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  • Contributing Editor Scott Spanbauer offers incisive tips, tricks, and commentary on a broad range of online issues.
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Internet Tips: Quick and Simple Searches With Explorer

Get, Set IE's Quick Search

The Quick Search tool, a component of Microsoft's Web Accessories for Internet Explorer 5, provides another cool way to search the Net. The 134KB Web Accessories download includes utilities, menu bars, and tweaks geared toward power users and developers. Quick Search allows you to specify on the spot which engine you want to use when you enter a search term into IE's Address bar.

To specify a search engine, just precede your search term with a mnemonic code. For example, to search AltaVista for photographs of songwriter PJ Harvey, enter av PJ Harvey photos.

Google isn't listed among the Quick Search codes either, but that's okay because Quick Search is easy to customize. To add a code for Google, simply click the Quick Search button that Web Accessories added to IE's Links toolbar. Click New to add a new search shortcut, enter an appropriate code ( goo sounds good to me), choose Custom URL from the Search drop-down list, enter http://www.google.com/search?q=%s in the URL field, and then click OK. Now when you enter goo guava into IE's Address bar, you'll see Google's fruity results.

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