Web Sites Open in the Search Bar (191580)

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the search provider being used in the Search bar did not design their page to work in the Search bar. To work with the Search bar, search providers need to modify their search and results pages to use "_main" as the target for any links that should be opened in the main browser area, and "_self" for any links that should be opened in the Search bar.

The Internet Explorer Adminsitration Kit (IEAK) allows Internet content providers (ICPs), Internet service providers (ISPs), or corporate administrators to customize the default search provider used in the Search bar.

RESOLUTION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To resolve this issue, contact your ICP, ISP, corporate administrator (if you are using a customized version of Internet Explorer) or the search provider being used in the Search bar to resolve this issue. To return to the default Internet Explorer Search Bar settings, use the steps below:

Internet Explorer 4

Edit the Search Bar string value in the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Change the value data to:

http://home.microsoft.com/search/lobby/search.asp

Internet Explorer 5

Click Customize on the Search bar in Internet Explorer, and pick another search provider.

The default Search Bar value for Internet Explorer 5 is located in the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

The default value date is:

http://ie.search.msn.com/en-us/srchasst/srchasst.htm

NOTE: Customized Search bar values are ignored in Internet Explorer 5 if the Use Custom Search URL value is set to 0 (DWORD) in the above registry key.