How to change Unknown Plugins 'Research' button search engine?
Trying to check status of my Plugins, and find 6 Unknown Plugins listed. Each with a 'Research' button alongside. When I try to research, I dont get Google results but Duckduckgo results - for some unknown reason. My normal search engine is Google, for most everything, and I would like to change the 'Research' button to use Google too. I can not find any way to do this, and I dont know how Duckduckgo got involved in the first place. (It is one of the various engines set in Options for the search bar search engines but then so are others, and they dont get into the 'Research' button business.) How can I change this to the way I want it? A solution would be welcome, please!
Modified by Kuib
Chosen solution
Kuib said
Hi FredMcD - to what web page are you referring exactly? ...
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/plugincheck/ The Plugin Check page is coded to use DuckDuckGo for the "Research" searches from that page. You can right-click that page and select View Page Source and read it for yourself. data-ddg-searchq= That's the "coded" part I am referring to.
DDG is built into Firefox and those built-in search engines can't be removed from Firefox now-a-days. If you know how to use the Stylish extension or can do userContent.css coding you should be able to change the the search engine to any of the other search engines that come with Firefox. But IMO it is hardly worth the time outlay to do that.
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'Research' means that information is not available to that website.
Any time you want or need to check for upgrades, go to the web site of the True Owner of the program in question. For example, to check out Firefox, go to Mozilla.org. {web link}
Hi FredMcD - thanks for your answer. But sorry to say that that still doesn't tell me how to change the search engine used for 'Research' button results back to Google from Duckduckgo. Anything to suggest?
That is built into that web page.
Hi FredMcD - to what web page are you referring exactly? I can discover no mechanism for changing the search engine used for 'Research' button on any of the web pages we have mentioned so far. I thought the idea was for the 'Research' button to invoke a search engine to provide possible source sites for the latest plugin being researched, as it were. All I want to do is to change from Duckduckgo back to Google for this!
All you need do is copy the name of the plug-in and search via Google in your Search bar, URL bar or, as I would, via Context Menu. Forget the Research button.
Chosen Solution
Kuib said
Hi FredMcD - to what web page are you referring exactly? ...
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/plugincheck/ The Plugin Check page is coded to use DuckDuckGo for the "Research" searches from that page. You can right-click that page and select View Page Source and read it for yourself. data-ddg-searchq= That's the "coded" part I am referring to.
DDG is built into Firefox and those built-in search engines can't be removed from Firefox now-a-days. If you know how to use the Stylish extension or can do userContent.css coding you should be able to change the the search engine to any of the other search engines that come with Firefox. But IMO it is hardly worth the time outlay to do that.
Hi to the-edmeister! Thank you so much for your response - at last I understand the reason DDG is cast in stone. I can see how it's encoded, and agree it's not worth the time/effort to alter. I am now content to live with it and work round it when necessary. Thank you for your time and effort.
You're welcome!
alan_r said
All you need do is copy the name of the plug-in and search via Google in your Search bar, URL bar or, as I would, via Context Menu. Forget the Research button.
Hi alan_r - sorry I missed your answer in the rush. Thank you for a very practical suggestion. I also note the availability of an Add-on to expand the Context Menu into a list of search engines. This is available both at the Mozilla Add-ons site and at Ben Basson's site Thanks again.
the-edmeister said
You're welcome!
Hi again to the-edmeister - might be helpful to note the availability of an Add-on to expand the Context Menu into a list of search engines. This is available both at the Mozilla Add-ons site and at Ben Bason's site. Thanks again.