Bing Default Provider

[Coldicote]

I’ve recently changed my computer and have Windows XP and IE8. Internet opens up with Google and following the address bar at the right hand end I see ’bing’ with a search symbol and a drop-down box showing Bing (default) and beneath it ‘Search the web (Babylon)’ ….. and ‘Find More Providers…’ Can someone please explain why it is there and is it necessary? I would have thought Google was my default provider.

[Buenchico]

Internet Explorer is a Microsoft product. Bing is owned by Microsoft so, unsurprisingly, Bing is the default search engine for Internet Explorer.

That's totally separate to your home page (which is the one that you see when you open your browser). That can be anything you choose. You could have The Answerbank appear there, BBC News, your favourite recipe site or anything else that you choose. (At the moment you've got Google, but you can easily change that if you want to).

Chris

[Coldicote]

Thank you very much Chris for explaining it. I envy you your knowledge.

[ChuckFickens]

To add to Chris's answer, you can also easily change the default search provider in IE by bringing up the drop down next to Bing and selecting find more providers, locate Google (or whatever you want) on the page that comes up and selecting add to internet explorer under the provider you want, make you you tick the "use as default provider" in the box that pops up and click OK (or it might be Add to IE, I can't remember off the top of my head the exact wording on the button)

[Coldicote]

Helpful information thank you Chuck. This is better than having to go for lessons to learn about it!