Save $80 When Buying Windows 7 With a Few Hacks

The trusted Windows expert, Paul Thurott have figured out how to use a Windows 7 Upgrade disk to do a clean install of Windows 7. This is really great because the Windows 7 Upgrade costs a whole $80 less then the regular version.

Here are the installation instructions:

1. When installing Windows 7 do a clean install. You should have no problems doing this.

2. Make sure there are no Windows Updates pending -- if there's an orange shield icon next to the Shutdown button in the Start Menu, that means you need to reboot before attempting the next steps.

3. Open the Windows Registry Editor.This can be done by clicking start and type “regedit” (without quotes).

4. In the Registry Editor navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/

5. Change MediaBootInstall from '1' to '0'

6. Open Command Prompt. This can be done by clicking start and searching for “CMD”.

7. Type slmgr /rearm -- and press enter.

Your PC will restart and run the Activate Windows utility. Then like magic, everything works and you’ve got another $80 in your pocket.

Run Windows XP Apps in Windows 7 With Windows XP Mode

Windows XP Mode allows users to seamlessly run Windows XP applications in the Windows 7 environment. This means that all of your old software that runs on Windows XP will work in Windows 7. Before you get started take a look at the system requirements which I listed below:

• Operating System(s): Windows XP and Windows 7 Ultimate Professional or Enterprise.
• Processor: Processor capable of hardware virtualization, with AMD-V™ or Intel® VT turned on in the BIOS.
• Ram / Memory: At least 2 GB
• Hard Drive: At least 20 GB for Windows XP

If you need to check if your processor supports hardware virtualization, refer to your manual, call your computer manufacturer or download SecurAble, to determine if your processor supports XP mode.

You will now need to download some software.

You will need to download and install both Windows Virtual PC RC and Windows XP mode RC which you can find here.

Once you’ve completed the install click Virtual Windows XP in the start menu and choose a username and password. Make sure to remember these credentials, or XP mode wont work.

Once you’ve done that you should see a window, which will set up Windows XP for use. This can take a while so, go get a cup of coffee read the news paper and wait until it’s complete.  If you receive a message that hardware virtualization is not enabled, reboot your computer and check that the BIOS option is enabled, usually found under the advanced settings page. Call your hardware maker for more information.

If your computer chooses not to misbehave you should see a window with the regular Windows XP desktop in it.

 

You will now need to install all of your Windows XP applications in the Virtual Windows XP Window. Make sure to select install for all users when you install programs, or XP mode just wont work.

If you can't install for everybody, you can simply choose "Open All Users" on the start menu, and copy a shortcut to the application into the start menu's programs folder.

Once you install all of your programs they will be listed in the Windows 7 start menu under the Windows Virtual PC -> Virtual Windows XP Applications folder.

 

 

Depending on what the situation is, when clicking a XP mode application in Windows 7 you’ll be prompted to do different things. No matter what the window says XP mode should work.

The whole process of setting up XP mode should now be complete. When launching applications in Windows XP mode you’ll find that they look like they did in Windows XP except they are in Windows 7. Enjoy!

Stream Zune Songs to your iPhone

Gear Live has found a clever way to stream Zune Pass songs to your iPhone. Why would you do that. Zune Pass gives you an unlimited amount of songs for about $15/month. The issue is that they don't play natively on the iPhone.

You first need to set up Orb on a Windows based computer to transcode, on the fly, your already downloaded Zune songs. Then you can listen to all of your songs (not just 16GB or 32GB of them) wherever you have internet access. It works well on 3G and Wi-Fi but EDGE is too slow for full quality music. For a full guide on how to do it click here.

Change the Location of the Vista Documents Folder

The “My Documents” folder in Windows XP has been renamed to the “Documents” folder in Windows Vista. Vista creates Documents folder for each user that logs onto the computer and stores it in the appropriate profile folder. The default location for this folder is c:\Users\\Documents (assuming of course that you have installed Vista on your C: drive). You can store the Documents folder on another drive or in another folder. For example, if you have more free space on another drive, you can move it.

