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My Total Search toolbar


 •  What is the My Total Search toolbar?
 •  Will the My Total Search toolbar work with my Web browser?
 •  How do I "uninstall" the My Total Search toolbar?
 •  To find out what version your Internet Explorer browser is, try this...
 •  What are the system requirements for installing the My Total Search toolbar?
 •  Does the My Total Search toolbar track where I go on the Internet?
 •  Is the My Total Search toolbar spyware?
 •  Why do some people mistake the My Total Search toolbar for spyware?
 
navigating


 •  Can I search the Web with the My Total Search toolbar?
 •  Can I hide the My Total Search toolbar on my browser?

customizing


 •  How do I customize the My Total Search toolbar?
 •  How do I add or modify buttons on the My Total Search toolbar?
 •  How do I change the layout of the My Total Search toolbar?
 •  How do I add links to the My Total Search toolbar?

troubleshooting guide


 •  The My Total Search toolbar says, "Retrieving buttons from My Way..."
 •  I installed the My Total Search toolbar, but it does not appear. Why?
 •  The My Total Search Bar was on my Internet Explorer browser but now it's gone. What happened?
 •  My browser says that I do not have the system requirements to install the My Total Search toolbar.
 •  My browser says "user certificate invalid" when I attempt to download the My Total Search toolbar.
 •  Internet Explorer says "current security setting prohibit running" when downloading the My Total Search Bar.
 •  I'm experiencing a problem with the My Total Search toolbar that is not addressed in your help section. Who do I contact? 

 
general questions


What is the My Total Search toolbar?
The My Total Search toolbar is a tremendously powerful and totally customizable toolbar that installs directly onto your Web browser. Its design allows you to:
  • Search from anywhere on the Web using the Internet's leading search providers (Yahoo!, Ask.com and LookSmart.)
     
  • Add free "cool tools" such as PopSwatter (pop-up blocker), Smiley Central (10,000+ email smileys), and Cursor Mania (5,000+ cursors)
     
  • Get personalized news, sports, weather, money and daily tidbits via the My Info button

You also have the ability to create your own toolbar buttons and add up to 200 of your own personalized links, while enjoying one-click access to the many areas of the My Way site – all with no banner ads, pop-ups or privacy concerns.

The My Total Search toolbar is free to download and free to use.
 
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Will the My Total Search toolbar work with my Web browser?
The My Total Search toolbar will work only with Internet Explorer versions 5.0 and above.

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How do I "uninstall" the My Total Search toolbar?
You can easily uninstall the My Total Search toolbar using the instructions below:

 •   Close all open Web browsers
 •   From the "Start" menu in Windows, select "Control Panel"
 •   Select "Add/Remove Programs"
 •   Select "My Total Search Bar"
 •   Click "Change/Remove"

Now just follow the simple instructions and the My Total Search toolbar will be uninstalled. Should you reopen your Web browser and still see the My Total Search toolbar, you may need to restart your computer for the uninstall process to be completed.
 
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To find out what version your Internet Explorer browser is, try this:
Go to the Help menu located at the top of your browser. Select "About Internet Explorer." A box will appear that tells you what version you have.
 
Note to AOL Users: The My Total Search toolbar is designed for use with standard Web browsers and currently will not function within AOL's software or its built-in Web browser. However, you can use the My Total Search toolbar on any supported browser (Internet Explorer 5.* or 6.*) you launch while you are connected to the Internet through AOL.
 
Note to WebTV Users: The My Total Search toolbar does not function with the WebTV interface.
 
Note to CompuServe Users: The My Total Search toolbar is designed for use with Internet Explorer 5.0 and above and currently will not function with the browser supplied by CompuServe.
 
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What are the system requirements for installing the My Total Search toolbar?
The My Total Search toolbar is currently available for Windows 95, Windows 98, Window NT 4.0, Windows XP, and Windows 2000. The My Total Search toolbar software and cache require 1 meg of disk space on the disk drive containing your windows directory (usually the C: drive). If you are currently able to run a supported Web browser (IE 5.* or 6.*) on your computer, you should be able to install and run the My Total Search toolbar. In particular, your Web browser and the My Total Search toolbar require a 486 or newer, compatible processor, 16 MB of RAM, VGA display (SVGA is recommended), a mouse or similar pointing device, and Internet access.
 
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Does the My Total Search toolbar track where I go on the Internet?
No, the My Total Search toolbar does not monitor or report information about where you are traveling or what you do on Web sites.
 
