Can't search from address bar

Yea that is very helpful, but it seems he would have problems using that as well since all search engines don't work.

Also, I can't see all of the graphics or advertisements on Yahoo or Hotmail but I can on other websites.

In Internet Options, select the Advanced tab & adjust the option for "Searching from the Address bar - When searching".

Found the problem

I found the "Host" file, renamed it and all is well. Still not sure how the file got there or got changed. See below.

============================================


Some of this could be due to your having a hosts file preventing you from downloading certain ads. The Action Cancelled and page cannot be displayed where ads might be is one of the results of that.

Look in system32\drivers\etc fot a file named HOSTS

No extension.

Read here about HOSTS:

http://accs-net.com/hosts/
============================================

Percent 20's when trying to search from Addy Bar

I recently installed Windows XP on a brand new machine. The installation is less than a month old. When I try to search from my address bar, I get a "Page Cannot Be Displayed" error and the address bar displays a funky URL. For example, typing the following in the address bar:

search from address bar

results in the error page and the following in the address bar:

http:///?%20search%20from%20address%20bar

I've downloaded adaware 6 and updated it. That didn't change anything. I've gone to classic internet search instead of the search companion, nothing changed. I checked my internet options, and searching from the address bar is enabled, but it still doesn't work. I've restored my system defaults. I've checked through my registry, but found nothing that looks obviously wrong. I've checked my Auto Search settings under advanced search settings, but to no avail.

Is it normal for IE 6 and XP Pro to not search from the address bar?

Click on Search in the Internet Exp tool bar or menu and click on "Custom"

Check that out and then click on "Autosearch setting".

See how she do.

I've checked my Auto Search settings under advanced search settings, but to no avail.

Click to expand...

My newest course of action is to edit IE out of the registry and reinstall it.

Re: Percent 20's when trying to search from Addy Bar

When attempting to search from the address bar, this happens.

"The page cannot be displayed" web page appears and "http:///?%20cats"

Go to the location http://www.google.com/options/defaults.html Look down to IE select wheather u want Google or Microsoft Default. It will update your registry to either.

Set Search to Microsoft Default.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Use Search Asst"="yes"
"Search Page"="http://home.microsoft.com/access/allinone.asp"
"Search Bar"="http://home.microsoft.com/search/lobby/search.asp"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL]
""="http://home.microsoft.com/access/autosearch.asp?p=%s"
"provider"=""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search]
"SearchAssistant"="http://ie.search.msn.com/{SUB_RFC1766}/srchasst/srchasst.htm"

Set Default search to Google

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Use Search Asst"="no"
"Search Page"="http://www.google.com"
"Search Bar"="http://www.google.com/ie"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL]
""="http://www.google.com/keyword/%s"
"provider"="gogl"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search]
"SearchAssistant"="http://www.google.com/ie"

Then go to the following location in the registry [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks]
and add a new string value with the name {CFBFAE00-17A6-11D0-99CB-00C04FD64497} including the blocks {} and leave the value empty/blank...

the fix was to correct the Registry by adding the following...

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks]

String Value: "{CFBFAE00-17A6-11D0-99CB-00C04FD64497}"
Value:

Originally posted by Tim_Myth
I recently installed Windows XP on a brand new machine. The installation is less than a month old. When I try to search from my address bar, I get a "Page Cannot Be Displayed" error and the address bar displays a funky URL. For example, typing the following in the address bar:

search from address bar

results in the error page and the following in the address bar:

http:///?%20search%20from%20address%20bar

I've downloaded adaware 6 and updated it. That didn't change anything. I've gone to classic internet search instead of the search companion, nothing changed. I checked my internet options, and searching from the address bar is enabled, but it still doesn't work. I've restored my system defaults. I've checked through my registry, but found nothing that looks obviously wrong. I've checked my Auto Search settings under advanced search settings, but to no avail.

Is it normal for IE 6 and XP Pro to not search from the address bar?

Click to expand...

Not sure what all the links are above I only added the one to google options.

Thanks so much Slimphatdaddy!!!

