Try "about:config" & for a full description see this support article:

http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Location+bar+search

It basically takes you into the background settings & allows you to either "reset" or use another url. I set mine to the UK Google Feeling Lucky & pasted in the following location

http://www.google.co.uk/search?btnI=I%27m+Feeling+Lucky&q=

Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of the extensions or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox (Tools) > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes).

• Don't make any changes on the Safe mode start window.
• https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+Mode

• https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Preferences_not_saved
• https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Preferences+are+not+saved

Sorry guys, I greatly appreciate your help and suggestions but nothing seems to be working so far. I think I will just have to live with it and ignore the Yahoo SE. The thing I cant understand is when the SE list had them all and I deleted the ones I didnt want, Yahoo was the only one that returned when I rebooted and restarted Firefox.

Try this:

Change Default Search in Firefox

thank you

Please mark "Solved" the answer that really solve the problem, to help others with a similar problem.

Thank you for your response to my question.

Yep I found that in about:config and changed it when I was was playing with the other bits and pieces. I now suspect my question should be more aimed at my operating system or some other software as I have noticed that after playing with config and restarting Firefox the changes hold BUT if I reboot my laptop and then restart Firefox, ALL changes I made in config have been changed back and Yahoo is again my default Search Engine. The other things I have noticed... about:config.....filter Google..... communitytoolbar.searchfromaddressbarsavedurl user set string http://www.google.com.au browser.search.order1 default string Google browser.search.order2 user set string Google

about:config.....filter Yahoo..... browser.search.defaultenginename user set string Yahoo keyword.url user set string http://au.search.yahoo.com/...

These are the (Yahoo) ones I have been changing to Google without luck.

Your assistance and advice is greatly appreciated. Its been many years since I dug my claws into programming and this has been interesting...

Thanks Again, Everyone.......

Do you have any virtualization software, e.g ZoneAlarm, that can restore files on a reboot?

No I dont, But I do have some other system maintenance software that seems to take delight in changing some of my Firefox settings when I run it. When I get a bit more time I will try to put some info together and throw it in the ring to see if anyone else has experienced the same thing.

Thanks....

I think I have a solution for you.

I had the same problem, tried about: config, and everything else...nothing worked.

And then i just re-installed it.

That worked like a charm, google search bar back to normal.

I think my problem was that I was reinstalling a bunch of crap all at once and somewhere in there I accidentally allowed some stupid yahoo based search bar to install itself and it fucked up my google bar and wouldnt let me change it back. ( can you tell by my language Im a bit frustrated w/ computers lately??)

So thats my 2 cents hope it helped.