• uninstalling add-ons - Tools --> Add-ons --> Extensions --> Disable/remove/uninstall anything AVG-related.

• search bar - you can remove AVG search engine there.

• location bar search - you can reset the search engine setting (Google is default)

thanks

1. Can you please describe what you do to have AVG search open?
2. Does the issue happen in safe mode?

Thank you.

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Location bar search

Internet Keyword search

Firefox will first try to send your request to a keyword search service. By default, this service is Google's Browse by Name service. For example, If you type mozilla foundation into the Location bar, Firefox will submit a query to the Google Browse by Name service, since this is not a valid URL. The service will find its best match for your request, and direct you to http://www.mozilla.org. An entry without a clear match to a URL will display search results for the entry.

Changing the keyword service

You can specify any valid URL to perform the Internet Keyword searches by modifying the keyword.URL preference in the about:config page:

[...]

• To reset the Internet Keywords service to use a standard Google search, right-click on keyword.URL and select Reset.

^ I think the last two lines are the solution to your problem.

However if you find this preference being set to avg after each restart, you will need to disable avg addon in tools -> addons -> extensions.

Thank you for your patience while resolving this issue.

I am not impressed with Moxilla pushing out V5 Firefox with what is simply malware of the worst possible kind. Why they choose to let AVG search take over the home search page of Firefox beats me. AVG is just another fraud case... I want rid of AVG from my browser for once & for all.

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AVG reappears after each restart....there is no sign of it in addons...I can see multiple entries with the word AVG if I scroll through the config line entries.

I have also reset: browser.search default engine name

& : browser.search.selectEngine default string value both of which were in Bold with AVG

but a restart still shows AVG in control of the start page

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Hi...unfortunately for me it doesn't fix my problem...AVG just reappeared as bold as ever!

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Cheers...but I've spent a lot of time already on this issue & I've tried so many suggestions as to how to get rid of the AVG curse...I'm just amazed that Moxilla would let AVG perform this stunt...I guess its all about money at the end of the day.

I just updated recently and Google is still my search engine in both the box and about:home.

Hmm, does anyone of you by chance use AVG anti-virus?

I have now discovered a raft of Windows prefetch files which contain AVG with the name..there are also several AVG exe files among them. Question can I safely delete them to see if that will help?

If you have AVG loaded I wish you luck...if you haven't...count your blessings and stay well clear. Don't even think of trying it.

Some users were hit with this problem with Firefox 4....for others like me, the beast lay dormant until Firefox issued V 5

I don't know why firefox57 redacted his posts, but anyway I think this problem is something else other than Firefox. Who here uses Adobe Reader X? (I know I sound ridiculous but Adobe is known to partner with AVG.)