Computers 101

Q:
Is there a way to change the search engine used when I search from my browser's Address Bar?

A:
Guess what? You aren't stuck using MSN as your search engine when you search from the address bar or when you click "Search" to bring up the sidebar.

With Internet Explorer just click View / Explorer Bar / Search (or click the "Search" button in your Toolbar) to bring up the side panel. If you have a side bar with a little dog at the bottom, then click "Change Preferences" then "Change Internet Search Behavior" to bring up a list of search engine you can use.

Highlight the one you want then click OK.

This new default setting will only apply to searches done in the side bar. If you type a word into your address bar, it still goes to MSN. Before you go on with the next step, be really sure that you want to change the setting to "classic" because I have not found a way to change back to the newer style search sidebar.

To change where the address bar search looks, select the radio button marked "With Classic Internet Search" before clicking OK. Close Explorer and reopen it. You'll notice that the sidebar looks different now. Plain text on white like the earlier versions of IE. The menu bar has a button at the top marked "Customize". Clicking it will open the "Customize Search Settings" box. Next, choose the "Autosearch Settings" button to bring up a box where you can change the default engine for address bar searches.

Once you pick the one you want, close the sidebar.

Now when you type a word in the address bar, it will bring up the results on the page of your favorite search engine.

~ David

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Tip of the Day

Email Addresses as IE Favorites

Have you ever been surfing the web and had a sudden urge to send an e-mail to someone? Maybe you just stumbled upon a really cool page or some awesome information that you just gotta share.

Whatever the reason, wouldn't it be cool if you could compose an e-mail without launching Outlook Express, fiddling around in the address book, then finally starting the message?

Well, where's there's a geek, there's a way!

Here's the newest idea I had. Why not put the people you frequently send e-mail to on your Favorites menu? That way, if you see something you need to tell them about while surfin', you can click their name in the Favorites menu. Outlook Express will start a new message already addressed to them and all you need to do is put in a subject and a message. I know you’re saying, “Whoa, Steve, you’re getting crazy… E-mail addresses as a Favorite?!?”

Well, check this out:

First, Internet Explorer is not really designed for this trick, so you'll need to add e-mail address to it in a round about way:

1. First, start Internet Explorer, hit the Favorites menu, Add to Favorites. Don't worry about the address, we just need to create a new favorite.

2. Now, name the favorite with the person's name. If you were going to add my address, you would type "Steve" in the description box.

3. Hit OK. Now, we need to adjust that "Steve" favorite so points to my e-mail address and not to whatever page to which it's currently assigned. So, hit your Favorites menu, and right-click the "Steve" favorite, then select Properties from the resulting menu.

4. A nifty little screen will pop-up. Where it says "URL," delete everything in that box and change it to: mailto:steve@worldstart.com

Hit OK and you're finished. Follow the same procedure for any address you want to add, just replace the "steve@worldstart.com" part after the "mailto:" with the proper address.

Cool huh?

~ Steve

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Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

The Old Timer’s Page

This site's slogan is: "The way we used to do it." You can learn a lot on this site, like how to build a root cellar, or how to build a cistern. You will also find old recipes, how to cure ham, and much, much more.

The site goes on to declare:

"Today there is an increasing self awareness among many toward becoming more self reliant. We try new things and—in my opinion—try to re-invent the wheel. The pioneers of 100 years ago were already more self-sufficient than most of us will ever be. Perhaps instead of looking to the future and new ways of doing things, we ought to at least take a small look into the past and re-acquaint ourselves with the old ways that are proven, that work, yet are nearly forgotten."

I have to agree—could you imagine living without electricity? The recent black out proved how very reliant we are on our modern comforts. So the things on this site were really interesting to read about.

Check this one out it is very interesting.

http://waltonfeed.com/old/index.html

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com