Search+the+Web+from+Your+Desktop

You can use Windows 7's built-in search as an online search tool without having to launch a Web browser, by using search connectors. For instance, if you wanted to search YouTube videos from your desktop, just download and install the YouTube search connector. This adds a "YouTube Search" option to your Searches folder, which lets you browse YouTube from your desktop.
 * Search the Web from Your Desktop **

Note the searches will not be added to the Start menu's search box.

If you search on something in there first, and then click Enter, you will get to an Explorer window that now includes, for example, a YouTube search entry under Favourites.

Click on this to get results at YouTube right in the Explorer window. Drag the icon with the right mouse button to create a desktop icon for the search provider. You can find search connectors at sevenforums.com, which also teaches you how to create your own.