Type about:addons<enter> in the address bar to open your Add-ons Manager. Hot key; (<Control> [Mac=<Command>] <Shift> A)

In the Add-ons Manager, on the left, select Extensions. Remove “ Google “ Anything.

Also remove SafeSearch, SearchAssist Incognito, FileConverter Addon, SearchLock, DiscreteSearch, WebSearch, Findwide Search Engine

Now do the same in the computer’s Programs Folder.

Windows: Start > Control Panel > Uninstall Programs. Mac: Open the Applications folder. Linux: Check your user manual.

Thanks for the reply. I had and never have had any google add-ons. As that wasn't the source of the problem, it is regrettable if, to live up to its promise to allow me to choose my search engine, Firefox demands that I remove all Google programs from my machine.

I did not say to remove all Google programs, just the add-ons. What about the other programs I listed?

Sorry if I misunderstood you. I thought you said remove anything google from the Applications Folder. I have never installed any of the other listed items (SafeSearch, SearchAssist Incognito, FileConverter Addon, SearchLock, DiscreteSearch, WebSearch, Findwide Search Engine).

The list I provided is not complete as other such programs at created all the time.

Type about:support in the address bar and press Enter. Under the main banner, press the button; Copy Text To Clipboard.. Now in the Reply Box on the forum page, do a right-click in the box and select Paste.

This will show us your system details. No Personal Information Is Collected.

Look thru the Add-ons Manager and your Programs folder. If you see something that you don't know, use a web search on it.

Application Basics

Name: Firefox Version: 58.0.2 Build ID: 20180206200532 Update Channel: release User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.13; rv:58.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/58.0 OS: Darwin 17.4.0 Multiprocess Windows: 2/2 (Enabled by default) Web Content Processes: 3/4 Stylo: content = true (enabled by default), chrome = false (disabled by default) Google Key: Found Mozilla Location Service Key: Found Safe Mode: false

Crash Reports for the Last 3 Days

All Crash Reports

Firefox Features

Name: Activity Stream Version: 2018.01.04.0062-4997c81d ID: activity-stream@mozilla.org

Name: Application Update Service Helper Version: 2.0 ID: aushelper@mozilla.org

Name: Firefox Screenshots Version: 25.0.0 ID: screenshots@mozilla.org

Name: Follow-on Search Telemetry Version: 0.9.6 ID: followonsearch@mozilla.com

Name: Form Autofill Version: 1.0 ID: formautofill@mozilla.org

Name: Photon onboarding Version: 1.0 ID: onboarding@mozilla.org

Name: Pocket Version: 1.0.5 ID: firefox@getpocket.com

Name: Shield Recipe Client Version: 76.1 ID: shield-recipe-client@mozilla.org

Name: Web Compat Version: 1.1 ID: webcompat@mozilla.org

Extensions

Name: AdBlock Version: 3.9.0 Enabled: true ID: jid1-NIfFY2CA8fy1tg@jetpack

Name: Flash Block (Plus) Version: 0.1.6 Enabled: true ID: jid1-n8wH2cBfc2QaUj@jetpack

Name: New Tab Homepage Version: 0.6.2 Enabled: true ID: {66E978CD-981F-47DF-AC42-E3CF417C1467}

Name: Privacy Badger Version: 2018.2.5 Enabled: true ID: jid1-MnnxcxisBPnSXQ@jetpack

Name: uBlock Origin Version: 1.15.10 Enabled: true ID: uBlock0@raymondhill.net

Name: Adobe Acrobat Version: 18.0.2 Enabled: false ID: web2pdfextension.17@acrobat.adobe.com

