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How to restore classic Search menu without plugins

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My problem is simple!

I Just upgraded my firefox 41 to firefox 47 to some security HOLES that fixed in it. However, as usual Firefox team takes their users as granted and while fixing issues, bundling some features that they think their users will love it while most of us hate it to the bones!

Most of the times there are no options to disable these features and enabled by default.

One very annoying and obvious upgrade is search!

You can see in the screenshot this is my search bar.

1- Why I would want to see some empty buttons in there?!!! 2- Why I would want to add Mozilla support to my search engines? 3- And why would I want to see change search settings in menu? 4- And why should I need to install a plugin to disable this stupid search popup with the one that existed before? 5- Why firefox devs don't make their new search style a plugin so those who love the new look go and download it? 6- or even better, make it a pre-installed plugin so I that hate it, can go there and remove it?!

In version 41 there was an option to disable this new search bar which is also disabled after 43!

Is there a way to restore classic search in firefox 47 without using a plugin? or in other words make search that looks like picture 2 now change back to what it looks like in picture 1

My problem is simple! I Just upgraded my firefox 41 to firefox 47 to some security HOLES that fixed in it. However, as usual Firefox team takes their users as granted and while fixing issues, bundling some features that they think their users will love it while most of us hate it to the bones! Most of the times there are no options to disable these features and enabled by default. One very annoying and obvious upgrade is search! You can see in the screenshot this is my search bar. 1- Why I would want to see some empty buttons in there?!!! 2- Why I would want to add Mozilla support to my search engines? 3- And why would I want to see change search settings in menu? 4- And why should I need to install a plugin to disable this stupid search popup with the one that existed before? 5- Why firefox devs don't make their new search style a plugin so those who love the new look go and download it? 6- or even better, make it a pre-installed plugin so I that hate it, can go there and remove it?! In version 41 there was an option to disable this new search bar which is also disabled after 43! Is there a way to restore classic search in firefox 47 without using a plugin? or in other words make search that looks like picture 2 now change back to what it looks like in picture 1
Attached screenshots

Modified by bobsort

All Replies (6)

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Try deselecting all-but-one of the search engines listed under menu->preferences->search. That should remove the empty buttons.

I don't know about the 'Add "Mozilla Support"' button. I've never seen it on any of my searches.

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No - the pref for reverting to the old Search bar is gone! Can no longer be 'fixed' with the old deprecated pref that was only temporary to begin with,

If you want the "classic Search menu" you'll need an extension or Stylish with a Stylish User Style.

Fix it using what's available, live with the new "default", or use a browser that does things the way to want it done. It's been with us for 13 versions of Firefox already - time to get used to an new "new" - user opinion ain't gonna get it back.


BTW, I hate the new search bar scheme - I use https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/old-search-fixed2/

Think it looks bad when you only have one search engine enabled, think how bad it is for a user that has so many search engines that the "old search bar" goes down to the Windows Task bar and may go into 'overflow' with a scroll bar! Among other issues I have with the new scheme ...

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askandanswer said

Try deselecting all-but-one of the search engines listed under menu->preferences->search. That should remove the empty buttons. I don't know about the 'Add "Mozilla Support"' button. I've never seen it on any of my searches.

It is actually suggesting to add the current open tab page to search engines!

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the-edmeister said

Think it looks bad when you only have one search engine enabled, think how bad it is for a user that has so many search engines that the "old search bar" goes down to the Windows Task bar and may go into 'overflow' with a scroll bar! Among other issues I have with the new scheme ...

I wonder how often you are changing your search engine to anything other than google, wiki or may be bing?

In any case would you like your select search engine menu go down to start menu or every search you do extend to bottom of screen because of amount of buttons that appear every time you do a search?

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If you are unwilling to add any more extensions, you could use custom style rules in userChrome.css to modify the appearance of the search bar. As an example of what's possible with style rules, see:

https://userstyles.org/styles/122214/firefox-search-bar-show-engine-names-firefox-43

You can submit suggestions for future versions of Firefox here (click the sad face):

https://input.mozilla.org/feedback/firefox

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Quite honestly I have one Profile that I use for general surfing where I do a lot of searches. That Profile is loaded with 30 Search Plugins and there are times where I do 5 or more searches with specialized engines and may open a new search using the same parameters every few seconds and have 5 tabs loading search results. I get specialized search engines here: http://mycroftproject.com/ And I have few that I have modified myself to perform a specific function based upon instructions that used to be on the old Mycroft Project website, before Mozilla handed it off and it was moved, Used to be part of MozDev which has been "wound down" in stages for the last 10 years.


As far as that green arrow showing in the search bar in your 2nd screenshot, that is there due to an Add-ons page being open. That is a feature that I think was added in Firefox 38, but since I hate this newer scheme most of my use of Firefox is done in a Profile that uses the "old Search bar scheme" done in one manner or another. (either the deprecated pref in an older version - like Fx 34.0.5 thru 40.0 - or the extension that I recommend)

With this - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/old-search-fixed2/ - the drop-down opens when I click on the icon in the "old Search Bar and I only click to open it when I want to change the search engine I want to use. And when I do a search like I mentioned in the first paragraph where I am searching for the "same thing" in multiple search engines I change search engines frequently using the same "parameters" for each search without needing to type more than once. But I use a hidden pref that I set for "my default" to have a new Tab with the search results open when using the Enter key; the "magnifier" in the Search Bar opens a search in the same tab. This that preference in about:config . "browser.search.openintab", true


That green arrow can be easily hidden without any extensions, via the correct userChrome.css code in a file that you can easily create. And with the extension that I mentioned 'you' don't see that arrow. http://kb.mozillazine.org/UserChrome.css I can't recall the specific code needed "off the top of my head", but it isn't all that hard to come up with. Another user who is "conversant" in userChrome.css code may know it or know where to find it.


But I gotta say that if I only ever used one search engine, I would hide that entire Search Bar altogether! Use Customize and drag it into the Menu Panel, what to get when you use the 3-bar Open Menu button; or deep in the Customize Palette > Additional Tools and Features.

In addition to the Search bar, users have "search" available in the Location Bar (URL Bar), the about:home page, and the New Tab page; and like the search bar all 3 of those will use the same search engine the user has selected as their "default search engine" which in your example is the only search engine you use! So you "problem" isn't a problem per se, merely a slight adaptation to your expectations is needed, IMO.

Overall, I am one of the largest complainers around here over the changes that have come to Firefox in the last 5 years (when Firefox 4.0 was released my extreme displeasure began). Some changes have taken much longer to adapt to and for me to figure out a compromise that works best for me. This 'thing' with the loss of the old Search Bar has caused me a bit consternation more than once as the various changes were rolled out over a few versions rather than all at once. But, hey, that how Mozilla is doing things these days; a big change, then tweak that changed feature a few more times to make it more painful for those that don't like "change". Like sticking the knife in and leaving there, only to come back in 6 weeks or 12 weeks and twist that knife a bit to cause the user more pain. Sorry for the graphic description, but I just gone done with watching a pretty gory movie.