Add Google Web Search On Windows Start Menu

Every computer running with Microsoft Operating Systems have default Windows Search to look for the information stored in it. You can use this feature to find the programs and files stored on that device.  It would be nice if this feature extends its assistance to find files from Internet if it couldn't find the same on the device. Actually, we can do it. This tutorial explains how to change this default Microsoft search to one level up. We are going to add a new feature 'search on Internet' using a selected search engine(SE) if the desired information couldn't retrieve from the PC without installing any extra software products. For example, you are looking for a particular file on your laptop but Windows failed to find it. Once the Internet search is activated, you will get one more option to continue the same operation on the Internet using default browser and SE. In this tutorial, I am using Mozilla Firefox and Google.



If you like to add Google or any other SEs like Yahoo or Microsoft Bing to Windows start menu, you must enable Search Internet Link in Group Policy Editor first. To enable this feature on the Windows 7 start menu, follow the steps below.

1. Type gpedit.msc on Run and press enter
   
   
   
   If you cannot find the run box in the start menu, you can type gpedit.msc on Microsoft search box. Click on the gpedit when it is displayed.
   
   
   
   If you want to enable RUN on a PC where it is disabled by default, visit the link below and follow the instructions written there.
   How to enable Run Command On Windows 7 Start Menu
   
   
   
2. Open Group Policy Editor
   
   Now you are at Group Policy Editor. We need to reach 'Start Menu and Taskbar' to add the extra feature to the Windows Start menu. To reach there, follow the path shown below.
   
   User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar
   
   
   
   
3. Double Click on Add Search Internet Link to Start Menu
   
   
   

Here you need to check Enable and save the settings. Now Search the Internet Link is enabled and you can get one more option to look for the file.


If you click the link, it will open results on your default browser. Now onwards if you type the name of a file or application on the Start window, Windows will start looking for it on the PC. If it couldn't find the item, you will see the option to look the same on Internet. All you have to do is to click the link. Google (or Bing or Yahoo as you have configured) will be opened on the default browser installed on your PC.



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