Grrr, IE 6.x

Okay my fellow techs…I am no longer one and I can’t figure this out.

Anyhow, I am about to pull out the hair because of Internet Explorer.

When it can’t find the server (for instance, when I am on a local message board posting and the board is screwed up) it pulls up:

http://www.searchresult.net/landing1.asp?item=termwww.whatever the hell I am in…etc…bullshi*

Then proceeds to have a huge list of crap I don’t want. I know where I am going, I am not a stupid user…I wanna bitch about it but wont because this is GQ but know this irritates me beyond belief.

I am guessing this is a Microsoft place as it used to pull up something different that would start at msn then go to the search.

The thing is, no matter what I do, I can’t turn it off to stop with the searching. I want a 404 page, not a search result.

I want control over my IE, not my IE to control my system.

Any help on stopping this annoying so-called feature?

Go to Tools|Internet Options, click the Advanced tab, and scroll down until you see a little blue-and-red magnifying glass. Select the option Do not search from the Address bar. Click Apply and OK.

Unfortunately, I have tried that before. It always defaults itself to NOTHING checked there.

I have tried everything and it defaults to that.

So you see all four radio buttons

Display results, and go to the most likely site
Do not search from the Address bar
Just display the results in the main window
Just go to the most likely site

but none of them is dotted? That’s strange.

Was it an IEAK install package by any chance?

Yes, it is strange. I tried it again to make sure I wasn’t being stupid even though I know I have done it before. I rebooted my machine and sure 'nuff, it defaults to no buttons at all checked.

It’s Plain Jane IE 6.0.2800.1106.

I am pretty computer savy since I used to work on them for a living but these days, not so. But this is just bugging me.

WOW someone who actually wants a 404 page.

It looks like that setting is governed by some registry entry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptions\SEARCHING. You might want to compare these values with a working machine and see if any are different.

k2dave Yes, oddly enough I would rather get a 404 page than a search engine finding the site I know exists but for some reason the site is down. This bugs me to no end because sometimes you can simply do a refresh and the page will reload. I don’t want the search, I know the site there, it’s just having problems. It’s just annoying, I am very particular when my system tries to tell my I am an idiot and my browser can’t find the page I know exists but is on the fritz

Number Unfortunately, most of the people I know have Win98, Win ME or Win XP. So in order for me to do that, I need someone to post their values to I can compare mine to my Win 2000 I hate messing with the registry, I have done it hundreds of times in the past but always with serious trepidation. I want to know that they have the same OS I have, if that makes any sense.

Ok, here’s mine. Win2000 Pro with the same version of IE.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptions\SEARCHING]
“Text”=“Search from the Address bar”
“PlugUIText”="@inetcplc.dll,-4771"
“Type”=“group”
“Bitmap”=“D:\WINNT\System32\inetcpl.cpl,4483”
“HelpID”=“iexplore.hlp#50041”

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptions\SEARCHING\AUTOSEARCH]
“Text”=“When searching”
“PlugUIText”="@inetcplc.dll,-4844"
“Type”=“group”
“Bitmap”=“D:\WINNT\System32\inetcpl.cpl,4483”
“HelpID”=“iexplore.hlp#50041”

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptions\SEARCHING\AUTOSEARCH\DISPLAY_AND_GO]
“RegPath”=“SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main”
“Text”=“Display results, and go to the most likely site”
“PlugUIText”="@inetcplc.dll,-4845"
“Type”=“radio”
“CheckedValue”=dword:00000006
“ValueName”=“AutoSearch”
“DefaultValue”=dword:00000005
“HKeyRoot”=dword:80000001
“HelpID”=“iexplore.hlp#50570”

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptions\SEARCHING\AUTOSEARCH\JUST_DISPLAY]
“RegPath”=“SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main”
“Text”=“Just display the results in the main window”
“PlugUIText”="@inetcplc.dll,-4847"
“Type”=“radio”
“CheckedValue”=dword:00000004
“ValueName”=“AutoSearch”
“DefaultValue”=dword:00000005
“HKeyRoot”=dword:80000001
“HelpID”=“iexplore.hlp#50573”

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptions\SEARCHING\AUTOSEARCH\JUST_GO]
“RegPath”=“SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main”
“Text”=“Just go to the most likely site”
“PlugUIText”="@inetcplc.dll,-4846"
“Type”=“radio”
“CheckedValue”=dword:00000005
“ValueName”=“AutoSearch”
“DefaultValue”=dword:00000005
“HKeyRoot”=dword:80000001
“HelpID”=“iexplore.hlp#50571”

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptions\SEARCHING\AUTOSEARCH\NO_SEARCH]
“RegPath”=“SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main”
“Text”=“Do not search from the address bar”
“PlugUIText”="@inetcplc.dll,-4848"
“Type”=“radio”
“CheckedValue”=dword:00000000
“ValueName”=“AutoSearch”
“DefaultValue”=dword:00000005
“HKeyRoot”=dword:80000001
“HelpID”=“iexplore.hlp#50572”

Looks like you’ve installed something that changes the search options behind your back.

Probably one of those ‘comet cursor’ or ‘gator’ or ‘download helper’ activex or similar control.

Possible solution:

Look for some programs that you don’t remember installing in the add/remove programs interface. Download and install ‘AD-Aware’.

Somewhere down the line you accepted a control or program that did this. I see it all the time, it’s not really IEs fault.

Actually, it just occurred to me that that setting is by user, not by machine. It would be something under HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

Running Ad-Aware wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Try changing a setting in IE Options > Advanced and then uncheck Show Friendly HTTP Errors.

Snetho that is already checked.

I still have yet to mess with my registry…egads, I hate messing around with that…I will try it in the morning when I am more alive and awake.

I plan on writing a longer wiindows security post later, but for now:

Search your registry for ‘http://’ … most likely you will find that any instance of such should draw suspicion.

Errrrrr unchecked.