How to Restore Start Menu Search option in Windows Vista SP1

I unlock This First! (Restore the original settings)

Put back my Startmenu Search option! After installation of Windows Vista SP1, tons of users and friends ask me a question in bringing back the Search tool. "Why it was removed? it is very useful. How to Restore my Search Button?"

Some of us are living in the world of Democracy, Everybody MUST have a choice to ADD/Remove this feature.

After several minutes of thinking, suddenly something pops-up in my head. haha!!! WinBubble did it again! Although, I've just released the latest version of WinBubble, This is NEEDED. WinBubble 1.71

How? Download and open WinBubble 1.71 > Desktop Customization group > Click "Enable Start Menu Search" option and then Press Alt-A or just click the Apply Button.

That's it!

For more information...

I'm sure tons of Publisher's will HACK WinBubble. Haha!

If your a publisher and you want the TWO commands to restore the Settings.
Please email me... just give me a credit.

The Two Commands will be published soon... not me! but maybe I will be the Third...

 

We can all thank Google and their lawyers for the annoyance of that being removed. Sigh.

Lawrence, how about telling us how to do it manually. No offense to you or your program, but I dare not risk allowing any tweak program to do anything on my development machine unless I know SPECIFICALLY and EXACTLY what the tweak does. I have to be very paranoid about the machine I use to earn my living.

Thanks,
Gary

 

Search never disappeared from my start menu after SP1 install.
I'm not following something here.

 

Same Here it never Disappeared after SP1

 

Yep. still here for me.

 

OK... Please wait guys.... I just want people to download WinBubble First.
after a day or more, Publishers I contacted is willing to publish the Hack.

Just giving me a credit.

So, for others... please wait...

 

Note we are NOT talking about the search in the lower left of the Start Menu. We are talking about the link in the right side of the Start menu. See the attached image. We are talking about the area in red NOT the are in yellow. Google pitched a hissy fit and threatened Anti-Trust action so Microsoft caved in.

Gary

 

I see, you are speaking about search *button*, not search *field*.
Never used that button...

 

Can't you just hit F3 and come up with the same dialogue?

 

Not to burst you bubble, but this "hack" was published first else where weeks/months ago. I don't recall exactly where I read about it but it was in a review of sp1. But thanks for spreading the info.

 

The only such hack/tweak I have found for this replaces an existing entry in the list, typically either Run or Help. This one appears to ADD search back in. So he may be on to something different. Like I said I can't afford to trust my development machine to any tweak app that does not fully disclose what it does. So I will have to wait till Lawrence publishes what he has found.

Gary

 

Is the search in question the same as when you hit F3?

 

Yes. Until now I didn't know about the F3 trick. I just tried it and yes it is the same search.

Gary

 

So why did Google pitch a fit? I don't get it. Did they just want to make sure the more ignorant users didn't know how to use the MS search instead of the Google desktop toolbar or something?

If so....CHEAP SHOT!

 

Monopoly thing... Each company has its own pride...Search thing is for Google.

WinBubble tips and tricks is mine...

NBR Tips and Tricks is for LES and Best Free Softwares is for Calvin.

 

So now I have to hit F3. Just like I've always done in the past. Thanks a lot, Google.

 

LOL... I didn't know about F3... thanks.

 

F1 - help
F2 - rename
F3 - search
F4 - Ctrl or Alt closes
F5 - refresh
F6 - select content (alternates between URL/HTML body or in Windows Explorer between address bar/folder content)
F7 - well, these get to be more application specific

Does that help?

 

I feel sad, some of the START-up publishers are trying to say that I copied it somewhere. I unlock this by myself...

After several hours until now nobody is giving the link to the same method I did.

Why they do not Accept that I unlock this first?

Now I'm thinking if I will release it or just wait for others to hack WinBubble.

I'm JUST TRYING TO HELP...

Income? Google hits money is small in my site.

