I have tried to change my default search engine away from Yaho multiple times and it always goes back to Yahoo every time I restart my computer.
I have tried changing my default search engine away from Yahoo multiple times and it always defaults back whenever I turn my computer back on. Any tips I've looked up on the help pages have been less than worthless, and it's getting to the point where I'm considering blocking Yahoo from my computer. I have nothing against Yahoo or anything, but getting railroaded into a search engine I have EXPLICITLY STATED THAT I DO NOT WISH TO USE MULTIPLE TIMES is kind of making me averse from ever patronizing it in the future. Thanks, and I hope to hear back from you soon~! :^)
Chosen solution
Try to delete the search.json file and possible search-metadata.json and search.sqlite files in the Firefox profile folder to reset the search engines to the default.
Firefox will rebuild the search.json file from the default search engines in the "browser\searchplugins" folder in the Firefox program folder and the searchplugins folder in the Firefox profile folder.
You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder:
- Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
If you do not keep changes after a restart or otherwise have problems with preferences, see:
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Are you changing the Default Search engine thru Options > Search?
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-bar-add-change-manage-search-engines-firefox
You can revert to the previous Search Bar scheme like this.
Open up about:config (typed in the Location Bar) Right-click and toggle this preference to false
browser.search.showOneOffButtons
Then restart Firefox.
I am doing that, and it works just fine until I turn my computer off. When I turn it back on later it changes back to Yahoo.
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Try to delete the search.json file and possible search-metadata.json and search.sqlite files in the Firefox profile folder to reset the search engines to the default.
Firefox will rebuild the search.json file from the default search engines in the "browser\searchplugins" folder in the Firefox program folder and the searchplugins folder in the Firefox profile folder.
You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder:
- Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
If you do not keep changes after a restart or otherwise have problems with preferences, see:
This did it, thank you!
I tried this and it did not work. I deleted Yahoo from several places and it did not seem to fix the problem. I found in pref.js where it appeared to be replacing any search engine with Yahoo and changed the name to my search engine instead of Yahoo. When I opened Firefox, my engine was now chosen. Interesting.
It's just that every time firefox does an update, they reset the search engine back to yahoo and everything else. I have to go in, each time a firefox update happens, and change the default search back to my preferred search engine.
geekpros said
It's just that every time firefox does an update, they reset the search engine back to yahoo and everything else.
That does not happen to me (on Windows 7). Do you notice any other lost settings? If so, beware of possibly using the Refresh feature. This could occur when Firefox reports it is starting slowly and suggests restoring some default settings. If you click that, your old settings are moved to the desktop in a folder named Old Firefox Data and many customizations are undone.
If you have an Old Firefox Data with recently updated files inside and you want to restore those old settings, please start a new thread since this one is already marked solved.
https://support.mozilla.org/questions/new/desktop/fix-problems
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