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Is the My Total Search toolbar  "spyware"?
NO!  The My Total Search toolbar does not collect any personal information and is completely "spyware"-free and "adware"-free.  Period. 

The My Total Search toolbar was specifically designed to provide a great user experience free of spyware, adware, direct marketing, data collection or other similar activities. In order to achieve that goal:

  • The toolbar software DOES NOT collect personal information of any kind, period. No email address, registration or other information is required to use the product. No zip code, no email, no member name, no password. Unlike many other products, we do not even attempt to collect data upon startup as a requirement of use.
     
  • The toolbar software DOES NOT monitor the websites visited by the end user, collect or in any manner report any information about what sites an end users visits (or any clickstream activity), nor does it monitor or scrape information when you are on other sites.
     
  • The toolbar software DOES NOT serve or facilitate so-called "contextual advertising" or pop-up ads. Many applications are identified as spyware because they monitor end-user Internet usage and serve contextual pop-ups. The My Total Search toolbar does not engage in any such practices.

In short, the My Total Search toolbar provides a superior search experience on an ANONYMOUS basis and without any additional monitoring, contextual ads or other nuisances.

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Why do some people mistake the My Total Search toolbar for spyware?
We feel compelled to respond to the fact that our product is sometimes erroneously referred to as spyware.  Such statements are completely false and in many cases subject to legal challenge as a form of libel. However, the reality is that there is a substantial amount of confusion and misinformation on the Web about how programs work and what "spyware" means.

This problem has been compounded by the evolution of so-called "spyware" detection programs that are being operated in many cases without attention to the facts or details. In many cases, these programs may label programs as "adware," "spyware," "malware," "dataminer" or another classification simply because the program is a plug-in. 

We have engaged in a productive dialog with many providers of spyware detection software that have acknowledged that our product is not spyware and removed it or properly classified the software. 

But here's what you really need to know: The My Total Search toolbar does not collect any personal information and is completely "spyware"-free and "adware"-free.  Period.

The My Total Search toolbar was specifically designed to provide a great user experience free of spyware, adware, direct marketing, data mining or other similar activities. In order to achieve that goal: 

  • The toolbar software DOES NOT collect personal information of any kind, period. No email address, registration or other information is required to use the product. No zip code, no email, no member name, no password. Unlike many other products, we do not even attempt to collect data upon startup as a requirement of use.
     
  • The toolbar software DOES NOT monitor the websites visited by the end user, collect or in any manner report any information about what sites an end users visits (or any clickstream activity), nor does it monitor or scrape information when you are on other sites.
     
  • The toolbar software DOES NOT serve or facilitate so-called "contextual advertising" or pop-up ads. Many applications are identified as spyware because they monitor end-user Internet usage and serve contextual pop-ups. The My Total Search toolbar does not engage in any such practices. 

To provide our users with access to a range of high quality search engines AND to enable each user to customize his or her experience: 

  • The toolbar software DOES install a browser plug-in that enables users to send a search query for processing by My Total Search using one or more of its search engines.
     
  • The toolbar software DOES send a small configuration request to the My Total Search website upon start-up of the browser. This request is typically 5k in size and is made to confirm that the toolbar is properly configured in accordance with users' settings and preferences.
     
  • The toolbar software DOES enable My Total Search to transmit updates to the software upon notice to the user.  We recognize that you may be sensitive to the issue of updating. Like many major online software distributors  – including AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo, Real, etc. – we have designed updateable software in order to ensure that it can be kept current and in working order as changes may be made to Internet protocols, browser software, etc.  Pursuant to our End User License Agreement, we guarantee that no update to the product or fix will ever be made in violation of the terms of the Agreement – which means that even if we do update the software, we will not deploy any software or technology that would monitor the user's habits, collect personal information, or otherwise violate the commitments we have made to provide a product that is spyware-free and adware-free, unless we have received express agreement from the user.

In short, the My Total Search toolbar provides a superior search experience on an ANONYMOUS basis and without any additional monitoring, contextual ads or other nuisances.
 
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navigating


Can I search the Web with the My Total Search toolbar?
Yes! In fact, the My Total Search toolbar search tool is powered by not one, but THREE of the Internet's leading search providers: Yahoo!, Ask.com and LookSmart.

To choose your primary search provider, click your "My Total Search" button (far-left side of toolbar) and select "Change Default Search Provider". Check the box next to the search provider of your choice, then click the "Finished" button. Your My Total Search toolbar's Search button will now be your primary search provider.

