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Google to default, Yahoo shows up on new tab

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Google is selected for default search engine. Whenever I open a new tab, it opens as Yahoo. I've checked the about:config. There is no browser.newtab.url. There are other browser.newtab files.

I've searched for any extensions - nothing with any searchprotect items or yahoo. I do not see anything in my program listing that indicates that I have any Yahoo products.

This is a fairly new computer (as in a couple of months). How can I make google my search engine for every tab?

Google is selected for default search engine. Whenever I open a new tab, it opens as Yahoo. I've checked the about:config. There is no browser.newtab.url. There are other browser.newtab files. I've searched for any extensions - nothing with any searchprotect items or yahoo. I do not see anything in my program listing that indicates that I have any Yahoo products. This is a fairly new computer (as in a couple of months). How can I make google my search engine for every tab?

Chosen solution

On the new tab, do you want the standard Firefox new tab page (Customize your Firefox New Tab page) to use Google from its search box, or do you want a Google page in place of the standard Firefox page?

  • Firefox 41 and later do not use the browser.newtab.url setting because it was constantly attacked by malware. Now you need an add-on to change the new tab page. More on that later.

If you are currently seeing a new tab page other than Firefox's built-in new tab page, perhaps there is another extension making the change that isn't so obvious. Do you want to experiment with disabling all extensions and see whether that restores the default? One way is to test in Firefox's Safe Mode. In Safe Mode, Firefox temporarily deactivates extensions, hardware acceleration, and some other advanced features to help you assess whether these are causing the problem.

If Firefox is not running: Hold down the Shift key when starting Firefox.

If Firefox is running: You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either:

  • "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
  • Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

and OK the restart.

Both scenarios: A small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Refresh).

Any difference?


Here are some options for replacing the new tab page:

  • If you already use either the "Classic Theme Restorer" or "Tab Mix Plus" extension: There is an option somewhere (!) in its extensive settings dialogs to select a different new tab page.

Please only use one of these methods at a time, otherwise there may be conflicts and dysfunctionality.

Setting up New Tab Override and Custom New Tab

After installing one of these extensions, you need to use its Options page to set the desired new tab page (instead of using about:config).

Open the Add-ons page using either:

  • Ctrl+Shift+a (Mac: Cmd+Shift+a)
  • "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Extensions. Then on the right side, find New Tab Override or Custom New Tab and click its Options button. (See screen shot attached.)

New Tab Override

Depending on the height of your screen, you may need to scroll down to enter the desired address into the form. For example:

  • Page thumbnails (default) => about:newtab
  • Blank tab => about:blank
  • Built-in Firefox home page => about:home
  • Any other page => full URL to the page

Then tab or click away from that form field and you can test using Ctrl+t.

Custom New Tab

Entering your preferred home page address is simple. If you do not check either of the boxes, the extension will set the focus in the page so, for example, the cursor will be in the Google search box. I had to exit Firefox and start it up again before Custom New Tab started working, but this may have been due to testing so many extensions back-to-back.

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Chosen Solution

On the new tab, do you want the standard Firefox new tab page (Customize your Firefox New Tab page) to use Google from its search box, or do you want a Google page in place of the standard Firefox page?

  • Firefox 41 and later do not use the browser.newtab.url setting because it was constantly attacked by malware. Now you need an add-on to change the new tab page. More on that later.

If you are currently seeing a new tab page other than Firefox's built-in new tab page, perhaps there is another extension making the change that isn't so obvious. Do you want to experiment with disabling all extensions and see whether that restores the default? One way is to test in Firefox's Safe Mode. In Safe Mode, Firefox temporarily deactivates extensions, hardware acceleration, and some other advanced features to help you assess whether these are causing the problem.

If Firefox is not running: Hold down the Shift key when starting Firefox.

If Firefox is running: You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either:

  • "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
  • Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

and OK the restart.

Both scenarios: A small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Refresh).

Any difference?


Here are some options for replacing the new tab page:

  • If you already use either the "Classic Theme Restorer" or "Tab Mix Plus" extension: There is an option somewhere (!) in its extensive settings dialogs to select a different new tab page.

Please only use one of these methods at a time, otherwise there may be conflicts and dysfunctionality.

Setting up New Tab Override and Custom New Tab

After installing one of these extensions, you need to use its Options page to set the desired new tab page (instead of using about:config).

Open the Add-ons page using either:

  • Ctrl+Shift+a (Mac: Cmd+Shift+a)
  • "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Extensions. Then on the right side, find New Tab Override or Custom New Tab and click its Options button. (See screen shot attached.)

New Tab Override

Depending on the height of your screen, you may need to scroll down to enter the desired address into the form. For example:

  • Page thumbnails (default) => about:newtab
  • Blank tab => about:blank
  • Built-in Firefox home page => about:home
  • Any other page => full URL to the page

Then tab or click away from that form field and you can test using Ctrl+t.

Custom New Tab

Entering your preferred home page address is simple. If you do not check either of the boxes, the extension will set the focus in the page so, for example, the cursor will be in the Google search box. I had to exit Firefox and start it up again before Custom New Tab started working, but this may have been due to testing so many extensions back-to-back.

Success?