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My computer shop set me up with GOOGLE running my life. This new Firefox stuff is so complicated I don't have a clue how to redo the page.

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  • Last reply by user633449

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I don't know how to redo my Firefox page. I don't even know the terms that are used for that page. FIrefox Page? The page I go to do a search to find a website or a video, etcetera. I just got my computer back from the shop and they changed all my settings, so now Google is the big cheese on the page. That is very, very bad. Google now is following me all over, so I can't even post to a video. I am supposed to sign in to Google? Not going to happen! I just want to see my Firefox logo in the search box like it used to be, not GOOGLE in big letters, beating their breast, like now they own me.

I already posted on this, and was getting some help, but it's not enough help. I was reading the directions on how to set up a Firefox page, and it's so complicated. I'm not a computer geek. I'm so frustrated that I can't have a computer that works anymore.

Giving directions on technical stuff is horrible. All those words are meaningless. How is anybody supposed to even know what those words mean? Why does Firefox have to be always changing all the time? Microsoft always changing. They think we're a bunch of nerds who all graduated from computer tech school or what! My computer repair guy tells me to go to the community college and take a class! Excuse me? I don't think so. I've been using a computer for 30 years. I just want to type with it and browse with it. I don't want to program it or build one or repair. Why is this Firefox program so damned complicated!

Don't you guys have an all-in-one version, an all around version? Let us answer questions to order our version we want? What's with all this technical descriptions of how to save this or move that or whatever.

My computer is running terrible, and I can't even do basic things I want to do because Google is running my life, and I just want to get them to leave me alone. I'm not interested in their bossing me around and standing at the door everytime I want to do anything. I am not signing in with Google to do anything! Not as long as I don't have to , and then I might just take the computer and trash it if Google doesn't butt out.

I don't know how to redo my Firefox page. I don't even know the terms that are used for that page. FIrefox Page? The page I go to do a search to find a website or a video, etcetera. I just got my computer back from the shop and they changed all my settings, so now Google is the big cheese on the page. That is very, very bad. Google now is following me all over, so I can't even post to a video. I am supposed to sign in to Google? Not going to happen! I just want to see my Firefox logo in the search box like it used to be, not GOOGLE in big letters, beating their breast, like now they own me. I already posted on this, and was getting some help, but it's not enough help. I was reading the directions on how to set up a Firefox page, and it's so complicated. I'm not a computer geek. I'm so frustrated that I can't have a computer that works anymore. Giving directions on technical stuff is horrible. All those words are meaningless. How is anybody supposed to even know what those words mean? Why does Firefox have to be always changing all the time? Microsoft always changing. They think we're a bunch of nerds who all graduated from computer tech school or what! My computer repair guy tells me to go to the community college and take a class! Excuse me? I don't think so. I've been using a computer for 30 years. I just want to type with it and browse with it. I don't want to program it or build one or repair. Why is this Firefox program so damned complicated! Don't you guys have an all-in-one version, an all around version? Let us answer questions to order our version we want? What's with all this technical descriptions of how to save this or move that or whatever. My computer is running terrible, and I can't even do basic things I want to do because Google is running my life, and I just want to get them to leave me alone. I'm not interested in their bossing me around and standing at the door everytime I want to do anything. I am not signing in with Google to do anything! Not as long as I don't have to , and then I might just take the computer and trash it if Google doesn't butt out.

All Replies (20)

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Why don't you continue this in this thread :

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1228697  ?

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First, pick up the phone and complain to the manager of the place that 'fixed' your computer. Let them know you are unhappy.

As for Google, let's try this first;

Type about:addons<enter> in the address bar to open your Add-ons Manager. Hot key; (<Control> [Mac=<Command>] <Shift> A)

In the Add-ons Manager, on the left, select Extensions. Remove “ Google “ Anything.

Also remove SafeSearch, SearchAssist Incognito, FileConverter Addon, SearchLock, DiscreteSearch, WebSearch, Findwide Search Engine

Now do the same in the computer’s Programs Folder.

Windows: Start > Control Panel > Uninstall Programs. Mac: Open the Applications folder. Linux: Check your user manual.

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Type about:preferences#general<enter> in the address bar.

There are two settings;

  • When Firefox Starts

When the browser is started, what do you want to display? Many of us choose Show My Home Page.

  • Home Page

When a new page is opened, what do you want to be displayed?

  1. Use Current Page. Use what ever page(s) are open at that time.
  2. Use Bookmark
  3. Restore To Default. about:home shows a Mozilla home page with tools.

You can use any of these that you wish;

about:home (Firefox default home page), about:newtab (shows the sites most visited), about:blank (a blank page),

or you can enter any webpage or about: page you want.

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You guys just got through messing with me when you switched to Quantum. I lost all my settings and apps, and then when I got things sort of okay after that, now my computer shop sets me up as some kind of slave to Google. And I'm supposed to follow directions on how to set up my Firefox page (or whatever the correct technical term you geek people use for that page.)