Graphics

Features Compositing: OpenGL Asynchronous Pan/Zoom: wheel input enabled; scrollbar drag enabled; keyboard enabled; autoscroll enabled WebGL 1 Driver WSI Info: CGL WebGL 1 Driver Renderer: NVIDIA Corporation -- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M OpenGL Engine WebGL 1 Driver Version: 4.1 NVIDIA-10.28.10 355.11.10.10.20.111 WebGL 1 Driver Extensions: GL_ARB_blend_func_extended GL_ARB_draw_buffers_blend GL_ARB_draw_indirect GL_ARB_ES2_compatibility GL_ARB_explicit_attrib_location GL_ARB_gpu_shader_fp64 GL_ARB_gpu_shader5 GL_ARB_instanced_arrays GL_ARB_internalformat_query GL_ARB_occlusion_query2 GL_ARB_sample_shading GL_ARB_sampler_objects GL_ARB_separate_shader_objects GL_ARB_shader_bit_encoding GL_ARB_shader_subroutine GL_ARB_shading_language_include GL_ARB_tessellation_shader GL_ARB_texture_buffer_object_rgb32 GL_ARB_texture_cube_map_array GL_ARB_texture_gather GL_ARB_texture_query_lod GL_ARB_texture_rgb10_a2ui GL_ARB_texture_storage GL_ARB_texture_swizzle GL_ARB_timer_query GL_ARB_transform_feedback2 GL_ARB_transform_feedback3 GL_ARB_vertex_attrib_64bit GL_ARB_vertex_type_2_10_10_10_rev GL_ARB_viewport_array GL_EXT_debug_label GL_EXT_debug_marker GL_EXT_depth_bounds_test GL_EXT_framebuffer_multisample_blit_scaled GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic GL_EXT_texture_mirror_clamp GL_EXT_texture_sRGB_decode GL_APPLE_client_storage GL_APPLE_container_object_shareable GL_APPLE_flush_render GL_APPLE_object_purgeable GL_APPLE_rgb_422 GL_APPLE_row_bytes GL_APPLE_texture_range GL_ATI_texture_mirror_once GL_NV_texture_barrier WebGL 1 Extensions: ANGLE_instanced_arrays EXT_blend_minmax EXT_color_buffer_half_float EXT_frag_depth EXT_sRGB EXT_shader_texture_lod EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic EXT_disjoint_timer_query OES_element_index_uint OES_standard_derivatives OES_texture_float OES_texture_float_linear OES_texture_half_float OES_texture_half_float_linear OES_vertex_array_object WEBGL_color_buffer_float WEBGL_compressed_texture_s3tc WEBGL_compressed_texture_s3tc_srgb WEBGL_debug_renderer_info WEBGL_debug_shaders WEBGL_depth_texture WEBGL_draw_buffers WEBGL_lose_context WebGL 2 Driver WSI Info: CGL WebGL 2 Driver Renderer: NVIDIA Corporation -- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M OpenGL Engine WebGL 2 Driver Version: 4.1 NVIDIA-10.28.10 355.11.10.10.20.111 WebGL 2 Driver Extensions: GL_ARB_blend_func_extended GL_ARB_draw_buffers_blend GL_ARB_draw_indirect GL_ARB_ES2_compatibility GL_ARB_explicit_attrib_location GL_ARB_gpu_shader_fp64 GL_ARB_gpu_shader5 GL_ARB_instanced_arrays GL_ARB_internalformat_query GL_ARB_occlusion_query2 GL_ARB_sample_shading GL_ARB_sampler_objects GL_ARB_separate_shader_objects GL_ARB_shader_bit_encoding GL_ARB_shader_subroutine GL_ARB_shading_language_include GL_ARB_tessellation_shader GL_ARB_texture_buffer_object_rgb32 GL_ARB_texture_cube_map_array GL_ARB_texture_gather GL_ARB_texture_query_lod GL_ARB_texture_rgb10_a2ui GL_ARB_texture_storage GL_ARB_texture_swizzle GL_ARB_timer_query GL_ARB_transform_feedback2 GL_ARB_transform_feedback3 GL_ARB_vertex_attrib_64bit GL_ARB_vertex_type_2_10_10_10_rev GL_ARB_viewport_array GL_EXT_debug_label GL_EXT_debug_marker GL_EXT_depth_bounds_test GL_EXT_framebuffer_multisample_blit_scaled GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic GL_EXT_texture_mirror_clamp GL_EXT_texture_sRGB_decode GL_APPLE_client_storage GL_APPLE_container_object_shareable GL_APPLE_flush_render GL_APPLE_object_purgeable GL_APPLE_rgb_422 GL_APPLE_row_bytes GL_APPLE_texture_range GL_ATI_texture_mirror_once GL_NV_texture_barrier WebGL 2 Extensions: EXT_color_buffer_float EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic EXT_disjoint_timer_query OES_texture_float_linear WEBGL_compressed_texture_s3tc WEBGL_compressed_texture_s3tc_srgb WEBGL_debug_renderer_info WEBGL_debug_shaders WEBGL_lose_context GPU #1 Active: Yes Vendor ID: 0x10de Device ID: 0x0fe0

