My location bar keeps resetting to yahoo no matter how many times I restore the default.
Ever since I downloaded (and then deleted) winamp, my location bar changes to yahoo. I'll type in a word and, instead of using google to take me to the website I want, it pulls up a yahoo search screen.
I have used about:config several times to pull up keyword.url and restore the default, but any time my computer goes to sleep or I re-open Firefox, it changes back to yahoo.
This is getting very annoying as I can't stand yahoo. What can I do?
All Replies (7)
There are a few possible causes for this, see preferences are not saved for details.
1. I don't have any of those third party programs installed.
2. I opened my user.js file, but the only things in it referred to Evernote. I took a picture of the file and have uploaded it here: http://yfrog.com/nguserfilep
3. I checked my prefs.js file. There is only one and it is not marked as read-only.
4. I tried editing the prefs.js file. (I made a back-up copy just in case). Even though I had firefox closed while I changed and saved the file, nothing changed. When I opened up firefox and typed a word in the location bar, I still got yahoo.
Is there something else I can try?
Modified by liszante
You can check any add-ons that you have installed to see if they are doing this. Follow the procedure in the troubleshooting extensions and themes article.
Another possibility is the prefs.js file may be corrupt. With Firefox closed try renaming it to prefs.js.old then restart Firefox. Then see if the the location bar search is back to Google. You will need to reset any settings that you have changed.
1. The problem still occurs in safe mode.
2. I renamed the prefs.js file, but the problem still occurs.
Did you check if there is a file user.js in the Firefox Profile Folder
See also http://kb.mozillazine.org/Preferences_not_saved
If you have AVG software then see:
AVG Antivirus and Security Software - AVG Security Toolbar Help New Tab Search
http://www.avg.com/special-toolbar-how-to-disable-search-tlbrf.tpl-mcr1\
Modified by cor-el
I did check for the user.js file. I cleaned it out even though it was all about Evernote.
I followed the steps on preferences not saved. My problem really is that something else changed a preference on me. I can change other things, but when I try to restore keyword.url to the default, it only lasts until I close the browser or the computer sleeps. As I said in my original question, this did not start happening until I installed winamp. (Winamp also changed my defaults on my preferred .avi program no matter how many times I switched it back.) I uninstalled winamp (fixing the .avi problem), but the default still switches to a 'user set' preference.
I use Panda Cloud for my antiviral needs. I don't have AVG.
I un- and re- installed Firefox. That fixed it.