To accomplish this task, right click Documents from the Start Menu and select Properties. This opens the Properties dialog box for the Documents folder. Click the Location tab and type in the path to the location where you want to store the folder. Click OK. If the folder location you specified in the Target field does not exist, the Create Message dialog box will appear. Click Yes to create the folder and click OK. Alternatively, you can also select the Move button from the Location tab and browse to the location where you want to store the Documents folder.

Add or Remove File Association in Windows Vista

Back in the good old days with Windows XP, things were a little easier with performing simple tasks. One that comes to mind is file types. With XP you can easily associate and unassociate file types to a program or application, from the Control Panel or by selecting: Tools \ Folder Options on the menu of a folder.

With Vista, for some unknown reason, you can only associate file types, but you can not unassociate (delete) a file type completely. The only option allowed is to associate the file to another program or application. Until now…

First, let's look at two ways to find where File Type Associations lives in Vista. The easiest way is from the Start Menu, by clicking on Start \ Default Programs.

Then click on Associate a file type or protocol with a program.

The second way is from the Control Panel by clicking on Start \ Control Panel \ Programs then clicking on Make a file type always open in a specific program (under Default Programs).

Once you have accessed the window for file type association, you can easily associate (add) or change (modify) an existing file type, by highlighting a file type, then clicking on the Change Program… button.

NOTE: You will need to click the small down arrow  to see the list of Other Programs.

To remove (delete) a file type association, you can use a great utility found on winhelponline.com to unassociate file types.

Just download, unzipp and click on Unassoc.exe. No install is required.

To use, just find the file type you want to delete and click on the Remove file association button. The file type association will be deleted from the registry. Vista will then treat it as an unknown file type.

Now, the only functionality missing with File types in Vista, compared to XP, is the capability to change icons and create a new file type. If you come across how to do this, let us know!

Remove Optional Windows XP Components

Windows XP has plenty of options to get rid of the extra bloat on your computer. One of the best ways to do it is to get rid of the Windows components you don't use.

1. Click start –> Set Programs and Access Defaults.

2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.

This “Please Wait…” dialog will open. This windows may stay open for up to 5 minutes, so be patient.

3. The below screenshot is self explanatory. Uncheck the components you wish to uninstall.

 

4. Click Next and your done!

Remove Optional Vista Components

In the quest to get rid of the unnecessary bloat it your computer, Windows Vista has less options than previous versions of Windows, but you can still get rid of some of the components.

Open up Control Panel and go to the Programs and Features section. Find the link for "Turn Windows features on or off" (or you could just search for it)

This dialog is quite self-explanatory… uncheck the things you don't want, and hit the OK button. Depending on the version of Vista you are running you might not see everything in the list.

Just to get you started, here's a few tips on what an average user might want to enable or disable. The rules will be different for everybody, depending on your applications and needs, so don't take these as absolute.

ActiveX Installer Service
No
Do you really want anything to do with ActiveX?

Games
Why Not
Your productivity can only increase with Spider Solitaire on your computer.

Indexing Service
No
This is the old indexing service that is no longer needed in Vista.

Internet Information Service
No
Used for hosting websites on your computer.

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0
No
Used for the new .NET 3.0 components, but only really needed for programmers.

Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) Server
No
Used by programmers as a way to reliably queue messages.

Print Services
No
You only need this if you use internet printers and like to kill trees. Our rainforests are depending on you disabling this service.

Remote Differential Compression
Maybe
This is likely required for utilities that use the network to download files. If it is enabled, don't mess with it.

Removable Storage Management
No
The only reason you'd need this is if you are restoring from old NTBACKUP files.

RIP Listener
No
You won't need this, it's a routing protocol.

Services for NFS
No
This can be used to map a drive to a linux NFS server. Unlikely you'd need it since Samba works so well.

SNMP Feature
No
This is used for management systems in workplace networks. You don't need it.

Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications
No
This is used for compatibility with certain applications based on UNIX… you don't need it.

