How To Change Internet Explorer’s Default Search Engine Setting

If you have Internet Explorer, and click the “Search” icon, it will default to Bing. If you would like to set Internet Explorer to something other than the default search engine choice, follow these directions.

1.Remember that Search button in the IE browser toolbar? If you haven’t clicked on it already, click it. The “Search Companion” window will open up on the left side of your browser

2.You’ll see a “Change Preferences” button about three-quarters of the way down the window. Click on it.

3.You will now see a window with the heading “How Do You Want To Use Search Companion?” You want to click the arrow that says “Change Internet Search behavior.”

4.After you click the arrow, you’ll be taken to the Internet Search Behavior window. There are two radio buttons to choose from. The first one gives you the option of continuing to search with Search Companion, or search with Classic Internet Search. Neither one give you any more screen real estate, so it is entirely up to you.

5.Below these Search Behavior options, you’ll see the box with various search engines listed. Just click on the one you want, and that’s the one that Search Companion will search with.

Search Companion

All you have to do to get rid of Search Companion is click on the X at the top right of the window. Some people really like Search Companion because it also can be customized. However, I don’t like how it hogs valuable real estate on the computer screen. My choice would instead be for Google Toolbar. It’s a free download and fits nice and snug right under the regular IE toolbar, and you can search Google without losing screen room.