Can you go to that page, about:preferences#search and scroll to the bottom box and click the button that says "Restore default search engines"? It should repopulate the search engines that'll then show up in the drop down.

If that isn't working, let me know.

evhenry said

Can you go to that page, about:preferences#search and scroll to the bottom box and click the button that says "Restore default search engines"? It should repopulate the search engines that'll then show up in the drop down. If that isn't working, let me know.

The "restore default search engines" button wont even let me click on it

I have tried to add google by typing it in the address box and clicking the three dots next to the pocket button but it wont give me the option to save it as a search engine

Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem.

• switch to the DEFAULT theme: "3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Themes
• do NOT click the "Refresh Firefox" button on the Safe Mode start window

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-using-safe-mode
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-extensions-themes-to-fix-problems

You can rename/remove search.json.mozlz4 (and possible search.json, search-metadata.json, search.sqlite) in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed to rebuild the search engines registry.

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

• Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Folder/Directory:
  Windows: Show Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/Profiles

Firefox will rebuild the search.json.mozlz4 file from the builtin search engines.

cor-el said

Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem.

• switch to the DEFAULT theme: "3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Themes
• do NOT click the "Refresh Firefox" button on the Safe Mode start window

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-using-safe-mode
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-extensions-themes-to-fix-problems

---

You can rename/remove search.json.mozlz4 (and possible search.json, search-metadata.json, search.sqlite) in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed to rebuild the search engines registry.

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

• Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Folder/Directory:
  Windows: Show Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/Profiles

Firefox will rebuild the search.json.mozlz4 file from the builtin search engines.

I tired both options you have given me .. i set it back to default theme, checked my hardware, found my profile folder and removed it and it did nothing .. i have tried the trouble shooting options but not fixing it its just the same ..

I have tried to add google by typing it in the address box and clicking the three dots next to the pocket button but it wont give me the option to save it as a search engine

I have tried to add google by typing it in the address box and clicking the three dots next to the pocket button but it wont give me the option to save it as a search engine

You can only add a search engine if you right-click in a search bar on a web page like the Google website (https://www.google.com), so you would have to type/paste this address in the location bar and press the enter key to open the Google website if you want to try out if you can add a new search engine this way. Then go the search bar on the Google website and right-click to find: "Add a Keyword for this Search".

Did you try my above suggestions ?

The only thing that is really weird about the HTML version of about:config is creating a new pref.

You need to type the full name in the search bar at the top and then select the type on the add/delete bar at the bottom of the page and then click the '+' button. That can be rather dangerous because if you click this plus button then you create a new pref with whatever you have typed in the search bar as the name. If you check that bar at the bottom in the Inspector then you see that this is just a table row (TR tag) just like the other entries on the page with only a different class name. There aren't any special access keys for this row AFAICT, so you would have to use the Tab key to get there.