In addition to your primary search provider, you can add up to 2 other search provider buttons to your My Total Search toolbar. To do so, click your "My Total Search" button and select "Add/Remove Buttons". Then add other search provider buttons - these will appear to the right of your primary search provider button on your My Total Search toolbar.
 
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Can I hide the My Total Search toolbar from my browser?
For Internet Explorer 5.0 or above, you can hide the My Total Search toolbar by doing the following:

 •  Go to the "View" menu at the top of your browser.
 •  Select "Toolbars"
 •  Click "My Total Search" to hide; click again to unhide.
 
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customizing


How do I customize the My Total Search toolbar?
To customize the My Total Search toolbar, click on the "My Total Search" button to the far left of the toolbar.

Once you click the "My Total Search" button, you will be shown the following customization option:

 •  My Total Search Hub: This option provides you with access to all the My Total Search Hub content pages, powered by My Way - a web portal with no banners, pop-ups or privacy concerns.

 •  Tell-A-Friend: This option lets you send emails to your friends alerting them to such cool My Total Search toolbar features as Smiley Central, PopSwatter and My Mail Stamp.

 •  Add/Remove Buttons: This option allows you to select the buttons that would like to appear on your My Total Search toolbar.

 •  Change Order of Buttons: This option allows you to arrange the order in which your selected buttons are displayed on the My Total Search toolbar.

 •  Edit Personalized Buttons: This option will allow you to customize the different "My buttons".

 •  Change Default Search Provider: This option allows you to switch from your current default search provider to one of our other three industry-leading providers. Options include Yahoo!, Ask.com and LookSmart.

 •  Help: This option takes you to our My Total Search help directory. Here you'll find access to all of your toolbar's individual help pages, including Smiley Central, PopSwatter, My Mail Stamp, My Info and the page you're currently reading. You can also access the help center for My Way - the Web portal that powers the My Total Search toolbar.

 •  My Total Search Version: This option lets you know the current version of your toolbar.

 •  Clear History of Search Terms: This option allows you to remove all prior search terms from your My Total Search toolbar's history or "memory" (the pull-down of past search terms that appears when you begin typing a search that you've entered previously).

 •  Enable Offline Browsing: This option tells your My Total Search toolbar to request your My Total Search toolbar buttons from My Way's servers only after it detects an Internet connection. If you're connected to the Web using an "always on" connection (Cable, DSL, etc.), you may wish to uncheck this option for your buttons to be retrieved faster.

 •  Color Buttons Always: This option allows the icons on your My Total Search toolbar buttons to always remain in color. Unchecking this option will cause your button's icons to only appear in color when you click one of them.

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How do I add or modify buttons on the My Total Search toolbar?
Click the "My Total Search" button to the far left of your toolbar and select "Add/Remove Buttons". This will take you to the "customize your searchbar" page. Here you are able to select which buttons you wish to have displayed on your My Total Search toolbar. You can select up to 20 buttons from the available list to have displayed on your My Total Search toolbar. You can also change your selections at any time.

Once you have selected the buttons that you would like to display on your My Total Search toolbar, click either "Finished" to save your changes, OR "Change Layout" to change the order of the buttons on your toolbar, OR "Edit My Buttons" to edit the customizable "My" buttons.

Note: If you add more buttons than will fit across the My Total Search toolbar at one time, you can find the remaining buttons under the "More>>" button on the far right of the My Total Search toolbar. Clicking on this button will show you a list of the remaining buttons that will not fit within the My Total Search toolbar.

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How do I change the layout of the My Total Search toolbar buttons?
Once you have selected the buttons that you would like to display on your My Total Search toolbar, click on the "Change Layout" button to reach the "button order" page. Here you are able to specify the order in which the buttons are displayed on the My Total Search toolbar.

Click a button name in the "button order" box and then click the up or down arrow buttons to move it up or down within the list of buttons. Buttons that you move to the top of this list will display immediately to the right of the Search box on the My Total Search toolbar.

To remove a button, click a button name and then click the "X" button to the right of the "button order" box.

When you have placed the buttons in the order which you would like them displayed, click "Finished", or click "Add More" to add more buttons to your toolbar, or click "Edit My Buttons" to edit the My Buttons.

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How do I add links to the My Total Search toolbar?
If you have chosen to add any of the "My buttons" to your My Total Search toolbar, this page will allow you to customize each individual button with specific links of your choosing.

