FAQ: How to add some Bing to your browser

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Computerworld - Microsoft may have seemingly jumped the gun on Bing, the new search engine it unveiled to the public yesterday, but clearly it planned the early launch.

For proof, you need look no further than the Bing search add-on for Internet Explorer (IE) Microsoft posted yesterday. Or for that matter, a similar Bing-specific add-on for IE's biggest rival, the open-source Firefox from Mozilla. Which also hit the street Monday.

Switching search engines in your browser-of-choice isn't tough if you've done it before, but for first-timers, it can be hard to figure out where to start. We'll walk you through the process for IE and Firefox, the browsers that, like it or not, account for 88% of those in use last month, and the also-rans, Chrome and Safari.

Bing it on!

How do I change IE so Bing is my default search engine? It's easiest in IE8, which uses a Firefox-like model for adding new search providers and setting the default. IE7 is a little more complicated, but not by much.

With IE8, click this link to reach the Bing search add-on, then click the "Add to Internet Explorer" button. In the next dialog, check the "Make this my default search provider" if you want Bing to be No. 1 on your search parade, then click the "Add" button. That's it.

For IE7, select "Internet Options" from the Tools menu, then under the "General" tab, click the "Settings" button beside the "Search: Change search defaults" section. In the next dialog, click the link at the lower-left that reads "Find more providers..." and when the new browser window opens, click on Bing in the list at the left under "Web search." To make Bing the new default, check the "Make this my default search provider" in the next dialog. Click "Add Provider." Done.

How do I change Firefox so it uses Bing? Easy peasee. Head to the Microsoft-sanctioned Bing add-on -- as apposed to a pair of just-as-good unofficial versions -- and click the "Add to Firefox" button. You'll need to agree to the privacy policy that shows on the screen.