the URL you copied earlier into the box marked URL. Then give the search engine a name. And press Install Search Provider. If you want to make this your default search provider, check that box. Then press Add one more time.

    Now when you type a keyword in the search box, icons for all the search engines you selected will show up. Just click on one with your mouse to search the keywords you typed in that engine.
    I'm the Proud Owner of the most dangerous weapon
    known to man kind: Human Brain

  5. #5
    Davidssp Guest

    cool Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    Hi Muhammad ;
    You have my sympathies. No body anywhere on the Internet has offered anyone else a working solution to the problem yet.

    That is because they do not have the same system you and I have. XP pro, with AMD, ( You might have SP 2.0 because there is no SP3 for AMD and Media Center) and you might have just installed IE8 which has at least 3 major glitches.

    This glitch you and I have will not allow the removal, or any change, to Live Search as an add on to IE8. It is a real nasty. It has existed for more than 2 years and Microsoft has done nothing to rectify it. And they have not posted a solution that works either. The reason may have to do with the order that Windows Live was installed with respect to other updates.

    I installed the updates and IE8 all at the same time so I can track the error messages that cause problems with web pages. Microsoft does not subscribe to the current WWW3 standards so there are buckets of glitches.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    996

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    Actually we can change the search provider temporarily for a specific search or specify which search provider you prefer to be used by default by clicking the drop down menu of the Search Box and then Selecting ‘Manage Search Providers’. After that the ‘Manage Add-ons’ window opens and Selecting the Search Provider that you like to set as default here.

  7. #7
    Davidssp Guest

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    Hi SuperCop;
    You are 100% correct with respect to what should happen, but once you get the error message that states what is in quotes below, your IExplorer browser will not give you the option to change.

    "A program on your computer has corrupted your default search provider setting for Internet Explorer.

    Internet Explorer has reset this setting to your original search provider, Live Search (search.live.com).

    Internet Explorer will now open Search Settings, where you can change this setting or install more search providers.
    "

    The last sentence above is what does not work. The second last sentence is true. The problem seems to be something to do with permissions in the location where "Live" resides.

    Lots of suggestions have been made, but most users just give up or try to uninstall Microsoft Live.

    I have tried editing the registry also, but the entries that other people recommend modifying do not exist in our systems "Microsoft Media Center".

    I have tried updating with fixes using a .reg file intended to update the registry and make it function around the glitch, but Microsoft has modified the updates to Media Center so that the registry cannot be modified by anything but binary files or by hand. Not cool!

    I will, however, continue trying because I have clients who would like to use IExplorer 8. Then they won't get hounded continuously to upgrade to it.

    Keep trying please. There are lots of us looking for a solution.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    721

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    There are some settings for the same. Click on Tools and then click on Internet Options. Then below the third option you can see is change search defaults. Click on the setting tab next to that. Then in the box you add up your own search engine and save the settings back. Once done restart your web browser and then check again weather it is working or not.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    2

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    I am also struggling with this problem after just uploading IE8 it has been suggested that the only way around it is to create a new profile and coy favorites and docs over, not sure i want to do that. Anything else worth a try.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    1,736

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    I was able to change the default MSN search engine to google by going into internet explorer toolbar and then in the Change Search Defaults option, changing it to google. You can also watch a video here on how to change the default search engine on Internet Explorer 8.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    2

    smile Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    WOW SUCCESS AT LAST -but not sure how, - yes after reading endless blogs about this problem and yes it is NOT as simple as going to addins or options or anything that straight forward for us sufferes of this problem. So how did I fix it. I delete all the updates from microsoft reinstallled ie8 as part of the updates and everything worked ok. I wonder if certain updates have to be loaded in a certain order before ie8 or that they were just corrupted.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Posts
    3

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    Reset Live Search to Google and resolve ‘A program has corrupted your default search….

    This worked for me!

    Reset Live Search:
    1. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/.../default.mspx#
    2. Select “Google Google Web Search” from the ‘Web Search’ list on the left.
    3. In “Add Search Provider” dialog box: Check ‘Make this my default search provider’ & ‘Use search suggestions from this provider’. Then click on “Add”.
    4. Open the now famous ‘Live Search’ drop-down menu (To the right of the Spyglass) and you should now see ’Google’ added to your search options.
    5. From this drop-down menu select ‘Manage Search Providers’
    6. This opens ‘Manage Add-ons’. Select ‘Search Providers’ from list of “Add-on Types”.
    7. You should now see ‘Google’ added and enabled in the list of search providers; Click on Google and then click the ‘Set as default’ button. Google should now appear as your default search provider.
    8. Now close your browser and reopen it, checking to ensure that Google remains as your Default Search Provider.
    9. Now, if like me, you don’t want the dreaded ‘MS Live Search/Bing’ at all, you can repeat steps 4; 5 & 6. But this time ‘Right click’ on Live Search and select ‘Remove’

    Job – Jobbed? Well nearly!

    This resolved my inability to reset Live Search to Google on six accounts out of seven, over three machines, all running XP SP3 & IE8. However, in the remaining account I was still unable to make any changes to the ‘Live Search/Bing’ default search scenario and that account was also producing an error:
    “A Program on your computer has corrupted your default search setting for Internet Explorer.
    Internet Explorer has reset this setting to your original search provider.
    Internet Explorer will now open Search Settings, where you can change this setting or install more search providers.”

    So, reluctant to go thru the ‘Open New Account process, on this account I carried out the recommended RegEdit as follows:

    Close all open Internet Explorer windows. Change the following registry keys
    Note: Changing registry key can make your system unstable; make sure you create a backup of registry and save it.

    1. Click on Start -> Run, type regedit.exe and click OK.
    2. In the Registry editor, on the left pane locateHKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
    3. Add a new Expandable String value inside ‘User Shell Folders’ with a value name of AppData and a value data of %USERPROFILE%\Application Data.
    4. Close the registry editor and reboot the computer.

    That did the trick and I was now able to complete steps 1 thru 9 of the ‘Reset Live Search’ procedure. I now have all seven accounts with ‘Google’ set as default Search Provider and the dreaded ‘Live Search/Bing’ removed.

    (Sighs with relief and goes to bed) Another very late one!

    Y'all keep safe and be lucky.

    Gerry.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    1

    smile Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    Thanks this worked for me

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Posts
    1

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    I tested on Win XP x86 ie8 and Win 7 x64 ie9. (this will remove other search providers)
    Attached Files Attached Files

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    1

    Re: Change the default search engine in Internet Explorer 8

    Quote Originally Posted by hardmaxi View Post
    I tested on Win XP x86 ie8 and Win 7 x64 ie9. (this will remove other search providers) http://forums.techarena.in/attachmen...search.rar.att
    Thank you very very much. I have been noticing this more often lately. I have to re-image machines daily and we are required to use google as the default search provider.

    I know this is months after your post, but THANK YOU AGAIN!

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