I too had the same problem, and Slimphatdaddy's fix is the only one that works. :grinthumb and here are a couple things i'd like to add to this helpful thread:

1. my IE address bar search got screwed up by some browser hijack/spyware that somehow took over my IE (maybe i clicked a yes/no prompt too quick?) and Ad-aware and spybot got rid of the spyware, but leaves my IE address bar search crippled.

2. i tried reinstalling IE, that doesnt fix the problem.

3. i tried Slimphatdaddy's suggestions, but that still doesnt fix it, unless i do this crucial step. In [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks], in addition to adding {CFBFAE00-17A6-11D0-99CB-00C04FD64497}, i had to manually remove 2 other entries. they look like {alphabets and numbers}_
both have an " _ " (underscore) and i finally got my IE address bar search function back when i deleted those 2 entries with underscores at the end.

hope this helps anyone else who needs to get theirs fixed in the future.

There's a number of spyware and viruses which will change your hosts file. Rather than rename it, you can open it with notepad and erase all of the entries.

Then I recommend running SpyBot ( www.safer-networking.org ) and using the "immunize" feature. This will block many blacklisted spyware/virus related websites.

Another thing that can greatly help, especially if you modify the hosts file manually like I do (stupid ______ing MS Exchange...), is after you modify hosts, set it to read only (write protect, whatever you want to call it.). This can help avoid many things writing to the hosts file.

Just a follow up to opochee's comments (which I also found to
be essential to restore the search capabilities).

However, the important registry key I needed to delete did
not end with an underscore but started with an underscore,
ie.

_{bunch-of-letters-and-numbers}

Thank you for a little more information that might help someone else out in the future.

BTW :wave:Welcome to TechSpot:wave:

Got it working. Tried numerous fixes yesterday w/ no help but today, All is well.
Thought I had restarted after some registry tweaks so who knows.

Thanks for the posts.

You guys are great - I was having the same problem with a client machine and implemented the instructions from Slimphatdaddy and the subsequent msg to delete the _ line from the UrlSearchHooks. Restarted the browser and all went well... Thanks for your help

Thanks

You guys/girls are awesome. I was having this problem and I really think that this is the only fix on the net. Thanks so much for sharing this information.

I"m glad we could be of service to you.
Hope to see you come back to TechSpot for any other questions you might have

Thank You Slimphatdaddy

My computer was recently hijacked by some spyware and my address bar seaching functionalilty did not return after the removal of the spyware. I spent several hours trying to fix it and was unsuccessful until I found Slimphatdaddy's posting.

I did have to also remove some strings preceded with "_" from [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks]. After that everything was great.

Thanks
:grinthumb

Rockin Solution!!! Thanks Slimphatdaddy

I too was struck by some obnoxious spyware. For days now could not search from my address bar. Slimphatdaddy, your solution is the bomb, work like a charm! Thanks so much.

:hotbounce

Not working - still

I did everything Slimphatdaddy and opchee suggested (in fact all the things they suggested were already in place), however, I still cannot search from the search bar when I use IE (everything is fine using Mozilla). In fact, all I really need IE for is window updates (which no longer works). Another weird thing happened the same time I lost the ability to search, when I go to Add/Remove Programs, the words id'ing the programs aren't visible, and when I go to Help in IE, and then About, I get an error message saying "an error has occured in this dialog" then kicks out. I redownloaded IE 6 and it apparently installed (after having these problems), but the one thing I see when I go to the About Interenet Explorer, is that it says I have 5.0, when I dl'd 6.0. I run Giant everynight, ad-remove, and spyboot - they show nothing. I use NOD32 and it says I have no viruses.

Cant search from the Address Bar

I had an issue where for a few days I was unable to search to certain sites, so I thought it was my internet connection settings, I even installed a few other browsers, messed with my Anti Virus settings and no fix could be found. The strange thing is I had access to most of my favorites but would get "page cannot be displayed" for maybe 1 out of 4 sites. I finally asked around and found out that SP2, XP and Dell computers are having an incapability problem. So I contacted Dell after the few suggestions on here didnt work. I reset my settings by going to start, then run, and by typing "NETSH WINSOCK RESET CATALOG" Then I rebooted my computer and this issue was resolved. I hope that this may help some of you Dell users that are having the same problem.

Melissa