Tablet PC Optional Components
Maybe
If you have a Tablet PC, you should enable this. If you don't, you may still want to because this includes the Snipping Tool.

Telnet Client
AVOID
You should never use telnet. Ever.

Telnet Server
AVOID
You should never use telnet. Ever.

TFTP Client
AVOID
TFTP was used by many of the early internet worms… there's a reason it's disabled by default.

Windows DFS Replication Service
No
This is only really used in work environments. Don't bother with this if you are a home user.

Windows Fax and Scan
No
Why anybody still faxes anything is beyond me.

Windows Meeting Space
No
If you don't use Windows Meeting Space or the "People Near Me" feature, don't bother with this.

Windows PowerShell
No
PowerShell is a more advanced command line geared towards programmers and system administrators.

Windows Process Activation Service
Probably
This is likely required to support some .NET applications, so I wouldn't change whatever it's currently set to.

Windows Ultimate Extras
Maybe
If you like the extras, then enable them. (Ultimate Only)

Share Files in Windows Vista

So how to share files and folders in a wireless network at home or work?
Note: This method is applicable both to wired and wireless network in Windows Vista.
First you need to access Network and Sharing Center. Go to Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center. You can also access it by clicking the network icon on the tray from the taskbar and then click Network and Sharing Center.

Here you will see the network you are connected currently and under that you find the title Sharing and Discovery. Turn on Network Discovery, File Sharing and public folder sharing. Make sure you do the same thing in the computer that you want to share files with.

To see the computers available on your network, click Network from Start or click View Network Computers and Devices from Network and Internet at Control Panel. Here you will be able to see your computer and other computers that are connected to this network with public file sharing mode.

Now, all the files that are in the public user are shared across the network. You can see these folders and files from C drive/users/public (or from the drive where windows is installed). To share a file you can just copy and paste it under the folder public.

Share files and folders from anywhere by changing its properties:
You can also share files and folders from anywhere by changing the sharing properties of the files and folders. To change its Properties, right click and click Properties. Go to Sharing tab and click Share.

Click the drop down menu and select Guest and click Add. Click Share at the bottom of the window and it will close.

By default, the guest will have view access and if you want to give access to full access or change, click Advanced Sharing from the Sharing tab and click Permissions. Select Guest and choose the permission setting you would like to give and click Ok.

Now you will see that folder under your PC apart from public in Network folder. To stop sharing these files, Click Sharing from the properties, Click share and click stop sharing.

Password Protection:
If you are sharing folders in a network where there are couple of computers and you would selectively share folders then you can opt for password protection. You can activate Password Protection from Network and Sharing Center. Now while accessing the shared folders from another computer, you need to use the User account and Password that is already there in your computer.

Create a Wireless Network in Windows

1. If buying router and adapter separately, ensure your wireless router is at least as new as your wireless adapter so that they use compatible standards (known as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n). For maximum compatibility choose Tri-mode or dual-mode 802.11b/g standards.

2. If you are not using Windows XP, check that drivers are available for the chipset of the wireless adapter for your operating system before you buy.

Set up your new router

1. If you want to share a broadband connection via a wireless router, plug the new wireless router into your internet connection point (filter/splitter if ADSL, directly into phone socket if DSL)

2. If you have one, turn on your broadband connection and existing external modem FIRST (wait for all lights to return to normal).

3. Plug your router into your PC with an ethernet cable

4. Turn on your new wireless router SECOND (wait for it to start up fully).

5. Go to your internet browser and type http://192.168.0.1 (Belkin), http://192.168.1.1 (Linksys), http://192.168.2.1 (Others) and enter your username and password for your router (often this is "admin" for username and "admin" or "password" for password)

6. Enable wireless capability (SSID) and enter your username and password given to you by your internet service provider.

7. Choose WPA (or WEP if your card cannot handle WPA) security and enter a passkey and write it down.

Detecting your wireless adapter

1. Note the manufacturer and model of your wireless adapter then plug it into your PC.

2. If your operating system does not recognise the wireless adapter then get drivers from any discs that came with the adapter or, failing that, from the internet.

