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Search button defaulting to mozilla.org instead of google.com

  • 7 replies
  • 6 have this problem
  • 19 views
  • Last reply by FredMcD

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My mouse has an additional button used as a "search" button. If I have the search bar on my toolbar, clicking the search button puts me in the search bar ready to type my search. If I do not have my search bar on my toolbar and I click the search button I'd go to the search engine web page. Usually, when I'm in Firefox I'd click this mouse button and I'd go directly to google.com (my default search engine). Just recently it now goes to mozilla.org with a google search bar on the page. I've gone into the about:config and it says Google is my default search engine, but why am I getting directed to mozilla.org? How do I get Google.com to be my default search page (as in my web address is directed to google.com to preform my search, not to be confused with my homepage)?

My mouse has an additional button used as a "search" button. If I have the search bar on my toolbar, clicking the search button puts me in the search bar ready to type my search. If I do not have my search bar on my toolbar and I click the search button I'd go to the search engine web page. Usually, when I'm in Firefox I'd click this mouse button and I'd go directly to google.com (my default search engine). Just recently it now goes to mozilla.org with a google search bar on the page. I've gone into the about:config and it says Google is my default search engine, but why am I getting directed to mozilla.org? How do I get Google.com to be my default search page (as in my web address is directed to google.com to preform my search, not to be confused with my homepage)?

All Replies (7)

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How do you mean? Are you talking about the about:home page? Are you using an add-on or an external program?

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I have a guess... extra mouse buttons generally work by sending a keyboard shortcut to Firefox. With the search box displayed, Ctrl+e will move the cursor to the search box. With the search box not displayed, Ctrl+e opens the about:home page (built-in home page). Did the button (or Ctrl+e) previously load your (custom) home page?

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The previous Firefox release used to open the web page of the selected search engine when the search bar wasn't positioned on a toolbar. This has changed in the Firefox 31.0 release and now you get the about:home page (Bug 940685).

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Thanks for the info and link. Is there any work around to change the action of the shortcut (I have assigned the "search" button "crtl+e") in Firefox? As in can I change "ctrl+e" to be the shortcut of "google.com" instead of "about:home?

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I can't think of a way to assign a keyboard shortcut to a particular website.

If Google is your home page, you might have your search button send Alt+Home to navigate to that.

If you can do a more complicated key sequence, you could conceivable use a bookmark "keyword". This involves assigning a keyword to your Google bookmark, then having a key sequence focus the address bar, enter the keyword, and press Enter. Probably impractical...

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You can look at the PrefBar extension and create a new link button with that URL. You can assign a shortcut key to such a button. You can hide the PrefBar (F8) if you do not want to see it or use the toolbar button that can be found in the Customize palette.

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Maybe you can use this;

External Application Buttons 2 {web link} Lightweight add-on to create toolbar buttons that launch various external applications.

Create URL files that call the sites you want. Then set the buttons of the add-on to those files.