Here's a registry mod that will have you looking up Microsoft Knowledge Base articles instantly in your browser.

Question: How can I quickly search for Microsoft Knowledge Base articles?

You can modify the registry to add the capability to quickly search the KB articles (formerly referred to as Q articles) in Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. Here's the procedure:

1. Run regedit.exe.

2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl.

3. From the Edit menu, select New, Key and name it KB.

4. Select the new KB folder that you just created under the SearchUrl folder, and in the right-hand pane double-click Default.

5. For Value data, enter http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=%s.

6. Click OK and close the registry editor.

To test this procedure, open Internet Explorer and type KB followed by the name of the KB article number (for example, to search for article number 832980, type "kb 823980"). It should take you directly to the article in your browser.

Make sure that you don't add KB as a value in the SearchUrl key. KB should be a subfolder of SearchUrl folder and it should contain the above entry in the right-hand pane.

Last Updated - Monday April 30, 2007