Diagnostics AzureCanvasAccelerated: 1 AzureCanvasBackend: skia AzureContentBackend: skia AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: none TileHeight: 1024 TileWidth: 1024 Decision Log WEBRENDER: opt-in by default: WebRender is an opt-in feature unavailable by runtime: Build doesn't include WebRender OMTP: disabled by default: Disabled by default blocked by runtime: OMTP does not yet support tiling

Media

Audio Backend: audiounit Max Channels: 2 Preferred Channel Layout: stereo Preferred Sample Rate: 44100 Output Devices Name: Group Instant On Sound Effects: com.rogueamoeba.InstantOn:SoundEffects Headphones: AppleHDAEngineOutput:1B,0,1,2:0 Input Devices Name: Group Internal Microphone: AppleHDAEngineInput:1B,0,1,0:1

Important Modified Preferences

accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar: 0 browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400 browser.cache.disk.filesystem_reported: 1 browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false browser.cache.frecency_experiment: 2 browser.download.useDownloadDir: false browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion: 8 browser.search.update: false browser.startup.homepage: http://oskicat.berkeley.edu/search~S1/?searchtype=X&searcharg=t%3A( browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID: 20180206200532 browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone: 58.0.2 browser.urlbar.searchSuggestionsChoice: false browser.urlbar.suggest.searches: false dom.forms.autocomplete.formautofill: true extensions.lastAppVersion: 58.0.2 font.internaluseonly.changed: true media.autoplay.enabled: false media.gmp-gmpopenh264.abi: x86_64-gcc3 media.gmp-gmpopenh264.lastUpdate: 1520032736 media.gmp-gmpopenh264.version: 1.7.1 media.gmp-manager.buildID: 20180206200532 media.gmp-manager.lastCheck: 1520555529 media.gmp-widevinecdm.abi: x86_64-gcc3 media.gmp-widevinecdm.lastUpdate: 1520032738 media.gmp-widevinecdm.version: 1.4.8.1008 media.gmp.storage.version.observed: 1 media.peerconnection.ice.default_address_only: true media.peerconnection.ice.no_host: true media.webrtc.debug.log_file: /var/folders/sy/hdql9y050s50nbd_vyyy6ms80000gn/T/WebRTC.log network.cookie.cookieBehavior: 1 network.cookie.lifetimePolicy: 2 network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true network.dns.disablePrefetch: true network.http.speculative-parallel-limit: 0 network.predictor.enabled: false network.prefetch-next: false places.database.lastMaintenance: 1520035529 places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 104858 plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types: application/pdf plugin.state.flash: 2 privacy.donottrackheader.enabled: true privacy.history.custom: true privacy.sanitize.sanitizeOnShutdown: true privacy.trackingprotection.enabled: true privacy.trackingprotection.introCount: 20 security.sandbox.content.tempDirSuffix: {37ce1ed0-9286-3e4f-8550-252af63349b3} services.sync.declinedEngines: services.sync.engine.addresses.available: true services.sync.engine.prefs.modified: false services.sync.lastPing: 1520617016 services.sync.lastSync: Fri Mar 09 2018 09:43:32 GMT-0800 (PST) storage.vacuum.last.index: 1 storage.vacuum.last.places.sqlite: 1520035529

Important Locked Preferences

Places Database

JavaScript

Incremental GC: true

Accessibility

Activated: false Prevent Accessibility: 0

Library Versions

NSPR Expected minimum version: 4.17 Version in use: 4.17

NSS Expected minimum version: 3.34.1 Version in use: 3.34.1

NSSSMIME Expected minimum version: 3.34.1 Version in use: 3.34.1

NSSSSL Expected minimum version: 3.34.1 Version in use: 3.34.1

NSSUTIL Expected minimum version: 3.34.1 Version in use: 3.34.1

Experimental Features

Sandbox

Content Process Sandbox Level: 3 Effective Content Process Sandbox Level: 3

Internationalization & Localization

Application Settings Requested Locales: ["en-US"] Available Locales: ["en-US"] App Locales: ["en-US"] Regional Preferences: ["en-US"] Default Locale: "en-US" Operating System System Locales: ["en-US"] Regional Preferences: ["en-US"]

I called for more help.

