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Search misinterprets string as web address

  • 4 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by Jangreth

Jangreth
Jangreth
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As a programmer I often need to search for strings like "Microsoft.Owin.Hosting.WebApp" (the latest example). I press Ctrl-E for Search (because I know the difference between this and Alt-D which means "go to web site"), enter this string and hit Return. In Chrome and Edge this works as expected and both return useful search results.

The Awesome bar is so awesome that it decides this must be a website and tries to go to it. Unfortunately it's not awesome enough to check if that site exists first, or to check if I entered it with Ctrl-E or Alt-D. It attempts to send me to that website, which of course doesn't exist and I get no search results.

How do I get useful search results like I do in Edge or Chrome instead of the largely useless "Hmm. We’re having trouble finding that site." ? Chrome and Edge both interpret Ctrl-E as meaning "search" and I get search results even if I enter a valid address like "slashdot.org".

As a programmer I often need to search for strings like "Microsoft.Owin.Hosting.WebApp" (the latest example). I press Ctrl-E for Search (because I know the difference between this and Alt-D which means "go to web site"), enter this string and hit Return. In Chrome and Edge this works as expected and both return useful search results. The Awesome bar is so awesome that it decides this must be a website and tries to go to it. Unfortunately it's not awesome enough to check if that site exists first, or to check if I entered it with Ctrl-E or Alt-D. It attempts to send me to that website, which of course doesn't exist and I get no search results. How do I get useful search results like I do in Edge or Chrome instead of the largely useless "Hmm. We’re having trouble finding that site." ? Chrome and Edge both interpret Ctrl-E as meaning "search" and I get search results even if I enter a valid address like "slashdot.org".

Chosen solution

nm, found it, and yes they have: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/my-search-bar-gone-how-add-it-back

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All Replies (4)

FredMcD
FredMcD
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Any dots in the string makes the browser think it is a web address. Use the search bar instead.

cor-el
cor-el
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You can add a leading apostrophe (') to make Firefox perform a search.

Jangreth
Jangreth Question owner
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FredMcD said

Any dots in the string makes the browser think it is a web address. Use the search bar instead.

How do I get to the search bar? I thought that was Ctrl-E, which has been the case in Firefox for years. Has this changed?

Jangreth
Jangreth Question owner
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Chosen Solution

nm, found it, and yes they have: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/my-search-bar-gone-how-add-it-back