3. In Windows XP, either right click on the .inf file and click install, or enter Device Manager and Update Drivers on the Unknown Device.

4. Once Windows XP recognises your wireless device it should appear in Network Connections and offer you a choice of routers to connect to within range.

Connecting to a network

5. Choose your router (usually the manufacturer name aka SSID), the security method and enter the passkey in order to connect to it. Use Auto DHCP unless otherwise instructed.

6. This should find the wireless router (click refresh until it does) and connect to the network through the new router.

Find a Websites IP Address

There are many reasons why you would want to find someone IP Address. Perhaps your diagnosing a broken internet connection, or blocking a malicious website. Whatever you need it for, finding out an IP Address is a simple task.

1. Navigate to START → Run...,

2. Enter "cmd" and press enter to open up the Command Prompt window. The following window should appear:

3. Enter "ping", followed by the name of the website (e.g. ping wikihow.com). You should see the following:

4. Take note of the results. The IP address will appear several times on the screen. IP addresses have four numbers, 0-255, separated by periods. This value can be used to bypass website blocks, create website blocks, and a lot more.

5. An easy alternative way to find website IP is to use an online tool like this: Find Website IP

Change the Number of Jump List Items in Windows 7

Here is a quick tip for Windows 7 users who want to change the amount of items in Jump Lists. Jump Lists are small context menus for the Windows 7 taskbar that can show information such as recent documents.

By default Windows 7 can hold an maximum of 10 items in Jump Lists but can easily be changed by right clicking on the Windows Orb (Start Menu) and clicking properties. A click on the customize button in the right upper corner will open the menu where the recent items setting can be changed.

The entry “Number of recent items to be displayed in Jump Lists” controls the amount of items that are displayed in the jump lists. It can be increased or decreased to suite the user’s needs. A click on the ok button will save the changes.

How to Restore Your Computer to an Earlier Point

Lets say you did something absolutely awful to your computer, like deleting the theme accidently (like I did). It may seem like you will never will be able to fix it, but you can by using Windows Restore.

How to Restore in Windows Vista:

There are two places that you can use the system restore feature from. From within Windows, you can just type restore into the Start menu search box, and you'll immediately see System Restore at the top of the start menu:

Or you can type rstrui into the search box and hit enter. Your choice.

You will immediate see a screen where you can choose to roll back the system to the last restore point. You can select "Recommended restore", and just click next, or you can choose a different restore point.

If you do choose a different restore point, you will see a list of restore points that you can choose from. How many times have I typed the word choose at this point?

You'll notice in the screenshot below that the last thing I did was install Virtual CloneDrive to mount ISO images, but right before that I installed the NVIDIA drivers.

Click one of them, and you will have to confirm and then restart your computer to roll the system back.

Note: For best results, you should run System Restore from safe mode.

If you receive an error while restoring, then use it from safe mode and it should work fine. To get into Safe mode, you can reboot and use the F8 key right before Windows starts up.

If the F8 key doesn't work for you, you can force the system to go into safe mode by following instructions from Larry in the comments.

If Your System Won't Boot

If you can't even get into windows, you can boot off the installation dvd, and choose the "Repair your computer" option on the lower left hand side. If you don't have an installation/repair disc, you can make one with these instructions.

Click next on the next screen, and then choose System Restore from the System Recovery dialog. It will take a few seconds to come up, and you will see the same screen that you would see in Windows:

Click next, and on the next screen select the drive that your copy of Windows Vista is installed on.

Click Finish, and Vista will roll back to the previous restore point. Really pretty simple stuff.

 

Restore in Windows XP

1. Click Start –> all programs –> accessories –> System Tools –> System Restore

2. Click Restore my computer to an earlier point and click next

3. Click on a date that you wish to return your computer to.

4. You will get the warning shown below. Click next, your computer will restart and you’ll find that your computer has been restored to the point you selected.

Backup Files in Windows Vista Using Backup and Restore Center

Microsoft has been providing backup software in Windows for a few years now, but they were not that effective. In Windows Vista backup has improved to the point where it is worth using.

