Ask Toolbar for Internet Explorer FAQ

What is the Ask Toolbar?

The Ask Toolbar is a tremendously powerful and totally customizable toolbar that installs directly onto your Web browser. Its design allows you to:

• Search the Web with Ask.com directly from your browser
• Block annoying pop-ups automatically
• Save pages and searchs, and access them from anywhere
• Get Direct Answers to many popular searches like dictionary lookups and stock quotes.

The Ask Toolbar is free to download and free to use.

Back to top

Will the Ask Toolbar work with my Web browser?

The Ask Toolbar will work only with Internet Explorer versions 5.5 and above. There is also a version of the toolbar for FireFox, available here.

Back to top

How do I "uninstall" the Ask Toolbar?

You can easily uninstall the Ask Toolbar using the instructions below:

1. Close all open Web browsers
2. From the "Start" menu in Windows, select "Control Panel"
3. Select "Add/Remove Programs"
4. Select "Ask.com Bar"
5. Click "Change/Remove"

Now just follow the simple instructions and the Ask Toolbar will be uninstalled. Should you reopen your Web browser and still see the Ask 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 Ask 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 Ask 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 Ask Toolbar does not function with the WebTV interface.

Note to CompuServe Users: The Ask Toolbar is designed for use with Internet Explorer 5.5 and above and currently will not function with the browser supplied by CompuServe.

Back to top

What are the system requirements for installing the Ask Toolbar?

The Ask Toolbar is currently available for Window NT 4.0, Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Vista. The Ask 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 Ask Toolbar. In particular, your Web browser and the Ask 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 Ask Toolbar track where I go on the Internet?

No, the Ask Toolbar does not monitor or report information about where you are traveling or what you do on Web sites.

Back to top

Is the Ask Toolbar "spyware"?

NO! The Ask Toolbar does not collect any personal information and is completely "spyware"-free and "adware"-free. Period. The Ask 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 Ask Toolbar does not engage in any such practices.

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

Back to top

How does the Highlight feature work?

The highlight feature easily allows you to locate your search terms on the search results page(s). Clicking the "Highlight" button will highlight all your search terms in yellow on the search results page. If you elect to keep the "Highlight" turned on, it will highlight those search terms on all web (HTML) pages whether they are accessed through the Ask Toolbar, your web browser, or other sources. The highlight feature is a toggle switch that may be turned "on" or "off" simply by clicking on it.

If you would like to highlight other terms on the web page, type the word(s) you would like highlighted in the search box (do not click the "Enter" key) and click the highlight button again; the new term will automatically be highlighted.

Back to top

What is PopSwatter?

PopSwatter is a feature of the Ask Toolbar that blocks unwanted pop-up windows that try to open automatically. For example:

• Pop-up and pop-under ads
• Windows that open when you leave a site
• Windows that open after a page loads
• Windows that open when you close your browser

PopSwatter will allow windows that open because you clicked to go there. For example:

• Links that open in new windows
• Pop-ups from any site that you add to your "Safe List". Use the Change Preferences option of the PopSwatter menu to update this list.

PopSwatter does not stop:

• Error windows
• Flash or DHTML windows within the browser
• Instant messaging windows
• Windows that open because of software or adware on your computer

Back to top

How do I know when a pop-up window has been blocked?

When a window is blocked, PopSwatter will play a sound. The number of Total Pop-Ups Blocked displayed at the top of the preference frame will also increase.

To turn off the sound, click the PopSwatter menu, the Sound tab in the left frame, and check the never option.

Back to top

What is MyStuff?

MyStuff is a powerful tool to upload, organize and share images and web pages. Select the "MyStuff" menu and click "Save" to save the page you are viewing in MyStuff. You can also right click to save any link or image you see. For even more convenience, add one-click buttons to the toolbar. With MyStuff, you can add notes to your saved links or images, publish them to the web or share them with your friends and family. MyStuff is also a great way to back up your bookmarks or favorites. If you don't have a MyStuff account yet, signing up is free and only takes one minute.

Back to top

Can I search my desktop and email as well?

Yes. Enter a keyword or phrase related to the information you need. It can be a text snippet from one of your documents on your computer, an email address or the name of a photo. In the search menu select "Desktop Search" or "Email Search" and Ask Toolbar will quickly scan all your documents and provide results that match your query. The first time you use this feature, you will be asked to download and install Ask Desktop Search.

Back to top

What are the news headlines that show in the news button?

Each time you click on the arrow of the news button, the Ask Toolbar will fetch the latest top stories and display them inside the menu. Click any headline to read the full story.

Back to top

How do I customize the news that show within my toolbar?

There are 11 news buttons to choose from, like business news or sports news. To add or remove category, go to "Add/Remove buttons" and select the corresponding news buttons, and turn your toolbar into you very own news center.

Back to top

How do I delete my search history?

To clear your search history from the drop-down text box in Ask Toolbar, click on the Ask.com logo to open the drop-down menu. Select the "Clear History" option. This will clear all the previous searches from the drop-down box. There is also a search history in MyStuff. Select the MyStuff button and click on Search My Search History. To clear it, click on "Clear Search History". Note that MyStuff only records your search history if you have chosen so through the settings pages.

Back to top

What is "Resize"?