Why do you have to make everything so hard? Can't you just keep things the same, and just add things in one by one? Do you have to redo the whole damned thing, and give us a college course on how to set our page up?

This is torture. How many times are you going to put us through this?

Microsoft does it. Their program is so horrible now that it's impossible to even use it almost. I guess that's the purpose? We're not supposed to know how to use the computer? Is that the idea? You guys don't want us using the computer? I really think that's what it's all about. You want us using those little cellphones instead.

Why can't you give us a menu, like when we go to the restaurant? We can check off what we want and don't want, and then you can have the program set up to complete our order. Just like at MacDonalds.

When we go to MacDonalds, we're not supposed to tell people how to cook the hamburger or how to mix the salad dressing. We just tell them what we want and get it. Why can't you computer guys do that? Why do we have to read all those directions that are meaningless and why are you constantly jerking our settings apart on us?

I feel like taking this damned computer and throwing it in the trash!

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Hi,

The people who answer questions here, for the most part, are other Firefox users volunteering their time (like me), not Mozilla employees or Firefox developers.

If you want to leave feedback for Firefox developers, you can go to the Firefox Help menu and select Submit Feedback... or use this link. Your feedback gets collected by a team of people who read it and gather data about the most common issues.

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My computer repair guy is too stupid to set my page up the way I had it. And he does that stuff for a living. But you expect ordinary people, like me, who don't have a clue about programming and all this maintenance stuff to be able to figure it out. If the techs at the computer shop who earn their living at it can't do it, what makes you think we can? Old ladies like me!

Why would anybody hand their life over to Google, and now have to get down on your knees and kiss Google's feet in order to post or do much of anything. Having Google as your Internet dictator should be by special request, not by automatic insertion!

Giving instructions in technical things is maddening -- for both the person trying to do it and the person trying to follow it.

There has to be a better way! You guys need to keep things the same, adding on things without changing the whole format. You need to group your selections, so we can take our pick of a few already done, not have to start from scratch and so we can have a basic page to work from.

Just have a few groups, not hundreds. Give us a menu to choose from each group. Forget all this technical stuff, writing directions on what to type into a search box. If my computer repairman can't handle this page, then how am I supposed to!

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FredMcD said

Hi, The people who answer questions here, for the most part, are other Firefox users volunteering their time (like me), not Mozilla employees or Firefox developers. If you want to leave feedback for Firefox developers, you can go to the Firefox Help menu and select Submit Feedback... or use this link. Your feedback gets collected by a team of people who read it and gather data about the most common issues.

I copied the discussion here and used your link to send upstairs.

I've been limping along for a couple weeks with my computer not behaving the way I want it to, having to kiss up to Google if I want to post, and I find it hard to believe that anybody would willingly set their Firefox page up (or whatever you call that page) with Google breathing down our neck. Also, there's a ton of ads going on now, and that wasn't the case before. I don't know if Google is behind that. I just know the Firefox page is horrible.

Also, I used to have an app so I had more control over my selections on YouTube. I could keep things away and ask for things I liked. Not anymore. Maybe I'll just post that into that suggestion link also that was given to me by the nice volunteer.

Thank you all for trying to help me, and I'm sure things will get much better, so that none of your efforts are for naught. You guys deserve at least a medal, if not more. God bless all of you.

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Did you ever attach a screenshot like I asked you too?

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CAB4 said

Also, there's a ton of ads going on now

Go to the Mozilla Add-ons Web Page {web Link} (There’s a lot of good stuff here) and search for a good ad / pop-up blocker.

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I tried to, Tyler. I found a way to make the screeshot, but not to send it.

There's two places to fill in on the Firefox page (as I call it). One you put an email address in.

The other you just type a word description.

Both spaces are claimed by GOOGLE. It's not a matter of choosing. Even where normally Firefox would be the browser, it's got Google. Google is in charge of the link address block, and also the description that would go in the browser block.

GOOGLE everywhere. Not even a sign of FIrefox except for a tiny logo 1/4 inch in the corner, not anywhere near the search boxes (or whatever you call them) -- which is why it's so hard to follow directions on these technical things, because we don't know what what to call things, or what other people mean by what they call things.

Yeah -- a screenshot is a great idea, but I don't know how to do that either. The only reason I even know what it is, is because I've watched videos on Planet X where people are sharing screenshots of stuff they've seen in the skies. Otherwise, I'd be clueless. Screenshots?

So I was in a Firefox instruction place a few days ago about screenshots, and I could follow what it said, but it didn't say how to send it. Plus, now I don't know how to get back into where I found the instructions on how to even do a screenshot.

I don't know why the Firefox creators assume that we know as much about computer programs as they do. I'm not a computer programmer, and I doubt most of the people who use the Internet are either. It's great that they have you guys to help us ordinary people, or the computers would all be crashing and everybody would be out there using stupidphones. There'd be no more desktops.


