What third party application are you using to get the Start menu back?

It was possible to do in VB6 almost anything that could be done in C -- just easier and quicker. VB still lives. VBA is currently VB7.

If you mistype an internet URL it also goes to your search provider. So not only can they track what you search for but where you go.

IE10 has a major security hole in combining the search and address boxes. If you mistype an intranet URL it goes off to your default search provider with whatever proprietary information may be in it. If you turn off automatic search you cannot manually search.