Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of your add-ons is causing your problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Tools > Add-ons > Themes). See Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems and Troubleshoot issues with plugins like Flash or Java to fix common Firefox problems

If it does work in Safe-mode then disable all your extensions and then try to find which is causing it by enabling one at a time until the problem reappears. You can use "Disable all add-ons" on the Safe mode start window to disable all extensions. You have to close and restart Firefox after each change via "File > Exit" (on Mac: "Firefox > Quit")

You can also try "Reset all user preferences to Firefox defaults" on the Safe mode start window - See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Resetting_preferences

Did the problem with the Bing search start after the 06-08-2010 Windows/Microsoft update?

Do you have a Microsoft offered toolbar installed (i.e., Windows Live Toolbar, Bing Toolbar, etc.)? Do you have one of those installed in IE but not in Firefox?

~~blue:Microsoft pulled another sneaky, un-annouced addition to Firefox~~ similar to the .NET Framework added to Firefox some time ago. If you have a Microsoft offered toolbar in IE ~~red:but not previously installed~~ in Firefox, an update in the June 2010 Windows/Microsoft Updates ~~blue:added it to Firefox!!!~~ Read the following ~~red:very~~ carefully, ~~red:all the way to the end of the article~~:

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/06/microsoft-slips-ie-firefox-add-on-into-toolbar-update.ars

Also see: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1918559

TXGuy, That MozillaZine forum link no longer works. I found the thread here: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1920563

There's now a KB article on the issue, in case it helps: Removing the Search Helper Extension and Bing Bar

(Ref.)

I have the same problem as the op, and it's something different than the "Bing Bar". My url search only goes to Bing if I search one word, if I search two words it will go to the right place. In addition, there is no Bing bar, search enhancer, whatever, in my add-ons or program files anywhere.

I am with Firefox 3.6.3, Windows 7 64-bit. From yesterday, Firefox stopped using the "Google I'm feeling lucky" search engine when a keyword was entered in the address bar. I tried all the tweaks described on the internet, but in my case no add-ons, no Live Toolbars, no KB update.

The only way that got me out of Bing, was to disable Windows Search in ControlPanel/Turn Windows Features on and Off/Windows Search...

This is just a temporary resolution of the problem, as for now, I can't use the Windows Search option anymore :(

Microsoft sucks!

To Nick and celinibellini,

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/06/microsoft-slips-ie-firefox-add-on-into-toolbar-update.ars describes Microsoft's KB 982217 update and the "Search Helper Extension" it adds to Firefox, including screenshots. The title of Microsoft's KB 982217article is: An update is available that improves the homepage category functionality for Windows Live Toolbar, for MSN Toolbar, and for Bing Bar. As far as I can figure, even if you didn't have any of those toolbars in Firefox, you just needed to have one of them installed on your system to get the update. If you have Automatic Updates enabled, you may not have realized that this update was installed.

I found this Microsoft forum topic that discusses the issue: http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en/vistawu/thread/2bd424e2-c972-4668-81cc-4fd96624cc5a Update installed unwanted/broken Firefox extension?

celinibellini, If you had to disable Windows Search to correct a problem with using keyword searches in Firefox, you might want to visit Microsoft's forum and ask a question there.

P.S. Anyone else having problems with keyword searches: Try resetting the keyword. URL preference using about:config - see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Keyword.url for details. (Or try resetting all preferences.)

Thanks Alice,

I spent quite a time browsing the internet, and I indeed found mention of the KB 982217, which is NOT on my system and of the thread you're mentioning on the Microsoft forum.

I will probably follow your advise and go to the Microsoft's forums.

In my case keybword.url is and has always been set on Google...

Did you look at the MozillaZine forum thread? http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1920563

yes I did, but the folder was empty and after deleting it and restarting nothing changed...

Problem solved for me... I dont know how though! I re-able Windows Search and everything is back to normal... no more coming up un-invited! Thanks all!

Can you post your extensions as show on the Help > Troubleshooting Information page?

See also Use the Troubleshooting Information page to help fix Firefox issues

Here it is (but Bing does not make anymore trouble)

 Application Basics

       Name
       Firefox

       Version
       3.6.3

       Profile Directory

         Open Containing Folder

       Installed Plugins

         about:plugins

       Build Configuration

         about:buildconfig

 Extensions

       Name

       Version

       Enabled

       ID

       Java Console
       6.0.20
       true
        

       Dictionnaire français «Classique & Réforme 1990»
       3.7
       true
       fr-classique-reforme1990@dictionaries.addons.mozilla.org

       Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant
       0.0.0
       true
       {20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b}

 Modified Preferences

     Name

     Value

       browser.history_expire_days.mirror
       180

       browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion
       2

       browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone
       rv:1.9.2.3

       browser.tabs.loadInBackground
       false

       dom.max_script_run_time
       1800

       network.cookie.prefsMigrated
       true

       places.last_vacuum
       1276428569

       privacy.cpd.sessions
       false

       privacy.cpd.siteSettings
       true

       privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs
       true

       security.warn_viewing_mixed
       false

Thank you very much celinibellini!!

