Google ads can be blocked by Tracking Protection.

Firefox shows the shield icon at the left end of the location/address bar in case content is blocked by Tracking Protection.

• click the shield icon for more detail and possibly disable the protection
• You can check the Web Console by Tracking Protection
• "3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Web Developer
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/tracking-protection-firefox

If you use extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) that can block (wanted) content (Adblock Plus, NoScript, Disconnect, Ghostery, Privacy Badger, uBlock Origin) always make sure such extensions do not block (wanted) content.

• make sure your extensions and filters are updated to the latest version
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-extensions-themes-to-fix-problems

Thank you, however: Tracking Protection is Off. Checked Web Console, did not see any lines indicating blocked content. No extensions loaded in this install of Firefox. Also ran in Safe Mode (extensions disabled), still no ads showing. No fix yet, still stumped.

Does it make any difference whether you are logged into your Google account when you search?

Does it make any difference whether you start searching from Google's home page or from Firefox's address/search bar (the URL is different)?

Right now it makes a difference in about 1 in 10 searches. When not logged into Google, no ads. When logged into Google "Sponsored" ad box at top of page, maybe 1 ad (with icon) below, either in FF search bar, or on Google page. On FF 54.0, get 5 ads on each of at least first 5 pages.

Will put together couple screen shots and post. As it is, I have to go to another machine just to see if clients ads are running :~( Very Strange.

Can you post your about:support data here?

Application Basics

Name: Firefox Version: 62.0 Build ID: 20180830143136 Update Channel: release User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; Win64; x64; rv:62.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/62.0 OS: Windows_NT 6.1 Multiprocess Windows: 1/1 (Enabled by default) Web Content Processes: 4/4 Enterprise Policies: Inactive 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: 2018.08.22.1219-93becf29 ID: activity-stream@mozilla.org

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

Name: Firefox Screenshots Version: 33.0.0 ID: screenshots@mozilla.org

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: Web Compat Version: 2.0 ID: webcompat@mozilla.org

Name: WebCompat Reporter Version: 1.0.0 ID: webcompat-reporter@mozilla.org

Extensions

Name: Firebug Version: 2.0.19 Enabled: false ID: firebug@software.joehewitt.com

Name: Saved Password Editor Version: 2.10.3 Enabled: false ID: savedpasswordeditor@daniel.dawson

Security Software

Type:

Type:

