Try to install https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/searchreset/

Thank you for a very quick reply. Shortly after I asked the question I closed Firefox then opened it up again and this time all the search engines mysteriously appeared ! So problem solved ! I'll keep the link you sent me in case it happens again.

This didn't work for me. Is there any other way to restore search from the address bar or search engine box?

You can check if you still have the XML files of the default search engines including Google in the searchplugins folder in Firefox program folder.

If not then you need to reinstall Firefox.

You can find the latest Firefox 20.0.x release in all languages and for all Operating Systems here:

• http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all.html

You can try to delete the search.json file and a possible search.sqlite file in the Firefox profile folder.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

Firefox will rebuild the search.json file from the default search engines in the searchplugins folder in the Firefox program folder and the searchplugins folder in the Firefox profile folder.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

• Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder

Neither the search.json or search.sqlite files exist in either my Profile folder or the Program Files folders. I don't even have a searchplugins folder. I reinstalled and still don't have those files. Anything else I can do to recover those files?

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

• Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder

Do a clean reinstall and delete the Firefox program folder before reinstalling a fresh copy of Firefox.

Download a fresh Firefox copy and save the file to the desktop.

• Firefox 20.0.x: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all.html

Uninstall your current Firefox version, if possible, to cleanup the Windows registry and settings in security software.

• Do NOT remove personal data when you uninstall your current Firefox version, because all profile folders will be removed and you will also lose your personal data like bookmarks and passwords from profiles of other Firefox versions.

Remove the Firefox program folder before installing that newly downloaded copy of the Firefox installer.

• It is important to delete the Firefox program folder to remove all the files and make sure that there are no problems with files that were leftover after uninstalling.
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Uninstalling_Firefox

Your bookmarks and other profile data are stored in the Firefox Profile Folder and won't be affected by an uninstall and (re)install, but make sure that "remove personal data" is NOT selected when you uninstall Firefox.

If you keep having problems then also create a new profile.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_backup

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Clean_reinstall

Since this issue happened at work I had to get IT to do this. He said he'd never seen this issue before. It worked so Thank You!