Description: I myself like the new IE8 feature, InPrivate Browsing. However, InPrivate browsing doesn’t inherit the properties of the default browsing and doesn’t open my default home page. I am baffled to see About:InPrivate page when I open a new session.

The following tweak helped me to set a default home page for InPrivate browsing too

Procedure:

1. Click Start, Run.
2. Type regedit.
3. Navigate to the below registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AboutURLs

4. Double-click InPrivate option and set your favorite URL.

5. Exit the registry.

For those who are not good at registry modification, I’ve created a .reg file. You may download and run the .reg file [Download Link]. However, this defaults to www.ietips.net website. If you wish to change it, right-click the .reg file and change the URL with the URL you wish to change.

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Issue - The menu options are not displayed in Internet Explorer 8.

Reason - This is not an issue and is by design. To view the menu options, hold the Alt key.

Resolution - To enable the menu options to be displayed always, you should enable to “AlwaysShowMenus” key to 1. Follow the steps:

1. Press Win + R keys.

2. Enter regedit and press Enter.

3. Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerMain

To enable, create a dword value named AlwaysShowMenus and set it to 1, and to auto-hide, set the dword value to 0.

If you don’t want to play with the registry, download and run the corresponding .reg fix.

Hide Menus, Show Menus

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Issue - The Search box/area is missing in IE8 (Applies to the previous versions of IE also)

IE Window without Search box

IE Window with Search box

Reason - The Search box will be disabled by some of the tweaking utilities that are installed in the system.

Resolution - To resolve this issue, you have to change the registry key. Perform the following steps:

1. Press Win + R key.

2. Type regedit and press Enter. (Accept any prompts)

3. Navigate to the following registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet ExplorerInfodeliveryRestrictions

To show the search box, create a dword value named NoSearchBox and set it to 0

To show the search box, create a dword value named NoSearchBox and set it to 1

If you don’t want to play with the registry, download and run the below registry patches.

Enable Search Box

Disable Search Box

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