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?
Can I search the Web with the My Total
Search toolbar? Can I hide the My Total Search toolbar on
my browser?
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?
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?
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. Back to top
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.
Back to top
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. Back to top
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. Back to top
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.
Back to top
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. Back to top
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.
Back to top
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. Back to top
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. Back to top
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. Back to top
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.
Back to top
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.
Back to top
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.
Back to top
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.
Back to top
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. Back to top
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.
Back to top
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.
Back to top
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.
Back to top
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. Back to top
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" Back to
top
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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top
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