To customize any of the "My buttons", select the button that you would like to customize from the list at the top.

Note: If you wish to customize any of the "My" buttons you will have to have already selected them within the "Choose your buttons" page.

My Own Button Customization

Button Title: This is how the particular button will be labeled on the My Total Search toolbar. If you leave this field blank, your My Total Search toolbar will display "My Button X" where "X" is the default button name.

Button URL: Enter in the URL of the page that you would like this button to point to. By clicking on this button, you will then be taken directly to that page.

Button Icon: Select, from the displayed options, the icon that you would like to be shown for that particular button.

Edit/Add links in Button

You can add additional links to each button that will display within the drop-down menu when clicking each button. To do so, enter the link name as you would like it displayed in the drop-down menu as well as the URL of the page that you wish to point to. Click on the "Add>>" button to add the new link to the list for this button.

To change the order in which these additional links are displayed in the button drop-down menu, click the link name in the right box and then click the up and down arrow buttons to move it within the list.

To remove a link from this list, click on the link you wish to remove and then click the "X" button.

NOTE: The easiest way to add a link to any My button is to go the Web site you would like to add, then click on the My button and select "Add This Site" from the drop-down menu.

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troubleshooting guide


The My Total Search toolbar says, "Retrieving buttons from My Way..."
In some cases, this will happen when you first launch your browser. Retrieving buttons should not last more than 10 seconds. If it takes longer than 10 seconds, you might not be connected to the Internet. You must first connect to the Internet using a network login or ISP account.
 
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I installed the My Total Search toolbar, but it does not appear.  Why?
The My Total Search toolbar may be hidden. For Internet Explorer 5.0 or above, do the following to unhide the My Total Search toolbar:

 •  Go to the "View" menu at the top of your browser
 •  Select "Toolbars"
 •  Click "My Total Search" to unhide the My Total Search toolbar

Microsoft has reported a significant bug with versions of Internet Explorer between 5.0.0.0 and 5.00.2919.0. If your Internet Explorer version number is within this range and your computer's operating system is Windows NT or Windows 2000, you should upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer. The bug in these versions may prevent you from successfully using the My Total Search toolbar.
 
To find out what version of Internet Explorer you have, go to the Help menu located at the top of your browser. Select "About Internet Explorer." A box will appear that tells you what version you have.
 
If at some point you uninstalled the My Total Search toolbar, and you are using a Microsoft browser, you may experience difficulty seeing it right away if you attempt to re-install it. The easiest way to make the My Total Search toolbar reappear is to close and restart your Web browser.
 
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The My Total Search toolbar was on my Internet Explorer browser but now it's gone. What happened?
On certain occasions when using Internet Explorer 5.0, you might notice the My Total Search toolbar is not visible when you re-launch the browser. If this happens, do the following:

 •  Go to the "View" menu at the top of your browser
 •  Select "Toolbars"
 •  Click "My Total Search" to restore the My Total Search toolbar on your browser.
 
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My browser says that I do not have the system requirements to install the My Total Search toolbar.
In order to use the My Total Search toolbar, your operating system must be Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows XP, or Windows 2000.
 
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My browser says "user certificate invalid" when I attempt to download the My Total Search toolbar.
You need to update your Internet Explorer browser to a more recent version. Click here to download the most recent version.
 
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Internet Explorer says "current security setting prohibit running" when downloading the My Total Search toolbar.
You need to change your security setting to Medium in order to successfully download using Internet Explorer. Follow the instructions below to change your security settings.
 
Internet Explorer 5.0:

 •  Go to the "Tools" menu at the top of your browser
 •  Select "Internet Options"
 •  Go to the "Security" tab and choose "Medium" security and then click "OK"9;

Internet Explorer 6.0:

 •  Go to the "Tools" menu at the top of your browser
 •  Select "Internet Options"
 •  Go to the "Security" tab and click the "Custom Level" button, then choose "Medium Safety" under "Software channel permissions" and click "OK"
 
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I'm experiencing a problem with the My Total Search toolbar that is not addressed in your help section. Who do I contact?
If you have not found the answer to a problem you are experiencing, please click here to contact Customer Service.

NOTE: If your problem relates to one of our Fun Web Products (Smiley Central, Popular Screensavers, Cursor Mania, etc.) please first visit the Help section of that individual product. Click here for access to all our help pages.

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© 2006 My Total Search