Graphics

Features Compositing: Direct3D 11 (Advanced Layers) Asynchronous Pan/Zoom: wheel input enabled; scrollbar drag enabled; keyboard enabled; autoscroll enabled WebGL 1 Driver WSI Info: EGL_VENDOR: Google Inc. (adapter LUID: 00000000000094e3) EGL_VERSION: 1.4 (ANGLE 2.1.0.595ccab4acc3) EGL_EXTENSIONS: EGL_EXT_create_context_robustness EGL_ANGLE_d3d_share_handle_client_buffer EGL_ANGLE_d3d_texture_client_buffer EGL_ANGLE_surface_d3d_texture_2d_share_handle EGL_ANGLE_query_surface_pointer EGL_ANGLE_window_fixed_size EGL_ANGLE_keyed_mutex EGL_ANGLE_surface_orientation EGL_NV_post_sub_buffer EGL_KHR_create_context EGL_EXT_device_query EGL_KHR_image EGL_KHR_image_base EGL_KHR_gl_texture_2D_image EGL_KHR_gl_texture_cubemap_image EGL_KHR_gl_renderbuffer_image EGL_KHR_get_all_proc_addresses EGL_KHR_stream EGL_KHR_stream_consumer_gltexture EGL_NV_stream_consumer_gltexture_yuv EGL_ANGLE_flexible_surface_compatibility EGL_ANGLE_stream_producer_d3d_texture EGL_ANGLE_create_context_webgl_compatibility EGL_CHROMIUM_create_context_bind_generates_resource EGL_EXT_pixel_format_float EGL_KHR_surfaceless_context EGL_ANGLE_display_texture_share_group EGL_ANGLE_create_context_client_arrays EGL_ANGLE_program_cache_control EGL_ANGLE_robust_resource_initialization EGL_ANGLE_create_context_extensions_enabled EGL_EXTENSIONS(nullptr): EGL_EXT_client_extensions EGL_EXT_platform_base EGL_EXT_platform_device EGL_ANGLE_platform_angle EGL_ANGLE_platform_angle_d3d EGL_ANGLE_device_creation EGL_ANGLE_device_creation_d3d11 EGL_ANGLE_experimental_present_path EGL_KHR_client_get_all_proc_addresses WebGL 1 Driver Renderer: Google Inc. -- ANGLE (Intel(R) Q45/Q43 Express Chipset Direct3D11 vs_4_0 ps_4_0) WebGL 1 Driver Version: OpenGL ES 2.0 (ANGLE 2.1.0.595ccab4acc3) WebGL 1 Driver Extensions: GL_ANGLE_client_arrays GL_ANGLE_framebuffer_blit GL_ANGLE_framebuffer_multisample GL_ANGLE_instanced_arrays GL_ANGLE_lossy_etc_decode GL_ANGLE_pack_reverse_row_order GL_ANGLE_program_cache_control GL_ANGLE_request_extension GL_ANGLE_robust_client_memory GL_ANGLE_texture_compression_dxt3 GL_ANGLE_texture_compression_dxt5 GL_ANGLE_texture_usage GL_ANGLE_translated_shader_source GL_CHROMIUM_bind_generates_resource GL_CHROMIUM_bind_uniform_location GL_CHROMIUM_color_buffer_float_rgb GL_CHROMIUM_color_buffer_float_rgba GL_CHROMIUM_copy_compressed_texture GL_CHROMIUM_copy_texture GL_CHROMIUM_sync_query GL_EXT_blend_minmax GL_EXT_color_buffer_half_float GL_EXT_debug_marker GL_EXT_discard_framebuffer GL_EXT_disjoint_timer_query GL_EXT_draw_buffers GL_EXT_frag_depth GL_EXT_map_buffer_range GL_EXT_occlusion_query_boolean GL_EXT_read_format_bgra GL_EXT_robustness GL_EXT_sRGB GL_EXT_shader_texture_lod GL_EXT_texture_compression_dxt1 GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc_srgb GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic GL_EXT_texture_format_BGRA8888 GL_EXT_texture_storage GL_EXT_unpack_subimage GL_KHR_debug GL_KHR_robust_buffer_access_behavior GL_NV_EGL_stream_consumer_external GL_NV_fence GL_NV_pack_subimage GL_NV_pixel_buffer_object GL_OES_EGL_image GL_OES_EGL_image_external GL_OES_compressed_ETC1_RGB8_texture GL_OES_depth32 GL_OES_element_index_uint GL_OES_get_program_binary GL_OES_mapbuffer GL_OES_packed_depth_stencil GL_OES_rgb8_rgba8 GL_OES_standard_derivatives GL_OES_surfaceless_context GL_OES_texture_float GL_OES_texture_half_float GL_OES_texture_half_float_linear GL_OES_texture_npot GL_OES_vertex_array_object 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_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_draw_buffers WEBGL_lose_context WebGL 2 Driver WSI Info: - WebGL 2 Driver Renderer: WebGL creation failed: * Error during ANGLE OpenGL init. * Exhausted GL driver caps. WebGL 2 Driver Version: - WebGL 2 Driver Extensions: - WebGL 2 Extensions: - Direct2D: Blocked for your graphics driver version. Uses Tiling (Content): true Off Main Thread Painting Enabled: true Off Main Thread Painting Worker Count: 1 DirectWrite: true (6.2.9200.22164) GPU #1 Active: Yes Description: Intel(R) Q45/Q43 Express Chipset Vendor ID: 0x8086 Device ID: 0x2e12 Driver Version: 8.15.10.2302 Driver Date: 2-11-2011 Drivers: igdumd64 igd10umd64 igdumdx32 igd10umd32 Subsys ID: 3048103c RAM: Unknown

Diagnostics AzureCanvasAccelerated: 0 AzureCanvasBackend: skia AzureCanvasBackend (UI Process): skia AzureContentBackend: skia AzureContentBackend (UI Process): skia AzureFallbackCanvasBackend (UI Process): cairo GPUProcessPid: 4740 Decision Log DIRECT2D: Blocklisted; failure code BLOCKLIST_FEATURE_FAILURE_DL_BLACKLIST_g984 D3D11_HW_ANGLE: Blocklisted due to known issues; bug 1153381 WEBRENDER: opt-in by default: WebRender is an opt-in feature unavailable by runtime: ANGLE is disabled ADVANCED_LAYERS: available by user: Enabled for Windows 7 via user-preference

Workarounds NO_CONSTANT_BUFFER_OFFSETTING: Unsupported by driver

Can you post the remainder? The part with "Modified Preferences"

Media

Audio Backend: wasapi Max Channels: 2 Preferred Sample Rate: 48000 Output Devices Name: Group Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio): HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0662&SUBSYS_103C3048&REV_1001\4&1f7d3f5d&0&0001 Input Devices Name: Group Stereo Mix (Realtek High Definition Audio): HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0662&SUBSYS_103C3048&REV_1001\4&1f7d3f5d&0&0001 Front Black In (Realtek High Definition Audio): HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0662&SUBSYS_103C3048&REV_1001\4&1f7d3f5d&0&0001 Rear Blue In (Realtek High Definition Audio): HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0662&SUBSYS_103C3048&REV_1001\4&1f7d3f5d&0&0001 Microphone (Realtek High Definition Audio): HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0662&SUBSYS_103C3048&REV_1001\4&1f7d3f5d&0&0001 Line In (Realtek High Definition Audio): HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0662&SUBSYS_103C3048&REV_1001\4&1f7d3f5d&0&0001

