Here’s a weird one for you, Dave: I no longer am able to search from the Address Bar within IE. For example, if I try to search for ‘free beer’ (without quotes) a new page is displayed with ‘http:///?%20free%20beer’ in the Address Bar and ‘Invalid syntax error’ shown at the top. Do you know what has changed within IE to cause this?
Ah, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think the most likely explanation is that you have gained some spyware in your Internet travels that are mucking up your computer.
Do you run antispyware utilities like Ad-Aware? I certainly would.
You can also reset your autosearch capability (as it’s called) by mucking about in the Registry itself, if you’re sufficiently brave or foolhardy. Remember to save a copy before you make any changes, just in case, but if you dig around and find the hive “HKEY CURRENT USER” and the key “Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL” you should be able to double-click the default entry in the right pane of the registry editor then enter
http://home.microsoft.com/access/autosearch.asp?p=%s
Restart and, with any luck, you’ll be good to go. Until your spyware attacks again, that is. 🙁
Oh! It’s also possible that you’ve set up your copy of Internet Explorer to disallow searching from the toolbar, believe it or not. Go to Properties, then the Advanced tab, and make sure you haven’t selected Do not search from the tool bar.
Good luck.
My toolbar and url address bar has disappeared from my internet explorer. any suggestions on how to get it back?
can anyone help me to sort out why i cnt search on google and also my adress bar aint search some website like myspace.com hope you do understand my Q
reply to : charlymariwan@hotmail.com
thanks
I want to download Incredimail. I do not like Outlook Express. Each time i try to download Incred. a box pops up saying “your security settings do not allow this file to be downloaded” i have tired every setting and it does not go away. Please tell me I can use it . Outlook is no fun.
I’ve been having the same IE address bar search error. I have changed the registry and checked IE’s search options. Additionally, I have run several different spyware programs. Unfortunately, it hasn’t fixed the problem.
for some reason my address bar on i.e. dissappeared, can anyone tell me how to make it appear again?
Regarding Category Windows Basics (Article #1308) Microsoft internet Explorer IE6 Can’t search from address bar? I did both of your suggestions…ran spyware and :mucked” around with registry key as indicated…but still get the same invalid syntax error. Any other suggestions as there are really no good computer “fixers” in this little city. Please help me.