Search Button only allows MSN search

[Guest]

When I click on the search command button from the toolbar I used to get a
search pane, blue background, where I could set preferences for the search
engine used, which for me was Google. Now all I get is a MSN pane with no
ability to customize. How can I fix this. I am using IE 6.

 

[PA Bear]

1. Click "Search" in the IE menubar and choose "Customize" then select "Use
one search service" then select a search engine for the search window and
for the address bar.

2. See http://www.google.com/options/defaults.html

 

[PA Bear]

... I recently formatted and reinstalled the OS

Well, that'd do it! <w>

 

[Guest]

Then again, shouldn't a clean install of the OS set things like this to the
default? So far the search pane has returned to the MSN page and I had to
run the google registry edit a second time. Something is changing the
registry, and it has to be from one of those programs, but they are all
standard programs needed. Most of them wanted to install google's toolbar,
which I did not so, so where is the msn version hidden?

 

[PA Bear]

MSN Search /is/ the default now.

Options/settings in several third-party applications may be disallowing the
change from "sticking" when you reboot. These include Ad-aware's Ad-Watch,
Spybot Tea Timer, SpywareBlaster, SpySweeper, Norton AntiVirus, McAfee
VirusScan and/or Antispyware, and Zone Alarm (Free and Pro).

 

[Guest]

I did get to the bottom of this. When you select classic internet search
instead of search companion under change preferences, it reverts to the MSN
page and puts SearchAssistantOC in the add-ons list. Once there you have a
limited list of search engines. If you change back to search companion it
goes back to what I was used to, and SearchAssistantOC no longer is in the
list of add-ons. You telling me MSN is the default explains why I was
getting MSN instead of something else, but I now think it has nothing to do
with any program I installed, just me changing the setting to classic
internet search. Don't really remember actually doing that, but when trying
to figure this out I was trying everything, and figured this out.

Thanks

 

[PA Bear]

Is this machine fully patched at Windows Update? IIRC, Search
Companion/Assistant changed (markedly) several months ago.

YMMV, of course.

 

[Guest]

Yes, fully updated and set up for automatic updates. Like I said, I did just
reinstall everything, so who knows what was going on before the reinstall.
For a while I had the Google search page, then I had a couple of instances
when it went to the MSN page, and then back again, but I had also installed,
and then removed IE7, and I thought this might be part of the problem. I
also removed Norton's anti virus because it was causing other issues and went
to AVG Free. Eventually after trying a lot of things I did the reinstall to
start over and get rid of any residual problems. I find even after removing
a program with add/remove remnants are left behind in the registry. Things
are running pretty good now, but then this came up.

Another topic.......I tried IE7 but found too many sites not compatible with
it. Would you know if some of these issues have improved? I liked IE7, but
if the internet world hasn't caught up yet I would wait a while longer before
going back. Will there be another version of IE coming along with Vista?

JB

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

Yes, fully updated and set up for automatic updates. Like I said, I did
just
reinstall everything, so who knows what was going on before the reinstall.
For a while I had the Google search page, then I had a couple of instances
when it went to the MSN page, and then back again, but I had also
installed,
and then removed IE7, and I thought this might be part of the problem. I
also removed Norton's anti virus because it was causing other issues and
went
to AVG Free. Eventually after trying a lot of things I did the reinstall
to
start over and get rid of any residual problems. I find even after
removing
a program with add/remove remnants are left behind in the registry.
Things
are running pretty good now, but then this came up.

Another topic.......I tried IE7 but found too many sites not compatible
with
it. Would you know if some of these issues have improved? I liked IE7,
but
if the internet world hasn't caught up yet I would wait a while longer
before
going back. Will there be another version of IE coming along with Vista?

Quite a few (but not all) sites have fixed their code in response to IE7.
Windows Vista comes with IE7.