Backing up is becoming so much more important as we start transiting to a world where all of our documents, music, photos, movies, videos and records are being moved to our computers.  In the United States alone there is more that 10,000 hard drive failures every month. Setting up the Backup and Restore Center is quite easy:

To open the Backup and Restore Center, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start icon at the lower left of the display

2. Select Control Panel

3. Choose Backup and Restore Center

There are two ways you can access the Back Up Files wizard: from the Backup and Restore Center by clicking Start | All Programs | Maintenance or from the Backup Status and Configuration page by clicking Start | All Programs | Accessories | System tools. For this article's example, I'll focus on the Backup Status and Configuration page, shown in Figure A.

Figure A

You can also launch the Back Up Files wizard from the Backup Status and Configuration page.

After you launch the wizard, you'll encounter a User Account Control (UAC) dialog box and will need to respond accordingly. Then, the Back Up Files wizard will actually start.

Creating the initial file backup

As you can see in Figure A, the first time that you access the Back Up Files wizard, you'll need to set up, or schedule, the automatic file backup. When you click the Set Up Automatic File Backup button, you'll encounter a UAC.

At the Back Up Files screen, shown in Figure B, you'll be prompted to select the location to save your backup. The Back Up Files wizard can save backups to a CD or DVD burner, a network drive, or a secondary internal or external drive. It does not support tape drives or flash drives, and you can't save a backup to the same drive on which Vista is installed.

Figure B

The first thing that you need to do is select a location to store your backup file.

Once you choose a backup location, the Back Up Files wizard will prompt you to choose the types of files that you want to back up. As you can see in Figure C, every type of data file that you can think of is included by default. There's even an Additional Files option that will pick up any data files that don't fall into the predefined categories. You can pick and choose the types of files you want to back up by selecting the check boxes.

Figure C

The Back Up Files wizard includes just about every type of data file in its default configuration.

When you click Next, the scheduling screen which will prompt you to decide how often you want to create a backup, as shown in Figure D. While the default is Weekly, you can also choose Daily or Monthly from the How Often drop down list. Of course, the What Day and What Time options will change accordingly.

Figure D

You'll be prompted to choose a schedule for your backups.

Now, you'll click the Save Settings and Start Backup button. When you do, the Back Up Files wizard will scan your computer for the data file types you selected and begin backing up your files. As it does, you'll see a progress bar.

Subsequent backups

Once you create the initial backup, you really never have to think about backing up your files again since the Back Up Files wizard will regularly back up your files according to the schedule you set. It will also keep a lookout for any new or modified files and automatically add those to the backup.

You can return to the Backup Status and Configuration page at any time to check up on the Back Up Files wizard. As you can see in Figure E, the Backup Status section tells you when the last successful backup occurred as well as when the next backup will occur.

Figure E

You can keep tabs on the Back Up Files wizard in the Status section of the Backup Status and Configuration page.

If you ever need to create a backup on the fly, you can click the Backup Now button. Of course, you'll have to work through a UAC. You can also click the Change Backup Settings if you want to change file types, alter the schedule, and even create a completely new full backup.

Install Windows Mobile 6.5 Before its Released

The bad news is that Windows Mobile 6.5 is not yet released, the good news it that you can install it today on your HTC Phone.

There are plenty of Windows Mobile 6.5 Roms floating around the internet, and despite the fact that installing Windows Mobile 6.5, the ROM’s are great. Unfortunateley most phones wont be able to run Windows Mobile 6.5 (sort of like Vista).

The Disclaimer: This tutorial will go deep into your systems software and there is a high chance that may brick your phone, deeming it unusable. If you are not geeky enough to do this don't even try it, if you are ready lets continue.

