See http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=873

Q, thanks for replying...... your recommended web-page didn't resolve my problem - I had already been clicking on the the lower right-hand link to try getting to google.com (USA), but without success.

I strongly suspect it is an FF3 problem seeing I don't have any trouble with IE7. Changing ISPs also makes no difference.

Anything else I should try besides re-installing FF3?

I am located in Australia but often wish to google US sites only

Since you are located in Australia, Firefox/Google will try to give you search results based on your locale.

I do not believe you can effectively restrict your search from the Location Bar. However you can do so from the Google search page (in your case www.google.com.au ),

• by clicking "Advanced Search",
• enter your search words, other information and restrictions,
• then for Region, pull down the selections and choose the country.
• If you are looking for information in a specific city/area/state, include location: followed by the city name, state/province name, etc, in your search words with no space between location: and the city, state, etc. Examples: location:denver or location:CO (for Colorado).

See:
http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators.html http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators.html#location

Hope this is helpful.

Update Shockwave Flash (Adobe Flash). A new version was released 2010-08-12, ver. 10.1.82.76.

1. You can check your version: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/
   • Note: plugin check page does not have information on all plugin versions
2. Use Firefox to Download and SAVE to your hard drive (link in article below)
3. After download completes, close Firefox
4. Click on the file you just downloaded and install
   • Note: Vista and Win7 users may need to right-click the installer downloaded and choose "Run as Administrator"
   • Note: Most browsers other than IE will also get updated with this one download
   • Note: To update IE, same procedure but use IE to go: http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player_ax.exe
5. After installation, restart Firefox and check your version again.
6. Download link and other information: https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Managing+the+Flash+plugin#Updating_Flash

Helper7677, thank you too for replying. I visited your suggested links (and tried your suggested customisations) but found they were not simple to simply "set and forget". I'd have to invoke them for each search. (I just emigrated to Australia from the US and still wish to frequently search US based info, services, addresses, etc.)

I'm actually looking to somehow reinstate FF3 to what I had some 2 weeks ago, where I simply clicked on my Home Page with it's embedded Google USA address. Just like I still can with IE7!

Do I have to reinstall FF3 or FF4 beta to make it happen?? Or do I switch to the dreaded IE tool?

I know of no "set and forget" way of doing what you are trying to accomplish. Maybe someone else will come along with other ideas.

Have you updated your version of Adobe Shockwave Flash as I suggested in my first post? You really need to do that for security reasons.

• Google.com in English - always '.com': https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/51000

COR--EL, Thanks, your suggestion solved my problem.

Notwithstanding, I'd really like to know (preferably from a google rep - fat chance) what caused the change - making my searches default to Australian google.com.au, and why the Home Page function is inoperative? If my IE7 still defaults correctly, then the problem is with FF3 ?????

Thanks to ALL who tried to help, Andrew.C

Did you check http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=873 ?

A possibility is that you have corrupted cookies if it suddenly changed.

You can go to the Google international page via htp://ww.google.com/ncr
Google stores that setting in a cookie on your computer that you need to keep via an allow exception.
If that cookie gets removed then you may have to redo that choice.