Important Modified Preferences

accessibility.blockautorefresh: true accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar: 0 browser.cache.disk.capacity: 1048576 browser.cache.disk.filesystem_reported: 1 browser.cache.disk.hashstats_reported: 1 browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max: false browser.cache.frecency_experiment: 4 browser.display.use_document_colors: true browser.download.folderList: 2 browser.download.useDownloadDir: false browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion: 8 browser.search.update: false browser.sessionstore.upgradeBackup.latestBuildID: 20180830143136 browser.startup.homepage: file:///C:/VMPServer/VMP_Server_Homepage3.htm browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID: 20180830143136 browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone: 62.0 browser.tabs.remote.autostart.2: true browser.urlbar.matchBuckets: general:5,suggestion:Infinity browser.urlbar.placeholderName: Google browser.urlbar.suggest.history: false browser.urlbar.suggest.openpage: false browser.urlbar.suggest.searches: false browser.urlbar.userMadeSearchSuggestionsChoice: true dom.apps.reset-permissions: true dom.disable_open_during_load: false dom.forms.autocomplete.formautofill: true dom.mozApps.used: true dom.push.userAgentID: 0680e71e5f5f44569d647697e22b87db extensions.lastAppVersion: 62.0 font.internaluseonly.changed: true gfx.blacklist.direct2d: 3 gfx.blacklist.direct2d.failureid: FEATURE_FAILURE_DL_BLACKLIST_g984 gfx.crash-guard.d3d11layers.appVersion: 56.0 gfx.crash-guard.d3d11layers.deviceID: 0x2e12 gfx.crash-guard.d3d11layers.driverVersion: 8.15.10.2302 gfx.crash-guard.d3d11layers.feature-d2d: false gfx.crash-guard.d3d11layers.feature-d3d11: true gfx.crash-guard.status.d3d11layers: 2 gfx.driver-init.appVersion: 41.0.2 gfx.driver-init.deviceID: 0x5954 gfx.driver-init.driverVersion: 6.14.10.6525 gfx.driver-init.feature-d2d: false gfx.driver-init.feature-d3d11: false gfx.driver-init.status: 2 javascript.options.strict: true layers.mlgpu.sanity-test-failed: false media.autoplay.enabled: false media.gmp-gmpopenh264.abi: x86_64-msvc-x64 media.gmp-gmpopenh264.lastUpdate: 1510268769 media.gmp-gmpopenh264.version: 1.7.1 media.gmp-manager.buildID: 20180830143136 media.gmp-manager.lastCheck: 1536764655 media.gmp-widevinecdm.abi: x86_64-msvc-x64 media.gmp-widevinecdm.lastUpdate: 1536675399 media.gmp-widevinecdm.version: 1.4.9.1088 media.gmp.storage.version.observed: 1 media.hardware-video-decoding.failed: false media.webrtc.debug.aec_log_dir: C:\DOCUME~1\Owner\LOCALS~1\Temp media.webrtc.debug.log_

Can you please go to about:config, accept the warning, then search for "browser.search.update", right click it and select "Reset". Does that help?

.."browser.search.update", right click it and select "Reset".. No change. Logged into Google or not, FF search bar or Google search page, no ads at all. BTW I am doing the same or similar search on this FF 62.0 machine w/no ads and the 54.0 machine that gets ads as the control machine.

One last thing.

Create a new profile in Firefox (Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles), switch to it, and perform the same search. Do you see ads?

Getting weirder, Created new profile with wizard (not a copy), started FF with new profile. First couple searches, saw 3-4 ads with icons on several pages. Then with more searches, no more ads! Even the same searches after restarting FF with new profile, no ads. It's as if the machine is 'learning' that I don't want ads (Which I Need to see). FYI, I had AdBlocker on previous version FF, made sure it was removed from the inactive list in 'addons' right after upgrade.

Seems like Google is deciding, for whatever reason, to not display ads to you. I'm not sure if they are hiding ads based on your IP or a cookie on your computer to prevent abuse, or what, but definitely seems to be on their end, based on their own (obviously secret) algorithms.

May i ask why you want to see ads?

You have disabled Tracking Protection - to make sure that it's really disabled, would you check on the "about:config" page that the value of the preference privacy.trackingprotection.enabled is set to false  ?

(in case you have to make any changes on the "about:config' page - always close and restart Firefox afterwards)

If you wouldn't mind, could you pose this question on Google's forum for advertisers and see whether they have an explanation?

https://www.en.advertisercommunity.com/

You might want to share comparative screenshots from the various browsers you test in.

Did you try to clear the Google cookies?

Are you logged in to Google?