IE7 - add a set of search providers

[mrforgetful]

I'm trying to add Search Providers to users Internet Explorer 7's search box.

I've found the following on Microsoft KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918238 but I can't get it working.

I want to have:

Windows Live Search,
Lycos,
Yahoo,
and Google which will be set as default.

This is my ADM template, I've tried replacing <VERSION> with 1, 4 and 7 (not sure what I'm meant to put lol)


CLASS USER
CATEGORY !!WindowsComponents
CATEGORY !!InternetExplorer

POLICY !!PopulateSearchProviderList
#if version >= 4
SUPPORTED !!SUPPORTED_IE7
#endif
EXPLAIN !!IE_Explain_PopulateSearchProviderList
KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes"
VALUENAME Version
VALUEON NUMERIC <VERSION>
ACTIONLISTON
KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes"
VALUENAME DefaultScope VALUE "{3C643604-26AF-4908-B8F0-CB4CBAF975EB}"

KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{0633EE93-D776-472f-A0FF-E1416B8B2E3A}"
VALUENAME DisplayName VALUE "Live Search"
VALUENAME URL VALUE "http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q={searchTerms}&src={referrer:source? }"

KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{2A3F5000-3836-4733-87BC-E12ACDDE1F16}"
VALUENAME DisplayName VALUE "Yahoo!"
VALUENAME URL VALUE "http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search?p={searchTerms}&fr=FP-tab-web-t340&ei=UTF-8&meta=vc%3D"

KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{3C643604-26AF-4908-B8F0-CB4CBAF975EB}"
VALUENAME DisplayName VALUE "Google"
VALUENAME URL VALUE "http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q={searchTerms}&meta="

KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{F7ECF39C-C95C-4052-9A7F-3A63442BEA52}"
VALUENAME DisplayName VALUE "Lycos"
VALUENAME URL VALUE "http://search.lycos.co.uk/cgi-bin/pursuit?SITE=uk&query={searchTerms}&cat=loc"

END ACTIONLISTON
END POLICY
END CATEGORY
END CATEGORY

CLASS MACHINE
CATEGORY !!WindowsComponents
CATEGORY !!InternetExplorer
POLICY !!PopulateSearchProviderList
#if version >= 4
SUPPORTED !!SUPPORTED_IE7
#endif
EXPLAIN !!IE_Explain_PopulateSearchProviderList
KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes"
VALUENAME Version
VALUEON NUMERIC <VERSION>
ACTIONLISTON
KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes"
VALUENAME DefaultScope VALUE "{3C643604-26AF-4908-B8F0-CB4CBAF975EB}"

KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{0633EE93-D776-472f-A0FF-E1416B8B2E3A}"
VALUENAME DisplayName VALUE "Live Search"
VALUENAME URL VALUE "http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q={searchTerms}&src={referrer:source? }"

KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{2A3F5000-3836-4733-87BC-E12ACDDE1F16}"
VALUENAME DisplayName VALUE "Yahoo!"
VALUENAME URL VALUE "http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search?p={searchTerms}&fr=FP-tab-web-t340&ei=UTF-8&meta=vc%3D"

KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{3C643604-26AF-4908-B8F0-CB4CBAF975EB}"
VALUENAME DisplayName VALUE "<Google>"
VALUENAME URL VALUE "<http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q={searchTerms}&meta=>"

KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{F7ECF39C-C95C-4052-9A7F-3A63442BEA52}"
VALUENAME DisplayName VALUE "Lycos"
VALUENAME URL VALUE "http://search.lycos.co.uk/cgi-bin/pursuit?SITE=uk&query={searchTerms}&cat=loc"

END ACTIONLISTON
END POLICY
END CATEGORY
END CATEGORY


[strings]
SUPPORTED_IE7="At least Internet Explorer 7.0"
WindowsComponents="Windows Components"
InternetExplorer="Internet Explorer"
PopulateSearchProviderList="Populate List of search providers"
IE_Explain_PopulateSearchProviderList="This policy setting will allow you to populate a list of search providers that will be displayed in the Internet Explorer search box.\n\n If you enable this policy setting and if the "Restrict search providers to a specific list of search providers" Group Policy setting is enabled, this list will be the only list that appears in the Internet Explorer drop-down list. If the "Add a specific list of search providers to the user's search provider list" Group Policy setting is enabled, this list will be added to the user's list of search providers.\n\n If you disable this policy setting or do not configure it, users will have complete freedom to create their own search provider list."

