task bar search failures

[dalathrop]

Here is a problem no one has been able to solve. About a year ago my taskbar search function started failing. Instead of taking me to a site (for instance, I should be able to simply type "Microsoft" and be taken right to the MS site), I was getting sent to the screen that says "This page cannot be found". I have changed the settings on search, but only using MSN gets the option of going directly to a site. The only way I could do any good was to change my search engine preference to something other than MSN. Then I can at least get search results but cannot go to a site automatically. I have tried many things: reloading IE, trying different versions of IE (I have not attempted 6.0), checking for registry items that might affect this, etc. I have posted on other forums but no one has come even close to finding the solution. I currently use IE 5.01 because it works the best and is not slow as molasses like 5.5. Maybe someone at this forum will be up to this challenge. I usually am my own tech support, since I assembled my own system. MS refuses to support IE as you probably know, unless you are willing to pay the big bucks. Even then I doubt they could solve this based on my past dealings with them.

 

[rkselby98]

If when you search you get the page cannot be found, first try lowering your security settings. Most of the time when you get the page cannot be found it is because the security setting is on high and won't load most pages.

Second have you ran (stupid question but I will ask anyways) virus program, spyware or checked for trojans?

 

[dalathrop]

Thanks for trying. I made sure all security settings are at MS default status. No improvement. I have antivirus software running at all times and am confident that my machine is clean. I have no spyware that I know of.

 

[rkselby98]

I still would lower the security setting. MS security settings are set to high to medium high. Everytime I update IE Explorer I have this problems with numberous sites and by lowering the settings it helps.

It only takes a minute or two to lower them and try. There are only so many options for this problem and you seem to have tried all of them but this one.

 

[dalathrop]

Thanks again, but still no success. I lowered it all the way and it still did not help.

 

[rkselby98]

Last suggestion, go to control panel, internet options, Advanced tab and scroll down to "Search from the address bar", what do you have this setting set at?

 

[dalathrop]

I have it on Display results and go to most likely sight. I have experimented with all of these settings, but as long as MSN is the search engine of choice, it does no good. Incidentally, those settings are actually meaningless since MS changed their site a year ago (just when I started having problems; coincidence? I don't think so). These days you have to click on the search icon in IE and then click customize in that side window that comes up. There is where all the seach engine choices live as well as the options for each choice. This actually overrides the Internet Options selection. In fact most of the time the Internet Options selection has no choice checked. I can function correctly on any search engine available except MSN. The trouble is that the option to go directly to a site only exists for the MSN engine and mine is broken. I cannot even get the MSN option to display results-only. It fails completely.

 

[rkselby98]

Those options should work for they do on mine. Have you run detect and repair IE Explorer? Maybe it is just repair IE Explorer?

Control panel. add/remove programs, highlight IE Explorer and on the next menu check repair IE Explorer. Then make sure you update the patches.

 

[dalathrop]

Been there. Done that. But just for grins I did it again. No change. I have also ugraded and downgraded my versions, except for 6.0 and after seeing how 5.5 slows both IE and Outlook 2000 to a crawl, I am not about to try 6.0. All the ones I have tried fail. I'm sticking with 5.01 for speed purposes. The problem is evidently buried somewhere else that no one has been able to find. Thanks for trying.

 

[rkselby98]

Gee 5.5 shouldn't slow your computer down unless your hard drive needs cleaning.

Have you checked the Certificates in Internet Options, content tab and see what you have listed there.

You might want to clean the hard drive it might help this problem and then again it will never hurt anything either.

I suggest this because you said 5.5 slows your computer down to a craw and this is a good example of the hard drive needing cleaned.

I have instructions on the following site and just follow the instructions with the 3 Red X's behind them.


http://rselby98.go2click.com/Windows.html

My mistake it is 3 * and not 3 X's, don't even know my own site.

 

[dalathrop]

Thanks again for all your time. When I said that IE5.5 slows things down, it actually is just very slow to start up. When you start the browser (or Outlook 2000, which for some reason gets affected too) it take 10-15 seconds for it to start up and get to your startup page. This delay does not exist in the earlier versions. I have loaded it more than once and this is consistent. Once it finally starts, I can browse at a normal speed. It is just very aggravating to have to wait on it. I have cable internet and am used to fast action. 10-15 seconds seem like forever when you are used to instant responses. My hard drive is clean; I do all the maintenance things that you recommend on a regular basis. In fact, my system runs very smoothly. I do like your site and will take a longer look at it when I get a chance.

 

[rkselby98]

Well I must say I have run out of suggestions. I have no other ideas where to look. If your resources are good, hard drive clean, internet options have all been checked, repair run, I just don't know where to go from here. Sorry is about all I know to say right now. Unless it is something with windows and not IE Explorer is about all I can think of but if that is the case why does it affect only IE Explorer and Outlook so that doesn’t seem reasonable.

Have no more ideas, sorry but I just can't help.

 

[eddie5659]

Hiya

Have you tried this?

To change your AutoSearch settings, use one of the following methods:

To Restore Your Original AutoSearch Settings
On the search results page, click the restore the original settings link that is near the bottom of the page.
To Customize Your AutoSearch Settings
In Internet Explorer, click the Search button.

In the Search Explorer bar, click Customize.

Click Autosearch settings, and then click the Autosearch option you want to use in the When searching box

Regards

eddie

 

[dalathrop]

The second suggestion I know about. However as I explained, if I set it for using MSN, it fails. Other engines work but cannot take you to the most likely site (exceptp Realnames, but then you do not get search results).

As for restoring the original settings, I cannot find the link you are talking about. How do I get to the search results page you mentioned? If it involves doing a search with MSN, I cannot get there since that is what fails. Is there another way to restore the original settings? And will it make any difference?

 

[eddie5659]

Hiya

I keep finding links but they are for version 4, etc. You can have a look for the sheer hell of it, and hopefully Rick (rkselby98) will be able to make more sense as its the good ol' registry.

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q179/4/02.ASP

says:

Quit Internet Explorer.

Use Registry Editor to set the Default value to a data value of
http://home.microsoft.com/access/autosearch.asp?p=%s
under the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl

Quit Registry Editor, and then start Internet Explorer

Then, this one

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q198/2/79.ASP

says the same thing, but you can specify the serach site. eg:

To specify Metacrawler as the default search page, change the default value to "http://www.metacrawler.com/crawler?general=%s" (without quotation marks).


One of the things I found in the newsgroups was this:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&th=b543642696a081a7&rnum=1

It didn't have an answer for that guy, but it may for you. Be warned, its lengthy.

We have a winner!!

have a look at this.

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&th=49dcb2f6aefd116c&rnum=7

Regards

eddie