please install the search reset addon - it will revert the most common customizations those adware programs do in firefox back to the default: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/searchreset/

in case this does not work, please reset the whole browser: Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings

Thank you philipp for offering 2 solutions, however neither of them worked.

AVG isearch still prevails.

Now, is there a way that I can get my addons and settings back to what they were?

could you go to the firefox menu ≡ > help ? > troubleshooting information, copy the contents of that page and paste them here into a reply on the forum? this might give us a clue what is going on...

As requested, my troubleshooting information:

Application Basics

Name: Firefox Version: 33.0 User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.2; WOW64; rv:33.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/33.0 Multiprocess Windows: 0/1

Crash Reports for the Last 3 Days

All Crash Reports

Extensions

Name: Copernic Desktop Search - Search Firefox content Version: 3.7.0.8 Enabled: true ID: {57319509-7821-41B0-9FDF-3B58F146AE33}

Name: McAfee Security Scan Plus Version: 1.0 Enabled: false ID: {e4f94d1e-2f53-401e-8885-681602c0ddd8}

Name: Skype Click to Call Version: 7.3.16540.9015 Enabled: false ID: {82AF8DCA-6DE9-405D-BD5E-43525BDAD38A}

Graphics

Adapter Description: AMD Radeon HD 7700 Series Adapter Drivers: aticfx64 aticfx64 aticfx64 aticfx32 aticfx32 aticfx32 atiumd64 atidxx64 atidxx64 atiumdag atidxx32 atidxx32 atiumdva atiumd6a atitmm64 Adapter RAM: 1024 ClearType Parameters: Gamma: 2200 Pixel Structure: R ClearType Level: 100 Enhanced Contrast: 400 Device ID: 0x683d Direct2D Enabled: true DirectWrite Enabled: true (6.2.9200.16581) Driver Date: 3-28-2013 Driver Version: 12.104.0.0 GPU #2 Active: false GPU Accelerated Windows: 1/1 Direct3D 11 (OMTC) Vendor ID: 0x1002 WebGL Renderer: Google Inc. -- ANGLE (AMD Radeon HD 7700 Series Direct3D9Ex vs_3_0 ps_3_0) windowLayerManagerRemote: true AzureCanvasBackend: direct2d AzureContentBackend: direct2d AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: cairo AzureSkiaAccelerated: 0

Important Modified Preferences

accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar: 0 browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400 browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max: false browser.cache.frecency_experiment: 3 browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion: 7 browser.sessionstore.upgradeBackup.latestBuildID: 20141011015303 browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID: 20141011015303 browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone: 33.0 dom.mozApps.used: true extensions.lastAppVersion: 33.0 gfx.direct3d.last_used_feature_level_idx: 0 media.gmp-gmpopenh264.lastUpdate: 1413757004 media.gmp-gmpopenh264.version: 1.1 media.gmp-manager.lastCheck: 1413969766 network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true places.database.lastMaintenance: 1414056584 places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 104858 plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types: application/pdf plugin.importedState: true privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs: true storage.vacuum.last.index: 1 storage.vacuum.last.places.sqlite: 1413757479

Important Locked Preferences

JavaScript

Incremental GC: true

Accessibility

Activated: false Prevent Accessibility: 0

Library Versions

NSPR Expected minimum version: 4.10.7 Version in use: 4.10.7

NSS Expected minimum version: 3.17.1 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.17.1 Basic ECC

NSSSMIME Expected minimum version: 3.17.1 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.17.1 Basic ECC

NSSSSL Expected minimum version: 3.17.1 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.17.1 Basic ECC

NSSUTIL Expected minimum version: 3.17.1 Version in use: 3.17.1

Experimental Features

does it still happen when you disable the Copernic search addon? maybe this is some form of adware it contains...

See also:

• http://malwaretips.com/blogs/?s=isearch

I have disabled Copernic search addon and also done all the steps as noted on http://malwaretips.com/blogs/?s=isearch for iSearch.bobrowser.com removal guide.

Still have the isearch from avg popping up when click on a new tab.

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar and search for prefs that refer to isearch. You can reset user set (bold) prefs via the right-click context menu to the default value.

Boot the computer in Windows Safe Mode with network support (press F8 on the boot screen) as a test.

• http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/how-to-start-windows-in-safe-mode/

Do a malware check with several malware scanning programs on the Windows computer. Please scan with all programs because each program detects different malware. All these programs have free versions.

Make sure that you update each program to get the latest version of their databases before doing a scan.

• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:
  http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
• AdwCleaner:
  http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
  http://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/Removal-Tools/AdwCleaner.shtml
• SuperAntispyware:
  http://www.superantispyware.com/
• Microsoft Safety Scanner:
  http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx
• Windows Defender:
  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-defender
• Spybot Search & Destroy:
  http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
• Kasperky Free Security Scan:
  http://www.kaspersky.com/security-scan

You can also do a check for a rootkit infection with TDSSKiller.

• Anti-rootkit utility TDSSKiller:
  http://support.kaspersky.com/5350?el=88446

See also:

• "Spyware on Windows": http://kb.mozillazine.org/Popups_not_blocked
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-caused-malware