Unable to search or add new engines: Difference between revisions

From MozillaZine Knowledge Base
Jump to navigationJump to search
m (→‎Searches being redirected: added another reference on redirect hacks)
Line 12: Line 12:


==Searches being redirected==
==Searches being redirected==
If clicking on a certain search result redirects you to an unwanted site, the website for the correct search result may have been compromised.   A script on the infected site determines the "referring" page and, if it’s from a  link in a Google (or another) search engine's results page, then you are automatically re-directed to malicious websites that are totally unrelated to the original site.  In such cases,  try manually typing in the URL instead of clicking the search result link, or try another search engine.  [http://www.viruslist.com/en/weblog?weblogid=208187615] [http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=12469&page=4]  
If clicking on a certain search result redirects you to an unwanted site, the legitimate website for your search result may have been compromised. When your search result takes you to that site, it determines the "referring" page and, if it’s from a  link in a Google (or other) search engine's results page, then you are automatically re-directed to malicious websites that are totally unrelated to the original site.  In such cases you can manually type in the URL instead of clicking the search result link (or try another search engine).  [http://www.viruslist.com/en/weblog?weblogid=208187615] [http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=12469&page=4] [http://blog.javacoolsoftware.com/2008/12/anti-virus-2009-search-engine-redirect-hacks/]


If multiple search results are redirected to unwanted sites or if your searches are "hijacked" by an unwanted search engine (such as Ask.com),  first check for [[problematic extensions]].  Disable or [[Uninstalling add-ons|uninstall any extensions]] and [[Uninstalling toolbars|remove any added toolbars]] that you suspect may be interfering with Web searches.  If necessary, switch back to your preferred search engine in the Firefox [[Search Bar]].  You may also need to  [[Resetting preferences|reset any preferences]]  in  [[about:config]] that refer to the removed add-on or unwanted search engine.  See [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=627084 this forum topic] for additional information.   
If multiple search results are redirected to unwanted sites or if your searches are "hijacked" by an unwanted search engine (such as Ask.com),  first check for [[problematic extensions]].  Disable or [[Uninstalling add-ons|uninstall any extensions]] and [[Uninstalling toolbars|remove any added toolbars]] that you suspect may be interfering with Web searches.  If necessary, switch back to your preferred search engine in the Firefox [[Search Bar]].  You may also need to  [[Resetting preferences|reset any preferences]]  in  [[about:config]] that refer to the removed add-on or unwanted search engine.  See [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=627084 this forum topic] for additional information.   

Revision as of 01:51, 10 January 2009

Unable to search

Extensions

  • XPL LinkScanner: The "XPL LinkScanner Firefox 2.6" extension can cause searches to fail [1] or Firefox may crash when using various search engines. Disable or uninstall this extension in Firefox via "Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions".
  • AVG Safe Search: The "AVG Safe Search" Firefox extension is included with AVG 8 Free Antivirus as part of the LinkScanner component. Among other issues, this extension is reported (in Firefox 3) to cause problems with Google search results [2] Disable this extension in Firefox via "Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions".

For more information, see the entries for these extensions in the Problematic extensions article.

Spyware and malware

Spyware and other malicious software (malware), including variants of the Vundo/Virtumonde trojan, can cause certain sites to never finish loading and Google, Yahoo!, or other search engines may fail. [3] [4] [5] [6] For example, after entering a search in Google, "Waiting for www.google.com..." may remain in the status bar and no results will be returned. Your security software may not detect the malware so you should install and run another application that can scan your system and remove the malware or seek help from a forum specializing in malware removal. Some recommended anti-malware applications and help forums are listed here.

Searches being redirected

If clicking on a certain search result redirects you to an unwanted site, the legitimate website for your search result may have been compromised. When your search result takes you to that site, it determines the "referring" page and, if it’s from a link in a Google (or other) search engine's results page, then you are automatically re-directed to malicious websites that are totally unrelated to the original site. In such cases you can manually type in the URL instead of clicking the search result link (or try another search engine). [7] [8] [9]

If multiple search results are redirected to unwanted sites or if your searches are "hijacked" by an unwanted search engine (such as Ask.com), first check for problematic extensions. Disable or uninstall any extensions and remove any added toolbars that you suspect may be interfering with Web searches. If necessary, switch back to your preferred search engine in the Firefox Search Bar. You may also need to reset any preferences in about:config that refer to the removed add-on or unwanted search engine. See this forum topic for additional information.

Note: If typing an incorrect address in the Location Bar redirects you to a results page from an unwanted search engine, this is a different issue. Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) may be intercepting the failed DNS requests, as discussed here.

If the problem persists, or if you are having other issues such as security-related websites being blocked, check for malware. [10]

Search Bar not working and cannot add new search engines

If the Search Bar no longer works and you can't add new search engines, the problem may be a corrupt "search.sqlite" file. [11]. Try the following solution:

  1. Exit Firefox and go to your Firefox profile folder.
  2. Delete (or rename) the file "search.sqlite".
  3. Re-start Firefox to see if it solves your problem.

Related bug reports