Hi XP User,
The Search button always loads the search page in a special side bar. You
can disable it by removing the CLSID for the search bar from IE's Explorer
Bars list and removing the Search button from the Buttons toolbar, However
you are still left with the menu option to display it. I think there may be
a Policy setting (gpedit.msc) to disable and hide the side search bar button
and menu.
To create a button to display a search page in the 'main' frame of IE, just
create a link on your links toolbar to your favorite search providers home
page. You can find a complete (almost) listing at
http://www.iecustomizer.com/iesearchpages/ with options to add to favorites
or make it as your homepage.
There is also a setting in IE for what is called your "Search Page". This is
the page that your browser will navigate to when it cannot find a page that
it is navigating to. (Called the 404 Search)
There is also Address Bar search shortcuts and when you type a search search
query in your address bar you should see an option in the drop-down list to
"search for". If you scroll down the list and select this option it will
pass the what you have typed in to your default search provider and display
it in the "main" window.
Address Bar Shortcuts -
http://www.iecustomizer.com/iesearches/
Side Bar Search Panels -
http://www.iecustomizer.com/iepanels/
Regards.