Hi i always use the search bar at the top next to the address bar, but for some unknown reason it doesn't work anymore
does anyone know how i can fix this problem
preferably without uninstalling and reinstalling firefox
thanks andy
I think reinstall...
However you could just install the google toolbar (sorry for the blatant advertising 
) which has a search feature along with a load of other handy stuff (i particularely like the pagerank indicator and the gmail notifier...) Can you provide some more details? How exactly it doesn’t work?
Do you get an error message, or it doesn’t find what you’re looking for, or eventually it doesn’t search using the expected search engine?
it usually let me type search criteria and when i hit the return button it brought me a list of results, but now it just does nothing not even an error message
I would suggest trying to install FF again without uninstalling it. That way it 'should' keep all of your settings.
Either that or install Opera (it makes FF look pretty sick).
I would recommend against Google toolbar (as I have seen it break more times that I can count on all my fingers and toes...the famous C++ error that google toolbar causes when it breaks)
Actually I am totally anti-toolbar, the more crap you add to your browser, the more likely you are to break it and/or let in unwanted software.
ye im against toolbars too but this is something FF has built in as standard and you can select a few search engines to search from but it sets google as standard, just dont understand why it stopped working
The search box in the upper right hand corner works based on what search engines you have installed. The search engines are basically text files (I forget what extension) and are located somewhere whithin your Firefox profile folder (in Documents and Settings). These text files specify the URL of the search engine, name of the engine, help/support information, etc. If the syntax of the code in this text file is incorrect, the search will not work. It won't do anything, just as you said. Perhaps, your search engine text files are corrupt?
To test this, try using different search engines and let me know if they work. I, like you, don't like using toolbars and would rather integrate any functionality I need using extensions or a Firefox capability that is built in.
I'll look into the exact way the system works because I am also sure that there is a main search engine file (like an index) which might be causing the root problems in your situation.
thats the fing there isn't any search engines in the toolbar thats why i dont understand why they disapperered :S
either your installation got corrupt or someone installed the searchpluginshack extension and removed them all
go here: https://addons.mozilla.org/search-engines.php for more info on how to get them back... | asiddle423 wrote: |
| thats the fing there isn't any search engines in the toolbar thats why i dont understand why they disapperered :S |
Check to see if you have any *.src files in either one of these two directories:
C:\Documents and Settings\[Your Username]\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[some jarbled crap].default\searchplugins\
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins\
If you do, then your entire search system is corrupt on Firefox. If there aren't *.src files in either one of these directories, let me know and I'll specify where you can get the ones you want (Google, Dictionary.com, Wikipedia, etc.).
