# Firefox Experts?



## Guest (Apr 8, 2013)

I deleted Google as a search engine in Firefox 20.0 (Windows 7) via the Manage Search Engines window, and even though I select Bing, Google still functions as my search engine! Any suggestions?


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2013)

Never mind...I'll just use IE9.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

Out of curiosity, why do you prefer Bing? (I've never used it enough to form a well-backed opinion.)


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2013)

I just don't like all the spying from Google! 

There is clearly something weird going on here: I completely deleted Firefox, including preferences, re-installed it, selected Bing as my search engine, but Google overrides it! Dang...that's tenacious!


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Firefox is funded in large part by google in order to promote its search engine, so it wouldn't surprise me if it can be difficult to replace and keep it replaced. Try this:

type *about:config* into the address bar
you should get and click through a warning message
search for *google* in that list and locate *browser.search.defaultenginename*
click to replace it with *Bing* then quit that window

That should now use bing as default. If you want to use something less googlishous I would suggest the only browser for the classical listener is Opera http://www.opera.com/ it's what I use.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Kontrapunctus said:


> I just don't like all the spying from Google!
> 
> There is clearly something weird going on here: I completely deleted Firefox, including preferences, re-installed it, selected Bing as my search engine, but Google overrides it! Dang...that's tenacious!


The 'uninstall a program' process in Windows doesn't completely remove Firefox. Awhile back I managed to screw up a Firefox installation, so I deleted it and reinstalled a new copy; the screw-up was still there. I went to another browser (not IE, Heavens forbid), and eventually, for other reasons, reformatted the harddrive.

Opera may be wonderful, but I find its procedures incomprehensible.


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

Kontrapunctus said:


> I just don't like all the spying from Google!


I'm pretty sure they all do that....


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Yes most browsers have profiles independent of the installation which retain your settings and can be complicated to get rid of. You can use the profile manager to clean them with firefox, or find the files and delete them directly off your disk.

http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles


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## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

Firefox is a cool browser, how its ''google's browser'' isn't that Google Chrome?


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2013)

Try using Revo Uninstaller: it's free and hasn't made a mess on my PC so far (I've been using it for a couple of years now). It doesn't clear up every scrap - it sometimes leaves empty folders, but you can always do a search for 'Mozilla' and 'Firefox' to hunt them down.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

Kontrapunctus said:


> I just don't like all the spying from Google!


You know that if you're not logged into a Google account, all they have is an IP address, right? The worst they could do with that is keep track of your IP's Googling habits to provide you with ads that are more likely to be useful than the stock ones you get (along with more useful search results!), and you can easily block those ads from appearing with a Firefox addon.

To each their own, I guess...


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Kontrapunctus said:


> I just don't like all the spying from Google!
> 
> There is clearly something weird going on here: I completely deleted Firefox, including preferences, re-installed it, selected Bing as my search engine, but Google overrides it! Dang...that's tenacious!


Perhaps your IE browser has Google set as search default and it's overriding other browsers.

My IE8 uses this path for search default change--Tools, Manage Addons, Search Providers.

I don't know IE9, since I'm staying with XP until end of its support next year. :tiphat:


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

MacLeod said:


> Try using Revo Uninstaller: it's free and hasn't made a mess on my PC so far (I've been using it for a couple of years now). It doesn't clear up every scrap - it sometimes leaves empty folders, but you can always do a search for 'Mozilla' and 'Firefox' to hunt them down.


I used Revo Uninstaller a few times, and my experiences were usually less than satisfactory.

Lately, I've been using Microsoft's solution with excellent results.

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/program_install_and_uninstall/


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2013)

I tired the "about: config"--that didn't work, either! 

Google doesn't override Bing on IE, just Firefox. It's not that I'm looking at controversial websites or anything: it's the suggestions that Google gives on other sites, such as Face Book. For instance, this weekend I was browsing some abstract sculptures, and suddenly there was an ad on FB for...you guessed it, abstract sculptures!


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

Hilltroll72 said:


> The 'uninstall a program' process in Windows doesn't completely remove Firefox. Awhile back I managed to screw up a Firefox installation, so I deleted it and reinstalled a new copy; the screw-up was still there. I went to another browser (not IE, Heavens forbid), and eventually, for other reasons, reformatted the harddrive.
> 
> Opera may be wonderful, but I find its procedures incomprehensible.


I'm using Opera, and like it very much.
but then again, I don't use Windows or Mac, either as an OS


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## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)




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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Kontrapunctus said:


> I tired the "about: config"--that didn't work, either!
> 
> Google doesn't override Bing on IE, just Firefox. It's not that I'm looking at controversial websites or anything: it's the suggestions that Google gives on other sites, such as Face Book. For instance, this weekend I was browsing some abstract sculptures, and suddenly there was an ad on FB for...you guessed it, abstract sculptures!


What exactly didn't work? Make sure you use *about:config* without any space. If it is intrusive facebook integration that is causing you problems there are firefox addons that will block websites from sharing data. Here is one https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/facebook-blocker/ I can't vouch for it as I don't use FB but there are a few others you could try.


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2013)

quack said:


> What exactly didn't work? Make sure you use *about:config* without any space. If it is intrusive facebook integration that is causing you problems there are firefox addons that will block websites from sharing data. Here is one https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/facebook-blocker/ I can't vouch for it as I don't use FB but there are a few others you could try.


After updating the Key Word with Bing's search string, Google still functions as the search engine.

After I reinstalled Firefox, I didn't like the new interface, so I'll just stick with IE9--it's actually pretty decent.


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## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

I cant believe it's so stubborn...


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2013)

When I got home today, my computer expert wife had fixed it for me. (She redid the "about:config" procedure and it worked the second time.) BTW, there was no space between the words when I entered it in the URL window!


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