SharePoint Search Customisation (Ontolica)

If you want to modify the basic search in SharePoint just edit the properties in the SearchArea.xml file located at C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\FEATURES\OSearchEnhancedFeature and C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\FEATURES\OSearchBasicFeature

You can easily customise the Show Scope dropdown, show advanced search option, width of the textbox etc. Only a few properties are set in the xml file but more properties are available and can be added...have a look at the website below for a complete list of properties.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.sharepoint.portal.webcontrols.searchboxex_members.aspx

If you have installed ontolica search and want to modify the dropdown and advanced search option then you can do that by going to Site Actions - Site Settings - Modify All Site Settings - Ontolica Search Box Scopes and clicking on the settings button on the toolbar