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Windows 11 - Cannot change default search engine

Anonymous
2024-08-03T21:36:16+00:00

Hello,
I recently purchased a new Lenovo Ideapad that runs on windows 11 (which I truly despise). This being said even after exiting S mode, the ability to change my default search engine is locked to Bing. I cannot change it, and despite following multiple other tutorials, it has been nothing but a complete disaster.

I cannot stand Bing, like most other netizens, and want to berid of it for good. If someone could help me get rid of this accursed search engine, I'll be forever grateful. Thank you.

Microsoft Edge | Tabs, address bar, and search | Windows 11

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-08-24T04:01:37+00:00

    The instructions given by Zev.L are repeated endlessly in other pages and are completely useless and irrelevant to the problem. There may be some people who simply don't know how to change the default search engine. This is not the problem that Bree South has reported and that I have with Edge too.

    I can go to the page of the settings that lists Bing and other search engines: the problem is that those items on the list are completely inert and inoperable. You can put the pointer on any of them and click on them all that you want, but they do not DO anything. They seem to be there entirely for decorative purposes. The three dots on the right give you only two options, namely to "Edit" (which merely changes the text that appears) or to remove the search engine from the list---except, of course, for Bing, which can only be edited and not removed.

    Please address THIS problem, which is a failure of Edge to work the way that it is supposed to work, and not a failure of users to figure out how to use it.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-08-26T22:32:39+00:00

    The standard instructions you mentioned, indeed, they not work. The most you can do is to change between Bing, Google, DuckDuckGo and Yandex. I have a list of 11 search engines in my Configuration menu and cannot make the 8th one as default.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-08-04T11:24:05+00:00

    Hi Bree South.

    Thanks for reporting this issue in Microsoft Community.

    In your description, the search engine of your Edge is Bing, please refer to the following steps to change it.

    1 Open Edge, click "..." in the upper right, and then select Settings.

    2 Click Privacy, search, and services, and scroll down to the bottom.

    3 Find Address bar and search, click to enter

    4 Find Search engine used in the address bar, try to change Bing to the search engine you want.

    If you are referring to when you open Edge, or create a new tab, Bing's web page appears, please refer to the following steps to change

    1 On Edge's settings page, bring up the Start, home, and new tabs on the left side.

    2 Then in When Edge starts, check whether it is set to Open these pages, if so, please set it to other options, or Bing is not opened as the page.

    3 Also, in the area below, check the See what the home button opens below and set it to New tab page or change it to a non-Bing URL.

    If you are referring to other issues or something not quite the same during the setup process, please contact me again and provide me with the relevant screenshots, thank you for your understanding and support.

    Best regards,

    Zev - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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