On my old laptop whenever I used Google, this drop-down list would appear (sporadically) when I entered a Search term in the box, showing all the things I’d searched for in the past.
I’d like to have this on my new laptop, but I don’t even know what to call it. Does it have a name, and how do I get it?
That’s a browser feature, not a Google feature. On Firefox, it’s called “Saved Form Information.”
Go to toolbar.google.com
or search for Google Toolbar.
It does all that and more.
It is the best addon I have ever used.
For a generic term for this feature, (since I assume the information is saved surreptitiously on the HD somewhere), I suggest “Cookie Crumbs”.
It’s occasionally useful.
More information would help. What browser do you use? Does this happen on other sites?
Assuming you’re using Internet Explorer, it does have a feature called AutoComplete which will display a drop-down list that would have similar functionality. For example, if you type “fre” into a web form, the dropdown list would contain all of the phrases you entered into a webpage that started with “fre”, such as “freedom fries” and “freaky monkey sex”. As you add more letters (such as an a) the invalid possibilites would disappear from the list.
This is under Tools->Internet Options->Content->AutoComplete. You can turn it on or off there, and set under what circumstances you want it to save information.
Google Suggest is a beta feature for the Google search engine that offers suggested search terms based on the most common searches that start with the letters you’ve typed. These aren’t your previous searches, but everyone’s.
If you don’t like AutoComplete (I don’t - darnit, I know what I want to type into the field!) but like having your search history readily available, the Google Toolbar (as linked by CuriousCanuck) is a wonderful tool which allows you to search without having to return to Google.
It is not a browser function, it is a Gogle function. I am on my laptop right now and it does not have the dropdown list. Right behind me is the family desktop and it does have the dropdown. Both run Windows XP.
I don’t like it, and haven’t found an easy way to disable it, but I haven’t tried very hard either.
I’m hesitant to say that you’re wrong, Lamar, since I don’t know your computer’s configurations. However, the first time a form is filled in online with Internet Explorer on a new XP installation, a dialog box appears saying “Do you want Internet Explorer to remember form data, Yes / No / Never stop asking me go away aaah stop stop stop”. It’s possible that you may have clicked Yes on one and Go To Hell on the other, which is why you have a discrepancy without any easily identifiable reason.
What browser are you using on your laptop and desktop?
Both computers use IE.
To clarify, it is not an autocomplete feature or a password reminder. It is a dropdown box with all of your recent search terms displayed. It is in the google search box, just like it is in the IE address bar, with all your recent web pages.
Thanks for the extra info.
Is it with the search box in the Google Toolbar, or the search box on google.com?
If it’s the toolbar, the dropdown search history can be turned on/off by clicking Google->Options and unchecking “Drop-down search history”.
If it’s on the webpage itself, then by gar, I blame gremlins.
In that case, I’m going with gremlins, and all I can offer at this point is the Google FAQ on How do I stop my previous searches from appearing when I type in a new search term?
Isn’t this an IE specific feature? I only have this option when using IE on this box.