What you'll need:

An HTC Touch Diamond or Touch Pro (GSM only. Folks with CDMA handsets—that's you, Sprint and Verizon—go here or here.)
A (free) account at XDA Developers
A Windows Mobile 6.5 ROM (Lotsa choices here: Diamond, Pro)
A Windows PC, set up to sync with your handset A device flashing utility (Both)
A bootloader (Diamond, Pro)
A device radio (Diamond, Pro)

Installing the bootloader:

Many of you have probably updated, or "flashed" your devices before, but this will have been with an official, signed utility from either your carrier or handset manufacturer. What we're doing today is installing unofficial software, something which your handset isn't currently set up to do. Our first order of business, then, is to install a new bootloader, called HardSPL, on the device, which will allow your handset to load software from third parties, i.e., your sweet, sweet Windows Mobile ROM. Let's go:

1. Connect your phone to your PC, and establish an ActiveSync (on XP) or Sync Center (on Vista, or Windows 7) connection to your device. You don't need to set up any sync rules—just makes sure the connection is active. You can check this by looking for a bi-directional arrow in your phone's taskbar.

2. Extract the bootloader you've downloaded, and note the location (see "What You'll Need" for links)

3. Find your extracted files, and run the executable file (usually called "ROMUpdateUtility.exe" or something like that.

4. Follow the instructions, carefully. The software performs lots of checks to make sure you don't goof this up, but make sure you a.) have at least 50% battery left in your phone b.) the correct bootloader c.) a host computer that won't shut off, go to sleep or otherwise interrupt the process. Heed! Or else there may be bricking.

5. Wait! You'll see paired progress bars on your phone and computer screen. This part of the process doesn't take that long, since you're only updating a small piece of software.

6. Restart your phone. The small text in the corner of your Windows Mobile splash screen will have changed to something unfamiliar, but don't worry about verifying your new bootloader. If you ran the utility to completion and the device restarted on its own, it's more or less a sure thing that you're upgraded.

Installing a new device radio:

This is the most esoteric part of the process, so I'll try not to get too deep into the nuts and bolts. Basically, your device has firmware that manages its various antennae, letting you connect to cellular networks, GPS, etc. Installing a fresh Radio onto your device usually won't make much of a change in how your phone works. it just lets us—or rather, your soon-to-be mobile OS, manage your phone's communication capabilities freely. Some radios can improve reception on certain networks, or even connect to entirely new mobile bands. For more info on that, I'l refer you again to XDA.

You'll probably notice that this process is seems an awfully lot like the last stage: that's because it is. Since we're "flashing" different parts of your phone's software in each step, the core utility, and general technique, is quite similar. Anyway!

7. Pair your phone with your PC, like you did in step 1.

8. Extract your downloaded radio files and note their location

9. If the radio came with its own bootloader, skip to step 12.

10. Extract your downloaded bootloader, noting location.

11. Copy the extracted radio file—it should have an .NBH extension—to the directory where you've put your bootloader.

12. Run the bootloader, as in step 3.

13. Follow the instructions, as in steps 4 and 5.

14. Let the phone restart. Nothing much will have changed, but you may need to perform some minor network setup. Don't worry too much about that now, since you're about to wipe your whole device.

Flashing the ROM, i.e. Installing Windows Mobile 6.5

This is when we get down to actually installing our new OS. This is the step that'll take the longest, and it's the biggest leap of faith, since you're replacing your device's main software. Luckily, if you've come this far, it'll be a snap. Same process, different .NBH file. Onward!

15. Pair your phone to your PC (this is the last time! promise!)

16. Extract your downloaded bootloader, again, to a different location. (Or you can use the same copy you used to flash your radio; just make sure you delete the radio file from the directory)

17. Extract your Windows Mobile 6.5 ROM, which should be an .NBH file of about 80-100MB, to the same directory that your bootloader is in.

18. Run the bootloader, and follow the instructions. Same warnings as before—don't let your PC or phone sever the connection at any point.

19. Sit and wait. This time it'll take a bit longer, but shouldn't top 15-20 minutes.

20. Your phone will reset, and you should see a fresh Windows Mobile 6.5 splash screen. It might look hacked or unprofessional—don't be alarmed! The guys who so graciously put together these ROMs, which often take a good deal of tweaking, leave their marks on the software in various ways. Anyhoo, you'll have to let your phone run through a set of initialization routines for a little while. Just follow along.

