This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Google missing after 16.0.2 update?

  • 6 iimpendulo
  • 9 inale ngxaki
  • 1 view
  • Impendulo yokugqibela ngu gchdevon

more options

Before upgrading to 16.0.2, anything typed in my address bar would go directly to google if it wasn't a valid URL, but now it just says the URL is invalid. I checked to make sure that keyword search was enabled in about:config and it was. So I don't know what the problem is. Similarly, the smaller searchbar beside the address bar seems to refuse to acknowledge Google's existence. It is no longer an option and I cannot add it through "Manage Search Engines." And I cannot "Restore Defaults" in "Manage Search Engines," it's greyed out, no matter what I seem to do. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Before upgrading to 16.0.2, anything typed in my address bar would go directly to google if it wasn't a valid URL, but now it just says the URL is invalid. I checked to make sure that keyword search was enabled in about:config and it was. So I don't know what the problem is. Similarly, the smaller searchbar beside the address bar seems to refuse to acknowledge Google's existence. It is no longer an option and I cannot add it through "Manage Search Engines." And I cannot "Restore Defaults" in "Manage Search Engines," it's greyed out, no matter what I seem to do. Any suggestions? Thanks.

All Replies (6)

more options
more options

Why has Google vanished as an option from the search box and why is restore defaults greyed out?

more options

Can you attach a screenshot to show what you mean?

Use a compressed image type like PNG or JPG to save the screenshot.

more options

Hi. Thanks for responding. I have managed to solve the problem by removing firefox and reinstalling firefox.

This returned Google to the options but still leaves restore defaults greyed out.

more options

Do you still have the google.xml file in the searchplugins folder in the Firefox program folder?

  • (32 bit Windows) C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\
  • (64 bit Windows) C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\

Try to delete search.json file and a possible search.sqlite file in the Firefox Profile Folder to reset the search engines.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

  • Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder
more options

Yes Google was there in search plugins. Don't know if it was before I reinstalled Firefox. Thanks for your advice. Having got the search engine back where I want it I don't think I'll do any more mucking about, I might make it worse. Still seems odd that I cannot restore default though.