Searching the Web

You can find information on the Web in a variety of ways. When you click the Search button on the toolbar, the Explorer bar appears at the left of the window. It provides access to a number of search services that offer different kinds of searching capabilities. Try out the different search services to see what kinds of information they provide.

If you want to find information extra quickly, you can use the AutoSearch feature by typing go, find, or ? followed by a word or phrase, right in the Address bar. Internet Explorer immediately starts a search using its predetermined search service.

Then, after you go to a Web page, you can search for specific text on that page.

Tip - To find a Web site when a Web address doesn't work

If the Web address (URL) you type in the Address bar or click on a Web page doesn't work and you get a message that the site could not be found, now there's help. Internet Explorer can automatically use a search service to search for Web addresses containing the name or word you type. For example, you might type website, and Internet Explorer would try to go to a Web site named www.website.com<. But if Internet Explorer cannot find a site with that name, it can search for sites that contain that name in the Web address, and either suggest possible matches or automatically go to the first match.

• On the View menu in the browser, click Internet Options.
  
  
• Click the Advanced tab.
  
  
• Under Search when URL fails:
  
  
• If you don't want Internet Explorer to search for a similar address, click Never search.
  
  
• If you want Internet Explorer to prompt you to search when an address fails, click Always ask.
  
  
• If you want Internet Explorer to search without prompting first, click Always search.
  
  
• If you want Internet Explorer to search for the address using a different domain, select the Autoscan common root domainscheck box.

NOTE... A domain is specified by the three-letter extension at the end of the address that tells you what kind of site it is. For example, if you type the wrong domain type, such as www.microsoft.org, Internet Explorer can check the root "microsoft" with other domains, such as .edu, .com, and .gov. It would suggest a match of www.microsoft.com.