21. WinMo should automatically guess your carrier and apply the appropriate connections settings. If not, you can do it from the device's Settings page, found in the top level of the new start menu. As for the settings parameters, Google is your friend.

Conclusion:
Congratulations! You are now the proud, semi-legal owner of a Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone! It's hard to imagine wanting to switch back, but if you do, just repeat the above process with a different ROM. There are plenty of 6.1 installs, including the official carrier versions, available from the same place you found your 6.5 download.

Resources:

• XDA Developers
• ModMyDiamond

So that's about it! Please add in your experiences in the comments-your feedback is a huge benefit to our Saturday guides. Good luck with your flashing (firmware only, please), and have a great weekend!

Add Run to Windows Vista Start Menu

Each version of Windows has come with the oh-so-handy Run command. One thing you will likely notice when you install Windows Vista is that the Run command does not appear on the Start Menu.

The Run command is handy for quickly launching programs so it is worthwhile making a small configuration change to add it back to the Start Menu. You can quickly do so in Windows Vista by completing the simple steps listed below:

1. Right click on the Start button, and click Properties.
2. From the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog, click Customize.
3. Scroll down through the list until you shall find Run command. Check the box next to it.
4. Click OK.

Create Your Own Search Provider in Internet Explorer 8

Many users might have their preferred web search engine when it comes to information searching on the World Wide Web. Some prefer the Google Search Engine while others might like Yahoo, Alta Vista, Live Search and so on. By default, Internet Explorer 8 has added Live Search (formerly Windows Live Search and MSN Search) as the search engine provider for end users to search for information using the Instant Search box that appears in the upper-right corner. If Live Search is not your cup of tea in web searching, the new IE 8 browser always gives you options to add other search engines and even create your own search providers. Users can follow the following steps to add their preferred search providers.
To add other search providers to the browser, users can go to Tools and select Manage Add-ons. Users will be prompted with the Manage Add-ons Windows. Click on Search Providers and users will be shown the list of search providers to be added.

To add more search engines to the browser, click on the “Find more search providers” link which appears on the left bottom corner.

Users will be prompted a new Windows with a list of search providers for users to add. Users can click on the “Add to Internet Explorer” button to add a new search provider.

After vetting through the list, probably you might not find your preferred Search Provider or perhaps you might want to add particular sites, for instance Mydigitallife, as one of your Search Providers. So, what can you do now? If this is the case, you can now DIY your own search provider. To create your own search provider, click on the link “Create your own Search Provider.”

You will thence be directed to Add-ons gallery.

Now open a new Windows or new tab, and type in the URL of the search engine you want to add. In this case, let’s say Yahoo search engine. At Yahoo search engine, type in the word TEST (all capital letters).

Copy the URL of the search engine and paste it to the URL box at Add-ons gallery. Enter a name for the search provider, e.g. Yahoo Search Engine in this case.

Press “Install Search Provider” to add Yahoo search engine as one of your search providers. You will be prompted with a dialog box to verify whether you want to add this new search provider. Click “Add” to continue. You can also check “Make this my default search provider” box to make this search provider as default.

A similar method can also be used if you want to add, for instance Mydigitallife as one of your search providers powered by Google Search Engine (or others). By adding it in, your search result using Mydigitallife Search Provider will be limited to the Mydigitallife site only. To add Mydigitallife Search Provider powered by Google Search Engine, you can take the following steps:

Go to Google Search (if you to use Google Search Engine to facilitate the searching). Type in “TEST site:mydigitallife.info” in the search box as shown below:

Copy the URL and paste it to the URL box in the Add-ons gallery.

Add the relevant name, key in “Install Search Provider” and follow the above mentioned steps to get Mydigitallife Search Provider added. When users search, for instance, Samsung, by choosing Mydigitallife Search Provider, the search result relevant to the word “Samsung” within the Mydigitallife site will appear.