Remove the Built-In Search Bar on IE 7
If you use a toolbar such as the Google or Yahoo toolbars, you probably won't want to see the built-in search box in Internet Explorer 7. There's a quick registry fix that you can do to enable / disable this.
This registry fix works by adding in the DWORD value NoSearchBox, with the value set to 1, to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Infodelivery\Restrictions
Hide Search Box
Download Hide Search Box Registry Fix
Show Search Box
Download Show Search Box Registry Fix
Here's what it looks like in action, with the search box hidden
This should work for IE7 on Windows Vista as well as on Windows XP.
The Geek is the founder of How-To Geek and a geek enthusiast. When he's not coming up with great how-to articles, he's probably writing at his personal blog. This article was written on 02/25/07 and tagged with: Windows, Firefox & Internet, Windows Vista, Vista Tips & Tweaks
Thanks so much for this great fix. Is there anyway to reize the address toolbar (in ie7) so that it does not take up the whole width of the screen so I can fit links or another toolbar there?
What Jay says! Plus: I couldn't find the exact registry key mentioned above, so I downloaded the Hide Search Box program above on my brand new 'puter….and it worked like a charm. Thanks! (Why must we have all this bloatware and advertising on these 'puters? We're paying for them…it's not like we're getting them for free! I've spent 2 whole days getting all the crap out of my Vista Basic!)[or so I think]
Micro$oft sucks for not installing an easy way to get the insipid search box off of I.E. 7. I couldn't believe it when I right clicked the thing and was only offered a CHOICE of DIFFERENT search engines and NOT the option to remove the box! This fix took about 30 seconds, though.
Thank you How-to Geek!
This is awesome. I hate having microsoft choose how I search.
I have no such key, running Vista Business. ??
Thanks, that is much better. Microsoft bloatware sucks big-time. Too bad that naive web site creators forces us to use that crap.
Thanks!! Everyone around me is happy too — with that search bar on my IE7, I was so ticked off I was transformed into this huge angry gorilla, howling and pounding my chest all the time. With it gone, I've been able to calm down a bit, and start using human language again.
works great for internet explorer, but how about getting rid of it (or at least making it smaller) in windows explorer?
Thanks so much! I use the google toolbar and that extra search box was driving me nuts. Much better now.
I have no such key; is there another solution?
OS: Windows XP Pro 2002 SP2
Far much better now, really thanks, but I am not using IE 7 it is not because I dont have it lol, it is because I love mozzilla firefox much better, it is fast as well. I recommend to everyone
I also prefer Firefox as my personal browser; it's IE Tab is also great for opening certain web pages and browser applications that require IE within my Firefox browser window. However, for my job I have to use the IE7 browser and often have to take screenshots for use in documentation. I despise that silly search bar in IE7 and it only clutters my screenshots. So I'd really like to know how to get rid of it, and I do not have the registry key mentioned above.
Ok, for those of you like myself who did not have that key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Infodelivery\Restrictions, available to modify… create the missing keys and then add the DWORD as instructed. For myself, I could find this portion of the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft. At that point, right-click on Microsoft and create the new key, Internet Explorer; right-click on Internet Explorer and create the new key: Infodelivery; likewise, right-click on Infodelivery and create the new key: Restrictions. Then you can add the DWORD as shown above. It worked for me. If anyone knows a reason why this might not be advisable, please let us know. As I stated, it works for me. If my computer blows up, I'll come back and let you know.
You rock man I love you!!!Give you beer!!Today we get rid of Live Search, Tomorrow we hack Bill gates Credit Card info!!!!!
works great, is there a way that, i can move the address bar at the bottom, i have one tweak that made it go down, but it i snot allway at the bottom, also is there a way i can make the go button perment, instead of roatting?
Hello, OK, I also hate this search bar.. Waste of space. I downloaded the "Hide search box link" NOW WHAT? I opened the search bar.. This option not here.. Yes, I am old and slow.. so any step by step help would be appreciated>> THanks Linda
I hate these address bars.. Why do I need 2? Any extra help on how to remove 1? The IE Menu/Status bars are taking up too much room.. I HAVE 4 rows of items at top of screen.. NOT NEEDED… I have tried to move
items around.. They do not move and are not locked.. Thanks again.. Linda
Thanks for the fix. It worked AFTER I had restarted IE7. But, still I have a blank search box at the bottom right of the screen ALSO. How do I get rid of it? Thanks
Awesome! Is there a way to shrink down the box so its not so long?
Nice one!! Worked perfectly!! Thanks!!
Or you could just do this with Group Policy - although if you've got the "home" versions then you won't have that, otherwise you could just download the IE adms and wham bham thank you maam.
Awesome! Simply Awesome!
I had to make some of the keys so I could add the DWORD value, but that's a small thing.
Thanks!
gud work man. u r great……… thank you very much.. This search box was like a bad ass, every time i delete it it will come back, this time its gone for ever.. thank you so much.
Is there a way to remove the search bar from the start menu? I find Vista's search unreliable, and that indexing churns my harddrive and degrades performance, so I don't use it at all. (I use Agent Ransack, instead, on the rare occasions when I don't know where a file is.) It would be nice to get that useless bar off the Start Menu!
every since I did this i keep getting a error…..how do I put the search bar back on
If I understand what you're talking about… you need to right-click on the Start menu button and click on Properties. The Task Bar and Start Menu Properties window displays with several tabs. Select the Start Menu tab if it isn't already open and click on the customize button next to the start menu choice you are using (Start Menu vs Classic Start Menu). The customize box opens. Scroll down to the Search choices and deselect whatever you desire. Click OK on the customize box and APPLY on the Properties window; then click OK to close the properties window. That should remove the search button from the start menu area. If you actually have a "Search Bar" within your Vista Start Menu… I'm afraid I don't presently know how it got there or how to remove it. But I would start with the directions above. You may see other things listed in your Customize Box that I do not have on my Vista laptop that you would want to deselect. Good Luck!
Volstan, I presume you comment was meant in response to my question?
There is no preference item to remove the Search bar from the Start Menu, and believe me, I've searched, becoming now something of an expert at customizing it (since the sources for the menus are located in odd place, rather than one central one).
Unchecking everything related to Search in that dialog does not make the bar that appears directly above the Start Medallion, just below the All Programs-> link, with the words "Start Search" grayed out in it go away. Is there a way to get rid of that because it does absolutely nothing now, since I have turned off Vista Search? XP didn't have it, so it's a new Vista thing.
Ava, Sorry for the confusion on my part. I've been working with this Vista OS for over a year now, and until this moment I'd never even noticed that search bar until you mentioned its exact location. At this point the only way I know to avoid having that search bar show up in the start menu is to choose the classic start menu. But now I will keep my eyes open for other solutions.