Help me get my MSN search engine back

Ok, you have several options:

You can follow my registry editing instructions (and you get to choose any search engine as default, even Google).

Or you can use a spyware removal tool to remove the crap that hijacked your search page.

Which do you prefer?

And:

Is it the address bar search capability you are talking about or is it the search sidebar? They work independant of each other in some configurations.

The search sidebar, I think. I click on the MSN search icon, which opens the fake search sidebar. I just want to return it to the original default MSN search parameters.

Thanks.

Open the search sidepanel. Then:

Change Preferences > Change Internet Search Behavior > Select the seach engine you would like to use.

Sorry to be a numbskull about this-

What I see on the side panel is:
-------------------------------------------------
Search x
New | Customize
Choose a category for your search:
O Find a Web page
O Find a Book
O Find a DVD
O Find Music

(This is the impostor- the real MSN doesn't have the 'find a book/DVD/Music' but does (did) have stuff like Find a Business, Look up a Word, Find map...)
--------------------------------------------------
If I click on CUSTOMIZE,
I get a menu that says

O Use Search assistant- allows you to customize your search settings
O Use One Search Service - allows you to choose a single search service.

If I choose the former, I appear to be able to reselect the choices I used to have on MSN Search. Despite my selections, nothing changes.

If I choose the latter, I can select MSN (or Google, etc). Despite my selection, nothing changes.

At the bottom of the screen is

|Autosearch settings| |OK| |Cancel| |Reset|


If I reset - use search assistant- OK Nothing changes.
If I reset - use one search service - OK Nothing changes

the Autosearch settings button gives me
"Choose search provider for address bar searches"
from which I can select MSN, or Google or whatever.

then has choices of
"when searching:"
O Do not search from the address bar
O Just display results in the main window
O Just go to the most likely site
O Display results, and go to the most likely site

No combination of any of these appears to change my search sidebar choices.

Maybe I am not pushing selection/cancel/reset buttons in the proper order?

I think the hijack is disabling the ability to return to normal.

If you do not have "Spybot" (a removal tool for such internet leeches) please download it here: Spybot download

After it is installed run it in advanced mode and go to "tools".

Then you will see an option called "Browser pages".

See if you can see the hijacked serach page there.

If so use the "change" button.

Hopefully you will be able to rin yourself of this pest without having to manually edit registry keys.

That got rid of the evil twin. Thank you- you are a scholar and a gentleman.