CAB

Modified by CAB4

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Hello,

In order to better assist you with your issue please provide us with a screenshot. If you need help to create a screenshot, please see How do I create a screenshot of my problem?

Once you've done this, attach the saved screenshot file to your forum post by clicking the Browse... button below the Post your reply box. This will help us to visualize the problem.

Thank you!

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FredMcD said

CAB4 said
Also, there's a ton of ads going on now

Go to the Mozilla Add-ons Web Page {web Link} (There’s a lot of good stuff here) and search for a good ad / pop-up blocker.

I was going to download an ad blocker, but I wasn't sure if I'd need it if I got rid of Google running my Firefox page. There are some privacy issues with getting an app, and I wasn't going to go rushing into things until I knew I had to do it. I don't want to make more problems for myself than I need to. Right now my main concern is to get Google put on a short leash. Then if I need to start adding some apps, I'll have a clean slate to do it on. I don't want to jumble things up, but to take care of the most important things first so I don't have to undo things once I get Google straightened away.

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Even if Google is the cause of the ads, ads are all over the web. Even some legitimate sites have been hit with ads.

A good ad blocker can slow them down and even close their windows.

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CAB4 said

GOOGLE

Depending on where you are seeing Google you can change to another search engine.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/add-or-remove-search-engine-firefox https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/change-your-default-search-settings-firefox

Or if your Homepage https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-to-set-the-home-page


FredMcD said

Go to the Mozilla Add-ons Web Page {web Link} (There’s a lot of good stuff here) and search for a good ad / <strike>pop-up</strike> blocker.

Once again you really need to change your generic wording on this clipboard reply as Firefox has had a popup blocker built in since forever as any popup related extensions at AMO just add features to the built in Popup blocker.

Modified by James

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James said

CAB4 said
GOOGLE

Depending on where you are seeing Google you can change to another search engine.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/add-or-remove-search-engine-firefox https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/change-your-default-search-settings-firefox

Or if your Homepage https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-to-set-the-home-page


FredMcD said

Go to the Mozilla Add-ons Web Page {web Link} (There’s a lot of good stuff here) and search for a good ad / <strike>pop-up</strike> blocker.

Once again you really need to change your generic wording on this clipboard reply as Firefox has had a popup blocker built in since forever as any popup related extensions at AMO just add features to the built in Popup blocker.

Before my computer repairman changed my settings I had Firefox as my browser, and I had a choice of search engines listed that I could pick any one of them to do a search. This meant that Google was one of several and it was my choice to pick whoever. I used Google to search, but Google was nice and tame and did what I wanted. But now that everything has been handed over to Google, and Google is no longer one of several search engines listed for me to choose from, Google has turned into a very bossy and annoying intruder. I just want to put my settings back to what they were before, put GOogle back in its cage where it belongs, on a short leash. Google is a monster, and if you let it out of its cage it will terrorize things.

I'm trying to figure out how to save a screenshot and post it. It's not a big mystery -- imagine how the Firefox page (or whatever the word is to describe the page where you go to do your web searches) ... imagine how it would look if Google was not given full credit for everything, meaning no choices in other search engines, and even the browser itself (Firefox) is barely present on the page. Almost as tho the browser has been removed and Google is now the search engine AND the browser both. I am not proficient in doing screenshots. I wish I didn't have to do it, that any of you could visualize what I'm saying here. You guys want us to visiualize these technical words you use all the time, but you can't visualize what I mean by a 'Firefox page' that doesn't put Google as the default search engine? Or, reverse that, and picture a Firefox page that DOES put Google as the default search engine. No other search engines listed but Google, and even Firefox isn't shown front and center as I'm used to either.

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Please go to your Control Panel to Programs & Features and Uninstall Google.

Turn on the Menu Bar : mouse to top of the browser and Right Click, click on Menu Bar no will have : File | Edit | View | Bookmarks | Tools |Help like it used to be. or 3 Bar Menu --> Customize --> mouse to the left bottom to Toolbars and turn on the Menu Bar.

As per James reply : Using Firefox put in the Address Bar : Google.com then or what ever you want to use as your Home Page instead of the Tiles and all sorts of stuff : https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-to-set-the-home-page

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I can't follow these directions. Just like you guys can't picture the FIrefox page I describe. I don't know where this control panel is you speak of. What do you mean 'go to top of browser?'

I don't speak this language. You don't speak mine, and I don't speak yours. I can click on a link that you guys give me, but these terms you are using are like Greek. Just like when I say 'Firefox page' it is a meaningless term to you.

What do you mean, go to your browser? I do know that Firefox is my browser, but how do I go there? You mean go to my Firefox page?

It's supposed to be my Firefox page, but where it should have a big Firefox logo there's a big GOOGLE instead, and no logo for Firefox. Before, I remember the Firefox logo was there, and underneath the box were 5 or 6 search engine logos that I could choose one to do my search.

What is a home page?

Modified by CAB4

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Why not take it back to the shop and have them install what you want.

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I agree with Pkshadow.

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