After half an hour looking for an answer to this problem in different places and checking all the solutions mentioned in this thread previously with no success, your "solution" involving Windows Search setting in Control Panel has been the only one to work.

Windows 7 here, with no windows updates, Google in keyword.url, no M$ search bars, no search extension... nothing, except Silverlight plugin (which is the only thing I can presume to be the responsible of this hijacking)

Bing popped up only when 1 word searches were made in the location bar.

Troubleshooting page (catalan) :

 Paràmetres bàsics de l'aplicació

       Nom
       Firefox

       Versió
       3.6.3

       Directori dels perfils

         Obre'l en la carpeta que el conté

       Connectors instal·lats

         about:plugins

       Configuració de la versió

         about:buildconfig

 Extensions

       Nom

       Versió

       Habilitada

       ID

       Adblock Plus
       1.1.3
       true
        

       ChatZilla
       0.9.86
       true
       {59c81df5-4b7a-477b-912d-4e0fdf64e5f2}

       Download Statusbar
       0.9.6.7
       true
        

       DownloadHelper
       4.7
       true
        

       CacheViewer
       0.6.3
       true
       {71328583-3CA7-4809-B4BA-570A85818FBB}

       FireFTP
       1.0.7
       true
        

 Preferències modificades

     Nom

     Valor

       accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar
       0

       browser.history_expire_days.mirror
       180

       browser.places.importBookmarksHTML
       false

       browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion
       2

       browser.startup.homepage
       http://bash.org/?random

       browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone
       rv:1.9.2.3

       extensions.lastAppVersion
       3.6.3

       network.cookie.prefsMigrated
       true

       places.last_vacuum
       1274046942

       print.print_printer
       PDFCreator

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_bgcolor
       false

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_bgimages
       false

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_command

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_downloadfonts
       false

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_edge_bottom
       0

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_edge_left
       0

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_edge_right
       0

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_edge_top
       0

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_evenpages
       true

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_footercenter

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_footerleft
       &PT

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_footerright
       &D

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_headercenter

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_headerleft
       &T

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_headerright
       &U

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_in_color
       true

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_margin_bottom
       0.5

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_margin_left
       0.5

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_margin_right
       0.5

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_margin_top
       0.5

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_oddpages
       true

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_orientation
       0

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_pagedelay
       500

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_paper_data
       9

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_paper_height
       11,00

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_paper_size_type
       0

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_paper_size_unit
       1

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_paper_width
       8,50

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_reversed
       false

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_scaling
       1,00

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_shrink_to_fit
       true

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_to_file
       false

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom
       0

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_unwriteable_margin_left
       0

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_unwriteable_margin_right
       0

       print.printer_PDFCreator.print_unwriteable_margin_top
       0

       privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs
       true

       security.warn_viewing_mixed
       false

I found these related topics, which may help:

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1921265 Firefox URL bar now using Bing?

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1924145 Bing became my url search engine?!

http://support.mozilla.com/forum/1/694752 Single word address bar searches resolve with bing search results, not google

http://support.mozilla.com/forum/1/693508 Firefox Address Bar Goes to Bing

I fixed this by editing the registry. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\TCPIP\Parameters and empty the "mshome.net" value from the ICSDomain key, then disable and re-enable your adapter. I hope that helps. I searched for other instances of "mshome.net" and "ICSDomain" in the registry and didn't find any so that should do the trick.

this doesn't solve the problem, i've edited the registry and removed the seaport.exe file (which causes another update not to run - supposedly the one that is supposed to fix it) and still after two days that everything was ok, for some strange reason, it came back today. help me please!!! i'm going crazy with this freaking bing search!!!

this is the solution that finally worked for me:

Uninstalling KB982381 solved it for me. I have no idea what it does except hijacking the search: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms10-035.mspx

Let's hope MS will release a proper update next time

it's from these forums, only another thread. credits to anonymous for his contribution.

I've removed that update yesterday and it worked. But as of now freaking Bing is back.

Do you have any toolbars from Microsoft?