Windows 7 Start Menu Search can only be used to search for programs and files by default. Fortunately, with a simple change, you can use Start Menu Search to trigger Internet searches as well. And these searches will be performed with your default browser and search engine. So if you happen to use, say, Google Chrome and Google Search, no worries: That's what it will use.
The key is to use a little-known administration tool called the Group Policy Editor. In corporate environments, this management console is used to set policies for computers and users. But when used on a single PC, or "locally," it can be used in a similar manner to set policies for the local PC and currently logged-in user.