Clear the cache and the cookies from sites that cause problems.

• "Clear the Cache": Tools > Options > Advanced > Network > Offline Storage (Cache): "Clear Now"
• "Remove the Cookies" from sites causing problems: Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: "Show Cookies"

How do I determine which programs are causing the problem?

Many thanks for help

You have a problem with the Google site, so you need to remove the Google cookies.

Have done all that and Google still thinks my cookies are disabled. Do I need to uninstall Firefox 4 and reinstall? I've search the web for the problem, but can't find any recent reports of it...quite a few on earlier versions of Firefox.

Do you see any Google cookies in the Cookies Manager?

• Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: "Show Cookies"

I removed all cookies before my lat post. Just checked now, and there was a Google cookie for Google.com named PREF. I assume it came from my trials to change search preferences after removing cookies.

I removed it again and still no luck. I have a message at top of Preferences page saying my cookies are disabled, but it seems to be under Global Changes. If I try to change other preferences, I get message that it does not recognize "location", no matter what I enter in that box.

You should see more Google cookies.

Did you check your security software (firewall) ?

Some have advanced settings and can block cookies.

If clearing the cookies doesn't help then it is possible that the file cookies.sqlite that stores the cookies is corrupted.

Rename (or delete) cookies.sqlite (cookies.sqlite.old) and delete cookies.sqlite-journal and cookies.txt, if they exist, in the Profile Folder in case the file cookies.sqlite got corrupted.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Cookies#Removing_cookies

I deleted all cookies and Firefox is set t accept cookies; found cookies. Found sqlite and renamed it.

Google Preferences still says my cookies are disabled and to set my browser to enable them.

IE6 (which I'm still using) will accept search changes.

Did you check the Cookie exceptions?

• Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: "Exceptions"

You can also test if it works in Private Browsing mode.

• To see all History and Cookie settings, choose: Tools > Options > Privacy, choose the setting Firefox will: Use custom settings for history
• Check-mark: [X] "Permanent Private Browsing mode"

THANKS SO MUCH! Checking the exceptions, found two or three Google addresses, deleted them, and now the search preferences work! I really appreciate your going through so many steps with me.

Can I now go back to not accepting third party cookies and make Google an exception to that? If so, which Google URL should I enter as an exception?

I tried a bunch of google hidden settings, re-install ff4, looked at ff error console, tried for hours looking for an answer on google, cleared cookies and caches, and this the only thing that worked for me: create a new firefox profile. I didn't even know that I had one to begin with. I had to re-install add-ons, import favorites, and re-sign to websites with passwords, which took me about 25 min. to get the bulk of it done.

http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Profiles

Now all things google work great (gmail, enter keys on search results, drop-down google header items, etc.), so it was completely worth the time to do it. Although it would have been nicer not to have to do it in the first place, but whatever, technology, sheesh, cry, moan, whine.....just don't leave me.

Did you try the "exceptions" suggestion before you created a new profile? It worked like a charm for me and was so much easier than what you had to go through with a new profile.

Incidently, I don't use Firefox for any passwords...feel more secure using RoboForm, which also can work on a flash drive and not ever leave anything on any computer you might use away from home. It goes with you anyplace, is entirely encrypted, and means you don't have to have any cookies at all on a computer.