MSN Toolbar Search: Search Google, Yahoo, or A9 by Default!

Contributor Icon Contributed by davak Date Icon May 19, 2005  
Tag Icon Tagged: Windows

I like MSN Desktop Search better than google’s desktop search. However, I like using google for my web searches better than MSN. What to do? Here’s the fix.


To Microsoft’s credit, they made it very easy to change the search engine used when using the new MSN Toolbar Search.

1. Right-click the Magnifying glass in the system tray
2. Select Desktop Search Options
3. Select General in the left column
4. Select Other Search Service
5. Type or paste these into the text box:

    For Google type: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=$w
    For Yahoo type: http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=sfp&p=$w
    For A9 type: http://a9.com/$w

6. Click OK

Now any searches done through the msn toolbar will be made using one of the other websearch engines.

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  • robbyboy
    There is an issue with the Google search where multi word searches seperated by a space will be represented in Google with a plus (+) sign between search terms. So if you search for "the art of war" it will display in the google search as "the+art+of+war". The search results are the same except for some google feature enhancements. For example in the above example the Google print beta will display information above the search results if you search for "the art of war" but will not display if you search for the latter.
  • mm
    Thanks--this saves me the MSN headache! I love the toolbar desktop search feature, but Google internet search is tops.
  • Anonymous
    I had to skip the http:// to get it to work. :)

    For Google type: www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=$w

    Since I wanted norvegian - I used the code nl=n0

    Good luck.

    Rune :)
  • Anonymous
    Sweet :D :D :D

    for UK

    http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=$w

    Have gotten used to tabbed browsing in mozilla, only have IE at work though
    love this featue on the MSN toolbar, hate msn searches.
    does anyone know of way of getting rid of the logo? :twisted:

    Grovie
  • risherz
    <ul id="quote"><h6>grovie wrote:</h6>
    does anyone know of way of getting rid of the logo? :twisted:
    </ul>
    You can use greasemonkey userscripts to do that if you want... but only if you are using Firefox though. You should be able to find one if now you could make one up yourself.
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