Set Google Australia as default search provider in Internet Explorer 8 IE8 using group policy

Save the text below as IE8Search.adm and then link the group policy.

Regards,

Brendan King

CLASS USER
CATEGORY !!WindowsComponents
CATEGORY !!InternetExplorer

POLICY !!PopulateSearchProviderList
   #if version >= 4
   SUPPORTED !!SUPPORTED_IE7
   #endif
   EXPLAIN !!IE_Explain_PopulateSearchProviderList
   KEYNAME “Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes”
   VALUENAME Version
   VALUEON NUMERIC 65001
   ACTIONLISTON

    KEYNAME “Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{C003E69C-00DE-4439-A922-BFA17117197F}”
    VALUENAME DisplayName  VALUE “Google Australia”Â
   Â
    VALUENAME URL               VALUE “http://www.google.com.au/#hl=en&source=hp&q={searchTerms}&meta=&aq=f&aqi=g3g-s1g6&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=18a51b3ed23f0245e”
   END ACTIONLISTON
  END POLICY
POLICY !!DefaultSearchProvider_GoogleAustralia
   #if version >= 4
   SUPPORTED !!SUPPORTED_IE7
   #endif
   EXPLAIN !!IE_Explain_PopulateSearchProviderList
   KEYNAME “Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes”
   VALUENAME Version
   VALUEON NUMERIC 65001
 ACTIONLISTON
  KEYNAME “Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes”
  VALUENAME DefaultScope VALUE {C003E69C-00DE-4439-A922-BFA17117197F}
    Â
 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\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes”
   VALUENAME Version
   VALUEON NUMERIC 65001
   ACTIONLISTON

    KEYNAME “Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{C003E69C-00DE-4439-A922-BFA17117197F}”
    VALUENAME DisplayName  VALUE “Google Australia”Â
    VALUENAME URL               VALUE “http://www.google.com.au/#hl=en&source=hp&q={searchTerms}&meta=&aq=f&aqi=g3g-s1g6&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=18a51b3ed23f0245”
   END ACTIONLISTON
  END POLICY
POLICY !!DefaultSearchProvider_GoogleAustralia
   #if version >= 4
   SUPPORTED !!SUPPORTED_IE7
   #endif
   EXPLAIN !!IE_Explain_PopulateSearchProviderList
   KEYNAME “Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes”
   VALUENAME Version
   VALUEON NUMERIC 65001
 ACTIONLISTON
  KEYNAME “Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes”
  VALUENAME DefaultScope VALUE {C003E69C-00DE-4439-A922-BFA17117197F}
    Â
 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”
DefaultSearchProvider_GoogleAustralia=”Sets Default Seach Engine to Google Australia”
IE_Explain_PopulateSearchProviderList=”This policy setting will let you 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.”