Run Web Searches from the Start Menu

Now, you can also start Web searches from the Start menu. The Start Menu became a lot more handy with the launch of Windows Vista. You can search your PC and run applications with just a few keystrokes. But you can do even more in Microsoft Windows 7. You can run Internet searches from the Start menu after fine tuning the Group Policy Editor.

Follow these steps to make it happen:

1. To run the Group Policy Editor, type gpedit.msc in the Start Menu search box and press Enter.
2. Navigate to User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Start Menu and Taskbar.
3. Now double-click 'Add Search Internet link to Start Menu' and then choose 'Enabled' from the screen that appears.
4. Now click 'OK' and exit the Group Policy Editor.
In order to start the search, just type a search term in the Start Menu Search box and the search box will provide you a Search the Internet link. Now, you need to click it to run the search in your default browser using your default search engine.

Microsoft Windows 7 Search uses the index whenever you use the search box on the Start menu – in the Search Home folder, in libraries, and in locations that are part of a homegroup.

Microsoft Windows 7 Search seems so very handy. It requires Group Policy Editor to enable the Web searches from Start menu and it will not work in the Windows 7 Home or Basic editions.