Set DuckDuckGo as your default. Then Close Firefox.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web link} by holding down the <Shift> (Mac=Options) key, and then starting Firefox.

A small dialog should appear. Click Start In Safe Mode (not Refresh). Is the problem still there?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-to-fix-preferences-wont-save

Note: Some software, like Advanced SystemCare with Surfing Protection, can protect files in the Firefox profile folder against changes. If you have such software then check the settings or uninstall this software.

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I have tried it four times, sometimes deleting google from the search options, sometimes just setting duckduckgo as default. Each time I have quit then restarted firefox in safe mode, but each time google has been back as the default search.

When you are on the Preferences page, Search panel, working with the One-Click Search Engines box, try this alternate method: restore the default search engines using the button below the box, and uncheck the ones you never want to use by clicking the blue check marks in the left column to clear them. Hopefully that configuration will be more stable.

Your default search engine selection is stored in a settings file named search.json.mozlz4 in your currently active profile folder. I would be surprised if other programs were modifying this file, but it's possible that some security or utility program designed to protect against unwanted settings changes or designated to remove personal information might be deleting the file (or replacing it with an older version) between Firefox sessions. On Windows, Advanced SystemCare is known to modify Firefox settings files and CCleaner may remove them from time to time. I don't know if you have anything on your Mac that touches Firefox data.

Thanks for this. If I uncheck (but don't delete) google then reboot, google remains unchecked after reboot, but is nonetheless restored as the default search engine.

I have looked at the search.json.mozlz4 file, which reports it has not been modified since February 2. I don't think that have any particular applications that would interfere with Firefox data.

chpoot said

I have looked at the search.json.mozlz4 file, which reports it has not been modified since February 2.

Hmm, that's actually a bit odd. If you keep that Windows Explorer folder open and make a change that the file records, such as dragging a site up or down in the One-Click Search Engines box or changing your default search engine, does the modified time on the file update to the current minute?

Oh, be sure you are looking at the file in your current profile folder. This article has the steps to access that: Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data.

Okay. Thanks. That does clarify things. and indeed the search file in my profile doe shows that it has been modified today. It still seems to be defaulting to Google, whatever I try to do to change that.

chpoot said

Okay. Thanks. That does clarify things. and indeed the search file in my profile doe shows that it has been modified today. It still seems to be defaulting to Google, whatever I try to do to change that.

How long does the change stick once you make it? Does DuckDuckGo stay your default search engine throughout your session until you exit Firefox, and then at the next startup, it's Google again?

Could you check for alien script files in your Firefox program folder? In particular, in these locations (varies for 32-bit / 64-bit):

• C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\defaults\pref
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\defaults\pref

Caution: Do not double-click script files! The default action for a script file it to execute as a Windows system script. (Typically this would just give an error, but why risk it?)

Make sure Windows is showing hidden files: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/14201/windows-show-hidden-files

A file named channel-prefs.js is normal. Any other file in this folder is suspicious -- for example, dsengine.js (added by Lavasoft/AdAware Web Companion). Remove any such files to a neutral location for further analysis at your leisure.

Oops, sorry, you're on Mac. I'm not sure where you would look for the equivalent program folders. If you search for channel-prefs.js it would be in that folder.

Thanks once more for your help.

To how long, it will, I think, last as long as I'm running firefox, but if I quit and relauch, it has defaulted to google.

As to the files, I'm using a mac (OS X 10.13.3). I see no such files in my Library. Nor do I see any alien scripts.

Such a JavaScript file would be in this location on Mac:

• /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/defaults/pref

Thanks. I see no alien script files and google is still restored as default when I reboot

Thank you for checking. Is this any time you quit Firefox and start it up again, or only when you shut down your Mac and start the system up again?

Is the only change the default search engine, or do you notice changes to the list of search engines and/or order of the list?