I cannot search from the location bar e.g. "bbc" typed in the bar sends me to http://bbc/ together with a whole load of search results in German, Suchen Sie at the top of the browser
I recently started experiencing problems with searches direct from the location bar. In the past, I could type bbc into the location bar and it would go straight to http://www.bbc.co.uk but no more.
Now it just does not work and I cannot work out why?
If I type it now it ends up going to http://bbc/ and in the window are a whole load of what looks like search results - in German!!!
It isn't just bbc that it happens with, any single-word well known websites give the same result.
However, if I type "firefox support forums" or any other multi-word search term in it works just fine.
I'm not sure if it's linked, but whilst looking around for possible solutions, some websites which contain ads had everything ad-related in German too.
Please help, it is doing my head in.
I was using FF3.something when this first occured but uninstalled it and installed FF4.0b6 and it still does it.
I have been into about:config and checked the status of keyword.URL & keyword.enabled and everything is as it should be..
If it helps, this is what I see when I type bbc into the location bar - http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/116/bbcg.png
All Replies (7)
You may have an ISP that automatically redirect you to a default search page if a DNS look up fails.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNS_hijacking
You can also check the connection settings and select No Proxy if that is currently not selected.
Tools > Options > Advanced : Network : Connection
Current release versions of Firefox by default use the Google "browse by name" search option for the location bar, but Firefox 4 beta 6 no longer uses this. You can restore it by changing a hidden preference. In Firefox 4 beta 6 it should have defaulted to a Google search rather than what you got.
- Type about:config into the location bar and press enter
- Accept the warning message that appears, you will be taken to a list of preferences
- In the filter box type keyword
- Double-click on the preference keyword.URL and change it to the one shown below
http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=
Looking at the first idea, I suppose it could be a DNS problem but not sure how to check/resolve.
I went to connection settings and selected No Proxy - still no change
Tony - It seems strange to me that multi-word searches work fine but any single word throws up the "German" page.
It seems linked to the fact that I see ads on sites in German too, but have no idea what would cause it.
I tried altering about:config to your suggested settings and this stopped any kind of search in the location bar - I would only get a blank page.
Also, when starting the pc today, it stated that it could not find updates for 3 add-ons. I selected skip manual search (or whatever it was) and the following message was displayed -
The operation can not be completed because of an internal failure. A secure communication has not been cleaned up correctly.
Is this linked to my issues??
In about:config, make sure that keyword.enabled is set to true
It would seem that it was a DNS issue after all. I have tried searching for BBC in the location bar and it now goes to the google search page, as it did before.
I have not changed any settings since last night and now it works, so it can only be the DNS issue, can't it??
Thanks for the helpful replies.