How to Change the Default Search Provider on the Microsoft Surface (IE 10)

You may have noticed that whenever you search the web in the Internet Browser on the Microsoft Surface that it automatically uses Bing and it would seem the only way to search Google is to actually head to Google.com and then search through there. Well, there is a solution, albeit a slightly out of the way one. Microsoft DOES allow you to change the default search provider for IE 10 (both the desktop and the Metro version) but you have to use an add-on to do so. Here’s how.
Also, this procedure should work for Windows 8 in general not just on the Microsoft Surface.

I. Download and Install the Search Provider Add-On

1. On your Surface or Windows 8 device, click on the Desktop tile on your Start screen to be taken to your desktop.

2. Open Internet Explorer in the Desktop.

3. In the Internet Browser, head to http://www.iegallery.com/en-us/AddOns and search for the Google Search Provider add-on (you can also use different search providers if you want, like Yahoo).

4. Click on the Google Search add on.

5. Click Add to Internet Explorer.

6. In the Add Search Provider window, check the boxes for Make this my default search provider and Use search suggestions from this provider and then click Add.

7. After that click the Start button and open Internet Explorer from the Start screen (Metro IE).

8. Swipe from the right and then click Settings > Internet Options.

9. Click Delete Browsing History and wait for that to finish. Afterwards, you are all set.

2 thoughts on “How to Change the Default Search Provider on the Microsoft Surface (IE 10)”

  1. Thanks! I got it to work but I had to add an extra step – I had to go to internet options, manage add-ons, and remove Bing altogether. Otherwise it kept resetting bing as the search provider for searches in the address bar (when I un ticked it, it just kept resetting it and so I just deleted it so that google was the only option). That was on my Microsoft Surface btw.

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