[mark]

I found a sample adm:

CLASS USER
CATEGORY !!InternetExplorer
#if version >= 4
EXPLAIN !!IE_ExplainCat
#endif

POLICY !!NoFirstRunCustomise
#if version >= 4
SUPPORTED !!SUPPORTED_IE7
#endif
KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main"
EXPLAIN !!IE_ExplainNoFirstRunCustomise
; This turns off the run once page if set to VALUE=UseHomePage
PART !!FirstRunOptions DROPDOWNLIST REQUIRED
VALUENAME "DisableFirstRunCustomize"
ITEMLIST
NAME !!UseHomePage VALUE NUMERIC 1
NAME !!UseWelcomeIEPage VALUE NUMERIC 2
END ITEMLIST
END PART
END POLICY

POLICY !!NoTabBrowsingPopups
#if version >= 4
SUPPORTED !!SUPPORTED_IE7
#endif

EXPLAIN !!IE_ExplainNoTabBrowsingPopups
; If set to VALUE=IEDecide it will open new tabs inside the current instance of IE
KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TabbedBrowsing"

PART !!PopUpList DROPDOWNLIST REQUIRED
VALUENAME "PopupsUseNewWindow"
ITEMLIST
NAME !!IEDecide VALUE NUMERIC 0
NAME !!ForceNewWindow VALUE NUMERIC 1
NAME !!ForceNewTab VALUE NUMERIC 2
END ITEMLIST
END PART
END POLICY


END CATEGORY


CLASS MACHINE
CATEGORY !!WindowsComponents
CATEGORY !!InternetExplorer
POLICY !!PopulateSearchProviderList
#if version >= 4
SUPPORTED !!SUPPORTED_IE7
#endif
EXPLAIN !!IE_Explain_PopulateSearchProviderList
; This section will add the listed Search Providers to the registry. Nothing will appear in GPMC relating to this setting
KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes"
VALUENAME Version
VALUEON NUMERIC 00000001
ACTIONLISTON
KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{E7EF80F8-7F59-4CF7-9F40-1368C0AF81CA}"
VALUENAME DisplayName VALUE "Google UK"
VALUENAME URL VALUE "http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q={searchTerms}&meta="
END ACTIONLISTON
ACTIONLISTON
KEYNAME "Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{VALUE}"
VALUENAME DisplayName VALUE "VALUE"
VALUENAME URL VALUE "VALUE"
END ACTIONLISTON
END POLICY
END CATEGORY
END CATEGORY



[strings]
SUPPORTED_IE7="At least Internet Explorer 7.0"
WindowsComponents="Windows Components"
InternetExplorer="Internet Explorer"
PopulateSearchProviderList="Populate List of search providers"
IE_Explain_PopulateSearchProviderList="This policy setting will allow you to populate a list of search providers that will be displayed in the Internet Explorer search box.\n\n If you enable this policy setting and if the "Restrict search providers to a specific list of search providers" Group Policy setting is enabled, this list will be the only list that appears in the Internet Explorer drop-down list. If the "Add a specific list of search providers to the user's search provider list" Group Policy setting is enabled, this list will be added to the user's list of search providers.\n\n If you disable this policy setting or do not configure it, users will have complete freedom to create their own search provider list."
IE_ExplainNoFirstRunCustomise="This policy setting prevents performance of the First Run Customize settings ability and controls what the user will see when they launch Internet Explorer for the first time after installation of Internet Explorer.\n\nIf you enable this policy setting, users must make one of two choices:\n1: Skip Customize Settings, and go directly to the user’s home page.\n2: Skip Customize Settings, and go directly to the "Welcome to Internet Explorer" Web page.\n\nIf you disable or do not configure this policy setting, users go through the regular first run process."
IE_ExplainNoTabBrowsingPopups="This policy setting allows you to define the user experience related to pop-up windows and tabbed browsing in Internet Explorer.\n\nIf you enable this policy setting, the user will not be able to configure the tabbed browsing pop-up behavior. You will have to specify the behavior desired.\n\nThe value choices are:\n0: Let Internet Explorer decide.\n1: Force pop-up windows to open in new windows.\n2: Force pop-up windows to open in new tabs.\n\nIf you disable or do not configure this setting, the user's setting for tabbed browsing pop-up behavior will be used."
IE_ExplainCat="Contains settings to configure Internet Explorer"
NoFirstRunCustomise="Prevent performance of First Run Customize settings"
NoTabBrowsingPopups="Turn off configuration of tabbed browsing pop-up behavior"
FirstRunOptions="Select your choice"
UseHomePage="Go directly to home page"
UseWelcomeIEPage="Go directly to "Welcome To IE" page"
PopUpList="Select tabbed browsing pop-up behavior"
IEDecide="Let Internet Explorer decide"
ForceNewWindow="Force pop-ups to open in a new window"
ForceNewTab="Force pop-ups to open in a new tab"

[mrforgetful]

I've cheated and just imported a registry file i made.

Seen as I can't deploy via WSUS for some reason made of strange errors it's just in a new Image anyways.

Cheers.

[OverWorked]

I've just spent a couple of hours trying to create an admx and adml file as decribed in the MS KB918238.

I've followed it to the letter, but the Vista SP1 GPMC gives a syntax error each time I add my new admx to sysvol. It expects a semicolon in the middle of the URL.

I tried to create an adm file as well, but that just had no effect. It appeared in GMPC editor, but did not change the settings on the client.

I give up.

I'm going to just hide the search box.

[SYNACK]

Your other option is to create a custom MSI with the IE7 Admin Kit and deploy it but that does mean it does a reinstall.

[OverWorked]

Your other option is to create a custom MSI with the IE7 Admin Kit and deploy it but that does mean it does a reinstall.

Thanks for this. I may look into it later, but this is just becoming too much work for what should be a trivial task.