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Since Firefox Quantum loaded, I have no search function. The search options in the preferences panel do not load, so I can't select any search engines. Help

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  • Last reply by BTre

BTre
BTre
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Since Firefox updated itself to local Quantum, there is no default search engine. The "Search" options in the preferences panel do not load (all the others General, Privacy and Security, and Firefox account do function normally) so I can't add any search engines. I have tried to search "search" within preferences, and can therefore see the questions asked under the search panel, but they aren't live. I have no add-ons, I have turned off the firewall, and don't know what else to try. Suggestions?

Since Firefox updated itself to local Quantum, there is no default search engine. The "Search" options in the preferences panel do not load (all the others General, Privacy and Security, and Firefox account do function normally) so I can't add any search engines. I have tried to search "search" within preferences, and can therefore see the questions asked under the search panel, but they aren't live. I have no add-ons, I have turned off the firewall, and don't know what else to try. Suggestions?
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jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Wow, that's... broken.

I think you might want to hide a settings file and let Firefox rebuild it. Here's how:

Open your current Firefox settings (AKA Firefox profile) folder using either

  • "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Troubleshooting Information
  • (menu bar) Help > Troubleshooting Information
  • type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Return

In the first table on the page, Profile Folder row, click the "Show in Finder" button. This should launch a new Finder window.

If the window shows one semi-randomly-named folder, double-click that folder to view its contents.

Leaving that window open, switch back to Firefox and Quit, either:

  • "3-bar" menu button > "power" button
  • Firefox > Quit

Pause while Firefox finishes its cleanup, then rename search.json.mozlz4 to something like OLDsearch.json.mozlz4.

Start Firefox back up again. Firefox should rebuild the file with the built-in search engines and default settings. Does the Preferences page -- and search -- work?

If you want to extract the OLDsearch.json.mozlz4 file to view its contents, you can use this tool on my website: https://www.jeffersonscher.com/res/searchjson.html

BTre
BTre Question owner
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Thank you for the detailed instructions- but sadly it doesn't work. I got as far as opening the profile in the Finder window- then noticed that there was no 'search.json.mozlz4 file' at all in the profile. I then searched for the file in the old profile (from before the upgrade), and tried copying that in. No change. Tried renaming the copied-over file- no change.

Firefox did NOT rebuild the file with the built-in search engines and default settings, and there is no change in the preferences page.

Should I uninstall this version- or reinstall it? (Not clear how to save passwords before all this.) Is this a virus?

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Something is broken but I don't know what.

My Mac experience is limited to two days, so I don't know what to suggest.

Please do make a backup of your profile folder contents if you decide to download a new .dmg file from

https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/

and trash the existing Firefox.app file before reinstalling

BTre
BTre Question owner
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I started ALL over with a new download version, and the now newly reinstalled Firefox Quantum is functioning. It took a lot of time- and I still don't know what caused the glitch. Thank you for the advice.