Windows live search gone or renamed?

In summary, the user had Windows Live Search set as their default search provider for Internet Explorer, but it stopped working and redirected to their ISP's search. They searched for "live search down" but found few results. They were surprised by the lack of announcements and learned that Live Search was replaced by Bing in 2009. They suspected the issue was due to a domain expiration and could be fixed by updating IE or changing search provider settings. They also mentioned using Google Chrome as an alternate browser.
  • #1
rcgldr
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I have / had windows live search as my default search provider for internet explorer (live serach was auto-selected when I installed the OS onto this computer). It seems that live search is no longer working and ends up going to my ISP provider search as error recovery. I did a web search for "live search down", but just found a few hits at other forums also mentioning live search was down. Seems this started about 6 to 10 days ago.

I'll just switch my default search provider, but a bit suprised I didn't find any announcements about this.
 
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  • #2
Live Search was replaced by Bing back in 2009. I'm not sure which version of IE you're using, but if you install a new version of IE you'll see that the default search is through Bing, not through Live Search. Microsoft properly just let one of their old domains expire and your version of IE stopped going to a working URL when you searched.

I suspect that if you upgrade your version of IE, this problem will go away for you entirely.
 
  • #3
NattyBumppo said:
Live Search was replaced by Bing back in 2009. I'm not sure which version of IE you're using, but if you install a new version of IE you'll see that the default search is through Bing, not through Live Search. Microsoft properly just let one of their old domains expire and your version of IE stopped going to a working URL when you searched.
I'm using IE8 (with Windows XP), but I'm not sure when I chose the default search provider. I did find several articles about Live being replaced by Bing back in 2009, but this problem only started 6 to 10 days ago, so you're probably correct about the domain expiration. When doing a web search for this issue, I didn't find many hits, so apparently not many people were using it.
 
  • #4
Yeah, it seems like a domain expiration would most simply explain the problem you're seeing. Anyway, you should be able to fix it by updating Internet Explorer or by directly editing your search provider settings. (Or by choosing a different browser :smile: )
 
  • #5
Windows 8 is outdated and a bit buggy in my opinion. I'd recommend using google chrome instead.
 
  • #6
wuliheron said:
Windows 8 is outdated and a bit buggy in my opinion.

Two weeks after the release and it is already outdated, things are changing fast.
 
  • #7
Borek said:
Two weeks after the release and it is already outdated, things are changing fast.

LOL, Internet explorer 8.
 
  • #8
I just switched the default search provider to bing. I also use google chrome as an alternate browser if a website has issues with IE8. I started this thread mostly out of curiosity as to why the live search stopped working about a week ago. As mentioned above, probably the old domain finally expired.
 

1. What happened to Windows Live Search?

Windows Live Search was officially renamed to Bing in June 2009. This change was made in order to rebrand the search engine and improve its overall user experience.

2. Why did Microsoft change the name of Windows Live Search?

The decision to change the name of Windows Live Search to Bing was part of Microsoft's efforts to compete with other popular search engines, such as Google and Yahoo. The company believed that a new name and rebranding would help attract more users.

3. Is Bing the same as Windows Live Search?

Yes, Bing is essentially the same search engine as Windows Live Search, but with a new name and improved features. Bing still uses the same technology and algorithms as Windows Live Search, but with a more user-friendly interface and additional features.

4. Can I still access my old Windows Live Search account on Bing?

Yes, you can still access your previous Windows Live Search account on Bing. All of your search history and saved preferences should transfer over to your Bing account.

5. Will Bing have the same features as Windows Live Search?

Bing has many of the same features as Windows Live Search, such as image and video search, news and weather updates, and maps. However, Bing also has new features and improvements, such as a rewards program and integration with Microsoft Edge and Cortana.

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