Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

Recently the search engine for the default hompage changed to 'Ask' . How can I change this back to Google

  • 3 replies
  • 9 have this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by jdsmort

jdsmort
jdsmort
more options

The default homepage search engine in Firefox 8 recently changed to Ask. I found an article describing a change in 'about:config' which should have reverted this to google, but it made no difference. Can anyone suggest : 1) Why it changed, 

                    and  2) How can I change this back to Google
The default homepage search engine in Firefox 8 recently changed to Ask. I found an article describing a change in 'about:config' which should have reverted this to google, but it made no difference. Can anyone suggest : 1) Why it changed, and 2) How can I change this back to Google

Modified by jdsmort

Chosen solution

With the about:home page loaded, paste this in the Location Bar and hit Enter. 

 
javascript:{localStorage["search-engine"]="{\"name\":\"Google\",\"searchUrl\":\"http://www.google.com/search?q=_searchTerms_&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a\"}";void(0);}


If that changes again after a Firefox restart, you have something related to Ask installed and need to get rid of that.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (3)

the-edmeister
the-edmeister
  • Moderator
more options

Chosen Solution

With the about:home page loaded, paste this in the Location Bar and hit Enter. 

 
javascript:{localStorage["search-engine"]="{\"name\":\"Google\",\"searchUrl\":\"http://www.google.com/search?q=_searchTerms_&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a\"}";void(0);}


If that changes again after a Firefox restart, you have something related to Ask installed and need to get rid of that.

jdsmort
jdsmort Question owner
more options

Pasted and entered, but no change, still Ask search. I cannot see anything in Firefox under plugins or Extensions relating to 'Ask' Acrobat, Canon iMage Gateway, Flash, and Yahoo Aplication state Plugin are the only plugins, and Adblock Plus, Download Helper, and Flashvideo Downloader are the only active Extensions. I also cannot find 'Ask' anywhere in 'Programs and Features' I removed it from IE and from the search engine list in Firefox, but this has made no difference... Still always uses the 'Ask' engine. As seen in the screen captures attached

jdsmort
jdsmort Question owner
more options

Finally found the problem, in About:config there is a setting relating to the browser homepage.... various settings...

browser.startup.homepage;about:home

browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID;20111104165243

browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone;rv:8.0

All these showed as user set, but as I knew I wanted about: home, but was not sure what the others did, I just reset the last two,( Rt click and select reset), restarted, and then found that I had the Google search back again. No idea why it changed in the first place, but nice to see it is not so hard to figure these settings in about:config if one uses a little common sense.