 

What's the difference between the Search button in the start menu and just typing something in the bottom search box?

 

You have to choose to have it search all your files

 

Lawrence that makes no sense. All the other tweaks to get it back, do so by replacing one of the existing buttons, like "Help" or "Run". You way appears to ADD it back without sacrificing other buttons. Is that correct?

Gary

 

Nope... The original button will be restored.
Not replacing or adding a new button.

I don't understand them. They are angry because I unlock this First?
like the Youtube hack?

They are the cause why I can't digg anymore... Is that FAIR?
Helping people, without getting money. (140dollars in google hits - 200 dollars hardisk). Im negative!
plus 3 months of unrest in the development of apps. I don't see why they are doing this.

Fortunately, Downloading sites see my sacrifices, They gave my apps awards...

Thankfully Bravenet.com Banned them in my mailing list. They found out these people are lying.

 

Sorry but it don't work, I downloaded the new version of winnbubble and have the box checked and have restarted mutiple times but still no search option.

 

A little OT.

Lawrence, I tried your Youtube trick and it works very nicely.

The same instant I saw how well it works, I wrote a small app that incorporates it

http://netcpp.com/TMP/Youtube.exe

Just paste URL of a page with a YouTube movie, like
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gOARToiteow

and the app will ask you where to save the video. Very simple and works great, entirely based on the aforementioned trick.

 

I never used that button either, or even noticed it. Maybe that's why SP1 takes it out, because it redundant.

 

Ok, I just want to make people have a CHOICE in everything.
No courts and rules will tell me what I want to do.
It's a part of Democracy.

Maybe that's why microsoft gave every IT/Geeks/developers around the world have a choice in everything.

After 4-6 months of studying. I have noticed that every famous websites had its own unique way of dealing with people and serving users. Copycat don't win usually.

I don't know why some publishers still do not accept it, After 2 days? nobody is giving a link.

If your articles are unique, Why you will be angry with a SIMPLE TIP? It will benefit ALL OF US.

Maybe if I will published it now... everbody will laugh. They are so childish.

Now I can't digg... that's fine. I sent an email to support for several times. Still No reply.

 

Lawrence, he have absolutely NO idea what you are talking about here. Unless you want to fill us in on what you are talking about, I don't quite understand your purpose in posting these messages. Clearly you are upset about SOMETHING. But we can't help or commiserate without know WHAT has you so upset.

Gary

 

Did anyone ever find these two commands? I tried the program but it didn't work for me.

In retrospect, I wish I hadn't, as I don't know what damage I might have done.

 

Come on Lawrence, thorw us a bone! Some of us can't risk using your program on mission critical machines, but would like to avail ourselves of the trick you found for re-enabling the Search option. Can you share it with us now?

Gary

 

Sorry guys... I think It's useless anymore. I'm Not Sure but Now it is not working anymore. I will remove the feature in the next version of WinBubble.

I don't know what happen, Microsoft silently patched vista? *Not Sure

I have tried it again, I can't get it work.

There is another solution *Pin the shortcut in the Start Menu.

 

So after all there is only BS left, right?
Okay, this thread is read.

 

Taking the approach that two (or more) heads is better than one, why don't you share with us what the trick was? Maybe someone else here can help figure out why it no longer works.

Gary

 

I know your a Great Tweaker and Programmer Gary...
I can see your passion for technology.

Now, I'm just starting to create and choose my own future.
I can't understand what I am doing but I REALLY need to know
how and why.

Please wait... I will share it to everybody.

 

Huh? You just said that this one particular tweak doesn't work. I am not asking you to share ALL of the things in WinBubble. I am just requesting that you share this one tweak for restoring the Search Menu item. Since it apparently worked for a while and no longer does and you said you don't know why it no longer works, it just makes sense to see if some of the rest of us MIGHT be able to help figure out why.

You said weeks ago you would share it. Now you say it doesn't work and you still don't want to share it so some of us might lend a hand.