The "Resize" button allows you to enlarge or shrink a page you are viewing. All text and images can be magnified to 125%, 150% and 200%, or reduced to 75% and 50%. Note that some content like embedded video and dynamic objects cannot be resized.

Back to top

What is the "Sign In" button?

Click Sign In to access your Ask.com personalized tools and services, like setting up your default locations, search preferences and using your very own storage space on MyStuff for your photos and saved results. Once you are "signed in", this button will change into a "Sign out" button.

Back to top

Can I hide the Ask Toolbar from my browser?

For Internet Explorer 5.5 or above, you can hide the Ask Toolbar by doing the following:

1. Go to the "View" menu at the top of your browser.
2. Select "Toolbars"
3. Click "Ask Toolbar" to hide; click again to unhide.

Back to top

How do I customize the Ask Toolbar?

To customize the Ask Toolbar, click on the "Ask.com" button to the far left of the toolbar. The drop-down menu that appears includes the following customization option:

• Add/Remove Buttons: This option allows you to select the buttons that would like to appear on your Ask Toolbar.
• Change Order of Buttons: This option allows you to arrange the order in which your selected buttons are displayed on the Ask Toolbar.
• Search Settings: This option takes you to the general setting tabs to customize the search experience on ask.com.
• Clear History: This option allows you to remove all prior search terms from your Ask 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).
• Help: This option takes you to the Ask.com help directory.
• About: This option lets you know the current version of your toolbar.

Back to top

How do I move my Toolbar?

To move your Toolbar, simply click on the separator bar to the left of the Ask.com logo and drag the Toolbar to the desired location. Please note that on Internet Explorer 6.0 that the toolbars are locked by default. In this case the separator icon will not appear, and the toolbars will be immobile, until you right click on the toolbars and uncheck "Lock the Toolbars".

Back to top

How do I add or modify buttons on the Ask Toolbar?

Click the "Ask.com" button to the far left of your toolbar and select "Add/Remove Buttons". This will take you to the "Customize your Toolbar" page, where you can select which buttons you wish to have displayed on your Ask Toolbar.

Once you have selected the buttons that you would like to display on your Ask Toolbar, click either "Finished" to save your changes, or select the "Reorder Toolbar Buttons" tab to change the order of the buttons on your toolbar.

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

Back to top

How do I change the order of the Ask Toolbar buttons?

Once you have selected the buttons that you would like to display on your Ask Toolbar, click on the "Change Order of Buttons" button to reach the "button order" page. Here you are able to specify the order in which the buttons are displayed on the Ask Toolbar.

Click a button name in the list 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 Ask 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

The Ask Toolbar says, "Retrieving buttons from Ask.com..."

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 Ask Toolbar, but it does not appear. Why?

The Ask Toolbar may be hidden. For Internet Explorer 5.5 or above, do the following to unhide the Ask Toolbar:

1. Go to the "View" menu at the top of your browser
2. Select "Toolbars"
3. Click "Ask Toolbar" to unhide the Ask 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 Ask 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 Ask 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 Ask Toolbar reappear is to close and restart your Web browser.

Back to top

I just upgraded to IE 6.0, and my Toolbar toolbar disappeared.

Try downloading the Ask Toolbar again:

1. In IE, click on the "Tools" menu and choose "Internet Options."
2. Click the "Advanced" tab.
3. In the "Browsing" section, make sure "Enable third-party browser extensions" is selected.
4. Close all IE windows and restart.
5. Reinstall Toolbar at http://toolbar.ask.com.

Back to top

The Ask Toolbar was on my Internet Explorer browser but now it's gone. What happened?

On certain occasions when using Internet Explorer 5.5, you might notice the Ask Toolbar is not visible when you re-launch the browser. If this happens, do the following:

1. Go to the "View" menu at the top of your browser
2. Select "Toolbars"
3. Click "Ask Toolbar" to restore the Ask Toolbar on your browser.

Back to top

My browser says that I do not have the system requirements to install the Ask Toolbar.

In order to use the Ask Toolbar, your operating system must be Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows Vista.

Back to top

My browser says "user certificate invalid" when I attempt to download the Ask 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 Ask 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 5.5:

1. Go to the "Tools" menu at the top of your browser
2. Select "Internet Options"
3. Go to the "Security" tab and choose "Medium" security and then click "OK"

Internet Explorer 6.0:

1. Go to the "Tools" menu at the top of your browser
2. Select "Internet Options"
3. 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've tried several times to install the Ask Toolbar, but it still fails. What should I do?

Have you checked to see if your problem is addressed by any of the others listed on this FAQ? If your installation problem is not addressed by this FAQ, please send an email detailing the problem.

Back to top

In late September 2007, I read that the Ask.com Toolbar for IE may have had a security vulnerability. Can you tell me about this?

Ask.com takes security very seriously. We were notified of a buffer overflow issue in the Ask.com IE toolbar, and have released an update that fixes the problem. Our toolbar users were automatically notified of the update.

Back to top

How do I report a problem?

To report a problem with your Toolbar, please send us an email detailing the problem. Be sure to include your Operating system (e.g., Windows XP) and browser version (e.g., Internet Explorer 6) to help us better serve you.

Back to top