Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search

    Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search

    Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search

    How to Pin Search Connectors to Search and See More Results in Start Menu
    Published by
    Designer Media Ltd


    How to Pin Search Connectors to Search and See More Results in Start Menu


       Information
    This tutorial will show you how to add links for the Search Connectors in the Start Menu, to be able to search from the Start Menu Search Bar and See More Results directly from the Connectors.
       Note
    You will only be able to add a total of Five Search Connectors at a time, three that will be directly on the Start Menu along with the See More Results, and the other two from within See More Results.
       Warning

    • This will only be available for the Ultimate/Enterprise Editions of Windows 7, as the Ultimate/Enterprise Editions will be the only Editions to have Federated Search available.
    • You will need to be an administrator to open the Local Group Policy Editor.




    Here's How:
    1. Go to this tutorial here and download whatever Search Providers you like, or make your own.
    Example:

    Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search-search1.jpg
    Which will end up here: C:\Users\UserName\Searches
    Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search-search2.jpg
    2. Go to the Start Menu and type gpedit.msc in the Search bar and press Enter. Click OK for the UAC prompt.
    Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search-gpedit1.jpg
    3. In the Local Group Policy Editor, go to User Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Explorer/Pin Libraries or Search Connectors to the "Search Again" links and the Start Menu,and double-click on it.
    Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search-gpedit2.jpg
    4. To enable the setting, click the dot for Enabled. Add the location for the Search Provider you want. I have given an example in the screenshot below, just Enter your own Username and the name of the Search Provider, followed by .searchConnector-ms. I have used the Bing! search provider for an example here. Enter it, along with any others, into the 5 Location to Pin areas. Click Apply - OK. You can now close gpedit.msc.
    Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search-search6.jpg
    5. Now you can go to the Start Menu, and enter your search query into the bar, and you will see the first 3 Search Providers there along with the See More Results.
    Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search-searchconnectors1.jpg
    6. When you type your query in the search bar, you can choose to click on one of your Search Provider links, which will then give you your displayed results in the Explorer Window. Or you can choose See More Results, which will open a Window with all your displayed ''Search Again" links, including the other two Search Providers. You can then search from there if you want.
    Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search-searchconnectors2.jpg

    Start Menu - Add Search Connectors to Start Menu Search-searchconnectors3.jpg
    That's it,

    Airbot









  1. Posts : 1,027
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64/ Windows Vista Ultimate x64
       #1

    Nice tutorial Aaron thanks.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 80
    Win 7
       #2

    Nice Turorial. Thanks.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 2
    windows 7 beta 1
       #3

    thanks a lot,nice work
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2
    Windows 7 Professional 64
       #4

    GPO not working


    hi folks,
    thanks for this article. just tried it out, but i don't get it to work for me.
    i set the gpo to pin libaries and search connectors to start menu but nothing appears. also tried the paths if they are correct, when entering in exporer adress bar all of them open as expected. i have windows 7 pro 64 bit running and tried it on several machines now.

    any hints for me? do i need some other setting to be active?
    regards!
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 18,404
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Hi forsti82,

    Using the federated search connectors is only available in the Ultimate/Enterprise editions of Windows 7. I don't have Professional so I can't double check for you, but I'm pretty sure you can't do this in Professional Edition.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 2
    Windows 7 Professional 64
       #6

    Search connectors work


    Hi Airbot,

    thanks for your reply. Search connectors seem to work also in Professional edition. I have my connectors up and running, but only when directly selecting in explorer or using "more results". I just can't add them directly to the start menu.
    It's annoying to search from instant search and then have to manually switch to my search connector and re-type the searchterm.

    Any other ideas? Could there be an issue with 64Bit or even with the german edition of windows?
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 18,404
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
    Thread Starter
       #7

    I'll have to look into the problem.

    And I guess they were wrong here for Federated Search, with it stating only available in Ultimate/Enterprise.

    Compare Windows 7 Editions
      My Computer


 

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