Windows 7: Is there a hotkey that will bring up a search engine (i.e. bing.com)?

Question

This is a simple question.

In Windows 7, is there a hotkey that will bring up a search engine. (Like bing.com)?

I know inside of IE 8 I can press Ctrl+E and it goes up to the search dialog box but this means I have to have IE open. I want to be in any application and hit the hotkey.

If this cannot be done. What is the hotkey to open a browser?

I know WindowKey+E opens Windows Explorer but what will open IE?

Answer 1

I use AutoHotKey!

#g:: ;Google highlighted text
MyClip := ClipboardAll
clipboard= 
Send ^c
ClipWait
Run http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=%Clipboard%
Clipboard := MyClip
MyClip = 
return

+#g:: ;Google  clipboard
Run http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=%Clipboard%
return

That will google the selected text with winkey and G, and the clipboard on win shift and G. An IE hotkey would be like:

#i::Run iexplore.exe

to launch it on winkey and i.

Answer 2

You can install a federated search connector for bing and then use Win+F to open the search dialog. It will then search your computer and Bing.

You can find one Bing connector here

Answer 3

One option may be for you to install a software launching app that allows you to easily open an app or site (depending on the software) with just a few keystrokes. If you think this may be what you want you can find a quick review of a few of them here

Answer 4

To get to a web page in a single ctr-alt-click:

1) - copy a IE short cut to your desktop (You can do this by dragging and dropping an entry from Favorites to your desktop.

2) Open IE and navigate to the page you want HotKey access to and copy the URL

3) Right click the shortcut and paste the URL into the URL box on the Web Document tab

4) In the shortcut box, press the key you want to use as a shortcut. (being careful not use a shortcut assigned elsewhere). The window will show you that the short cut is ctrl-alt-key

Note. I think you cannot move the shortcut after you have assigned a shortcut key, so put it somewhere tidy before assigning the shortcut key

5) Click apply, OK out and you should be done

This example was done in Win-XP using IE6

Answer 5

Use Blaze!