Lawrence, what is up with all the secrecy and holding this stuff for your self only? Others have freely shared information with you that you have incorporated into your program. You certainly didn't come up with all the tweaks in WinBubble by yourself. We ask for you to share one non working tweak so that we can see if we can determine what is wrong and now we get this?

In the last private messages we had about this, you seemed very sincere. Now I really question that sincerity.

Gary

 

I don't get it either, but oh well.

 

Sorry... What I am saying, I just want to try more. And Understand why.

Anyway, here's what you want guys.

When you see Start_ShowSearch=1
HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced

Add Start_ShowSearch=1 in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,

A simple as that

The tweak is very simple...

I don't understand, Recently I hide and show the search button
several times then I hide it again, afterwards

It never came out again!

 

Sorry... What I am saying, I just want to try more. And Understand why.

Anyway, here's what you want guys.

When you see Start_ShowSearch=1
HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced

Add Start_ShowSearch=1 in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,

A simple as that

The tweak is very simple...

I don't understand, Recently I hide and show the search button
several times then I hide it again, afterwards

It never came out again!

 

Double post there Lawrence. Anyway, i'm sure you'll find a fix for your fix soon Lawrence, don't worry.

 

Thanks Calvin...IE is messing out again. Please remove it. Administrators?
Now I switch to firefox.

Anybody wants to help me figure it out? Gary?

 

Ok, I am looking into it now too.Thanks for sharing this Lawrence.


I had HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced\Start_ShowSearch=1 already.

I went to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced and there was no dword entry for Start_ShowSearch=1. So I added the one under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and rebooted. I did not find Search in the right hand (grey) pane of the Start menu.

Was that the steps I was supposed to do? Your message was not quite clear about HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

Lawrence can you point me to the place where you found out about this tweak? I want to review any background info you might have.

Gary

 

Gary, the tweak no longer works (or so it seems). Lawrence confirmed this in a PM and said the next version of WinBubble will not have it.

 

You might want to go back and read message #40. I am trying to help Lawrence figure out WHY the tweak no longer works. He said it did work for a while and then quit for some reason. We're tryin to get to the bottom of that.

Gary

 

Ah, I see.

 

I compared a full registry snapshot with one I took (quite a while) before SP1. So far, this is what I've been able to put together:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"Start_ShowSearch"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\StartMenu\StartPanel\ShowSearch]
"CheckedValue"=dword:00000001
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000001
"HKeyRoot"=dword:80000001
"RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced"
"Text"="@shell32.dll,-30517"
"Type"="checkbox"
"UncheckedValue"=dword:00000000
"ValueName"="Start_ShowSearch"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\StartMenu\StartPanel\ShowSearch\Policy]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\StartMenu\StartPanel\ShowSearch\Policy\NoFind]

This adds the checkbox for the search button back to the Start Menu properties dialogue box, but I still can't get the actual button back.

I'll keep working, but I thought I'd share it with you fine folks.

 

I'm sorry for the late reply guys...

That's the algorithm of WinBubble 1.71.

Anyway, Here's another solution:
Pin the Search Shortcut in the Start Menu

I will try to find another fix for this. Thanks NinjaNoodles...
Gary, I did not find this anywhere. I Unlock This...

Anyway, Let's try to find a new hack. Let's exchange ideas.

 

You don't happen to have an image or a restore point back at a time when this tweak was functioning do you? I remember you posted an image with the Search entry clearly showing. Do you have an image from that timeframe?

Gary

 

I never posted such an image. Maybe you're referring to the first page.

I wish I'd taken a snapshot immediately before my SP1 upgrade.

 

Sorry, I saw the registry entry stuff and ASSUMED the reply was from Lawrence. He was the one who posted the image it is in the first message of this thread.

Gary

 

Aside from the code I've posted, can anyone find any other locations in the reigistry that might have been changed? I'm starting to think Microsoft changed a file or two.