# Aberant IE behavior

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aberant-ie-behavior/350058>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 27, 2006, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aberant-ie-behavior/350058 "2006-03-27T07:47:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aberant-ie-behavior/350058/1 "2006-03-27T07:47:15Z")

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Once upon a time, when I tried to go to a URL that didn’t exist, IE would just bring up the standard 404 page. This is the behavior that I want.

However, just now I find that it now opens Yahoo’s search page. This is not desired behavior. I’ve checked all the options and can’t find anything about this. Is there a registry entry I can delete or something?

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aberant-ie-behavior/350058/2 "2006-03-28T06:18:19Z")

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bumpity-bump

Anyone?

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**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aberant-ie-behavior/350058/3 "2006-03-28T07:46:45Z")

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According to [this page](http://forums.kustompcs.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-20196.html) changing  
Internet Options \> Advanced \> Search from address bar  
might help.

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**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aberant-ie-behavior/350058/4 "2006-03-28T07:50:29Z")

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If a page within a domain doesn’t exist, you will get the 404 error, which is generated by the web server (hence the wide variety of 404 errors you see).

What you are talking about is if you type in a url that doesn’t have a domain associated with it at all. IE6 then brings up the search page you are talking about. If you don’t like it, follow the directions on [this](http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=87) page. That page tells you how to change the default search engine to google, but since you don’t want a search assistant at all, just leave the SearchAssistant value blank. Restart IE.

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aberant-ie-behavior/350058/5 "2006-03-29T01:47:45Z")

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Thanks for the help.