# Grrr, IE 6.x
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 22, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415 "2002-12-22T19:52:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/1 "2002-12-22T19:52:37Z")
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](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?
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/2 "2002-12-22T20:10:35Z")
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**.
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### Author:  [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/3 "2002-12-22T20:13:45Z")
Unfortunately, I have tried that before. It always defaults itself to NOTHING checked there.
I have tried everything and it defaults to that.
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/4 "2002-12-22T20:21:38Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/5 "2002-12-22T20:22:50Z")
Was it an IEAK install package by any chance?
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### Author:  [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/6 "2002-12-22T20:31:39Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/7 "2002-12-22T20:37:49Z")
WOW someone who actually wants a 404 page.
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/8 "2002-12-22T20:48:07Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/9 "2002-12-22T21:29:46Z")
**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.
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/10 "2002-12-22T21:32:01Z")
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”
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### Author:  [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/11 "2002-12-22T22:20:57Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/12 "2002-12-22T22:26:08Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@Snetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snetho)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/13 "2002-12-23T01:02:56Z")
Try changing a setting in IE Options \> Advanced and then uncheck **Show Friendly HTTP Errors**.
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### Author:  [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2002, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/14 "2002-12-23T07:23:13Z")
**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.
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### Author:  [@polymur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polymur)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2002, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/15 "2002-12-23T07:30:50Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2002, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrr-ie-6-x/144415/16 "2002-12-23T07:38:25Z")
Errrrrr unchecked.