How to change the default search provider in Internet Explorer 10

Problem

You want to change the default search provider for Internet Explorer 10 in Windows 8.

(Internet Explorer 10 uses the Microsoft Bing search engine by default.)

Solution

To switch to another search engine, you’ll need to use the desktop. To access the desktop, click the Desktop tile on the Start screen or press Windows Key+D.

1. On the desktop, open Internet Explorer by clicking the Internet Explorer icon on your task bar.
2. Click the gear menu at the top-right corner of the Internet Explorer window and select Manage add-ons.
3. Select the Search Providers category on the left of the Manage Add-ons window and click the Find more search providers link at the bottom of the window.
4. Choose your preferred search engine on the gallery page that appears. Google is one of the most popular, but you’ll also find other search engines like Ask Jeeves.
5. Click the Add to Internet Explorer button on the page. When the Add Search Provider window appears, click the “Make this my default search provider” check box and click Add.

Google (or the search provider you choose) will now be your default search engine in both versions of Internet Explorer 10 – the Start Menu and Desktop version.

If it does not appear straight away then close and reopen Internet Explorer and it will use your preferred search engine when you type a search into its address bar.