My Search Help

my search bar

•  What is the My Search Bar?
•  How do I "uninstall" the My Search Bar?
•  Will the My Search Bar work with my Web browser?
•  To find out what version your browser is, try this...
•  What are the system requirements for installing the My Search Bar?
•  Does the My Search Bar track where I go on the Internet?
•  Why do some people mistake the My Search Bar for spyware?

navigating

• Can I search the Web with the My Search Bar?
• Can I hide the My Search Bar on my browser?

customizing

•  How do I customize the My Search Bar?
•  How do I add or modify buttons on the My Search Bar?
•  How do I change the layout of the My Search Bar?
•  How do I add links to the My Search Bar?
•  How do I change my default Search button?

troubleshooting guide

•  The My Search Bar says, "Retrieving buttons from My Search..."
•  I installed the My Search Bar, but it does not appear. Why?
•  I cannot find "My Search Bar" in my Internet Explorer toolbars menu.
•  The Toolbar was on my Internet Explorer browser but now it's gone. What happened?

general questions

What is the My Search Bar?
The My Search Bar installs directly onto your Web browser. Its design allows you to easily search the Web using a variety of popular search engines at your fingertips. It also offers you the ability to add your own personalized buttons and links for one-click access to all your favorite sites and pages on the Internet. The My Search Bar is free to use.

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How do I "uninstall" the My Search Bar?
You can easily uninstall the My Search Bar using the instructions below:
•  Close all open Web browsers
•  From the "Start" menu in Windows, select "Control Panel", and then select "Add/Remove Programs"
•  Select "My Search Bar"
•  Click "Change/Remove"

The My Search bar will be uninstalled. However, if you reopen your Web browser, and still see the My Search Bar, you may need to restart your computer for the uninstall process to be completed.

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Will the My Search Bar work with my Web browser?
The My Search Bar will work with the most recent versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. The Search Bar is fully compatible with Internet Explorer versions 5.0 and above. The Search Bar is compatible with Netscape Navigator versions 4.0 through 4.79. The Search Bar is not compatible with browser versions below 4.0 and currently is not compatible with Netscape 6.0 and 7.0.

To find out what version your browser is, try this:
Internet Explorer: Go to the Help menu located at the top of your browser. Select "About Internet Explorer." A box will appear that tells you what version you have.

Netscape Navigator: Go to the Help menu located at the top of your browser. Select "About Navigator." A page will appear that tells you the name of the browser (Navigator or Communicator) and the version.

Note to AOL Users: The My Search Bar is designed for use with standard Web browsers and currently will not function within AOL's software or its built-in Web browser. However, you can use My Search Bar on any supported browser you launch while you are connected to the Internet through AOL.

Note to WebTV Users: The My Search Bar currently does not function with the WebTV interface.

Note to CompuServe Users: The My Search Bar is designed for use with standard Web browsers and currently will not function with the browser supplied by CompuServe.

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What are the system requirements for installing the Toolbar?
The My Search Bar is currently available for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows XP, Windows ME, and Windows 2000. The My Search Bar software and cache require only 300k of disk space on the disk drive containing your windows directory (usually the C: drive). If you are currently able to run a supported Web browser on your computer, you should be able to install and run the My Search Bar. In particular, your Web browser and the My Search Bar require a 486 or newer, compatible processor, 16 MB of RAM, VGA display (SVGA is recommended), a mouse or similar pointing device, and Internet access.

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Does the My Search Bar track where I go on the Internet?
The My Search Bar does not monitor or report back to My Search information about where you are traveling when you leave the My Search service, or what you do on other Web sites.

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Why do some people mistake the My Search Bar for spyware?
We feel compelled to respond to the fact that our product is sometimes erroneously referred to as spyware. Such statements are completely false and in many cases subject to legal challenge as a form of libel. However, the reality is that there is a substantial amount of confusion and misinformation on the Web about how programs work and what "spyware" means.

This problem has been compounded by the evolution of so-called "spyware" detection programs that are being operated in many cases without attention to the facts or details. In many cases, these programs may label programs as "adware," "spyware," "malware," "dataminer" or another classification simply because the program is a plug-in.

We have engaged in a productive dialog with many providers of spyware detection software that have acknowledged that our product is not spyware and removed it or properly classified the software.

But here's what you really need to know: The My Search Bar does not collect any personal information and is completely "spyware"-free and "adware"-free. Period.

The My Search Bar was specifically designed to provide a great user experience free of spyware, adware, direct marketing, data mining or other similar activities. In order to achieve that goal:

The toolbar software DOES NOT collect personal information of any kind, period. No email address, registration or other information is required to use the product. No zip code, no email, no member name, no password. Unlike many other products, we do not even attempt to collect data upon startup as a requirement of use.
The toolbar software DOES NOT monitor the websites visited by the end user, collect or in any manner report any information about what sites an end users visits (or any clickstream activity), nor does it monitor or scrape information when you are on other sites.
The toolbar software DOES NOT serve or facilitate so-called "contextual advertising" or pop-up ads. Many applications are identified as spyware because they monitor end-user Internet usage and serve contextual pop-ups. The My Search Bar does not engage in any such practices.

To provide our users with access to a range of high quality search engines AND to enable each user to customize his or her experience:

The toolbar software DOES install a browser plug-in that enables users to send a search query for processing by My Web Search using one or more of its search engines.
The toolbar software DOES send a small configuration request to the My Web Search website upon start-up of the browser. This request is typically 5k in size and is made to confirm that the toolbar is properly configured in accordance with users' settings and preferences.
The toolbar software DOES enable My Web Search to transmit updates to the software upon notice to the user. We recognize that you may be sensitive to the issue of updating. Like many major online software distributors – including AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo, Real, etc. – we have designed updateable software in order to ensure that it can be kept current and in working order as changes may be made to Internet protocols, browser software, etc. Pursuant to our End User License Agreement, we guarantee that no update to the product or fix will ever be made in violation of the terms of the Agreement – which means that even if we do update the software, we will not deploy any software or technology that would monitor the user's habits, collect personal information, or otherwise violate the commitments we have made to provide a product that is spyware-free and adware-free, unless we have received express agreement from the user.

In short, the My Search Bar provides a superior search experience on an ANONYMOUS basis and without any additional monitoring, contextual ads or other nuisances.