How do I get Google back as my preferred search engine?
How do I get Google back as my preferred search engine after this morning's "update" of OS X? Having spent a lot of time setting up a computer to work seamlessly the way I want in every respect, I really resent my time being wasted by "helpful" software engineers. I have tried changing it in the Firefox configuration, which no longer accepts anything other than Yahoo as either a home page or a search engine, all to no avail. The only thing has been changed since everything was working sweetly is the update of OS X a few hours ago.
What OS X update did you perform?
To change your default search engine in Safari: Safari menu > Preferences > General > Default search engine.
To change it with Firefox, click the icon at the left of the search field and choose one from the dropdown menu. If that does not work you may have to ask in a Mozilla support site.
Similar Messages
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How to replace Bing and get Google back as my default search engine? I have already changed it in preferences and disabled extensions. Nothing is working!!
You installed the "Genieo" spyware/adware. There is an uninstaller, but as the developer is not trustworthy, you shouldn't rely on it. I suggest the tedious procedure below to disable Genieo.
Back up all data.
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
/Applications/Genieo.app
Right-click or control-click the line and select
Services ▹ Reveal
from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item selected. Move the selected item to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator password.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar, paste into the box that opens (command-V). You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.
Repeat with each of these lines:
/Applications/Uninstall Genieo.app
/Library/Frameworks/GenieoExtra.framework
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.engine.plist
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.plist
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client.plist
/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client
/usr/lib/libgenkit.dylib
Note: Some of these items may be absent, in which case you'll get a message that the file doesn't exist.
The following configuration file is either created or modified by the Genieo installer:
/etc/launchd.conf
The file is unlikely to be used by anything but Genieo or something equally undesirable. Unless you know you need it, delete it in the same way as above. Otherwise, edit it to remove the line that begins as follows:
setenv DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES
The above is not a file, but a line inside a file.
Reboot. Safari should now launch without crashing. If not, stop here and post your results.
From the Safari menu bar, select
Safari ▹ Preferences ▹ Extensions
Uninstall any extension you don't recognize. If in doubt, uninstall all extensions. Do the equivalent for the Firefox and Chrome browsers, if you use either of those.
The Genieo installer may also install the "Silverlight" web plugin from Microsoft. If you have no use for that plugin, you should remove it according to Microsoft's instructions. Don't remove it if you subscribe to "Netflix."
This procedure may leave a few files behind, but it should render Genieo permanently non-functional, as long as you never reinstall it. -
I want to choose the search engine; Firefox goes to Google. My home pages are properly set. The only solution offered to this question earlier would have you go to Web Developer and instantly was WAY over my head. How can an ordinary person change this? Thank you.
See also:
*http://kb.mozillazine.org/keyword.URL
*http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config -
As stated above, I used to have Google as my search engine now it is Norton Safe Search. How can I get Google back?
See these threads about searchqu:
*[/questions/816181]
*[/questions/790833] -
2 questions, how do I get google back to safari browser, and why does my screen zoom out all buy itself ?
To get Google back on the Safari Menu Bar, click on Safari in the upper left corner of the window>click on Preferences>click on the General tab>In the Default Search Engine box, select Google in the right hand drop down list.
Hope this helps -
How do i get Google back as my defult on ios7
How do i get Google back as my defult on ios7
Just like what stan1028 ask, I am assuming you meant for the search engine for Safari...
Settings---> Safari---> Search Engine---> Select Google.
KOT -
Search changed from Google to Ask. How do I get Google back?
Search changed from Google to Ask. How do I get Goggle back?
Thanks
RalphGreetings
I am not up on the terminology. The second line on my screen has the forward and back arrows followed by "Go to a web Site" in a box followed by a second box that used to read Google but now reads Ask.com. I want to change this back to Google.
Thanks
Ralph -
How do I get rid of genii as my search engine
how do I get rid of genii as my search engine
You installed the "Genieo/InstallMac" rootkit. The product is a fraud, and the developer knowingly distributes an uninstaller that doesn't work. I suggest the tedious procedure below to disable Genieo. This procedure may leave a few small files behind, but it will permanently deactivate the rootkit (as long as you never reinstall it.)
Malware is constantly changing to get around the defenses against it. The instructions in this comment are valid as of now, as far as I know. They won't necessarily be valid in the future. Anyone finding this comment a few days or more after it was posted should look for more recent discussions or start a new one.
Back up all data. You must know how to restore from a backup even if the system becomes unbootable. If you don't know how to do that, or if you don't have any backups, stop here and ask for guidance.
Step 1
In the Applications folder, there should be an item named "Genieo". Select it and open the Finder Info window. If it shows that the Version is less than 2.0, download and install the current version from the genieo.com website. This may seem paradoxical, since the goal is to remove it, but you'll be saving yourself some trouble as well as the risk of putting the system in an unusable state.
There should be another application in the same folder named "Uninstall Genieo". After updating Genieo, if necessary, launch "Uninstall Genieo" and follow the prompts to remove the "newspaper-style home page." Restart the computer.
This step does not completely inactivate Genieo.
Step 2
Don't take this step unless you completed Step 1, including the restart, without any error messages. If you couldn't complete Step 1, stop here and ask for instructions.
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
/Library/Frameworks/GenieoExtra.framework
Right-click or control-click the line and select
Services ▹ Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)
from the contextual menu.
If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.
A folder should open with an item named "GenieoExtra.framework" selected. Move that item to the Trash. You'll be prompted for your administrator password.
Move each of these items to the Trash in the same way:
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.update.plist
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.engine.plist
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.plist
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client.plist
/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client
/usr/lib/libgenkit.dylib/usr/lib/libgenkitsa.dylib
/usr/lib/libimckit.dylib
/usr/lib/libimckitsa.dylib~/Library/Application Support/com.genieoinnovation.Installer~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.download.plist
~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.update.plist
If there are other items with a name that includes "Genieo" or "genieo" alongside any of those listed above, move them as well. There's no need to restart after each one. Some of these items will be absent, in which case you'll get a message that the file can't be found. Skip that item and go on to the next one.
Restart and empty the Trash. Don't try to empty the Trash until you have restarted.
Step 3
From the Safari menu bar, select
Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Extensions
Uninstall any extensions you don't know you need, including ones called "Genieo" or "Omnibar," and any that have the word "Spigot" or "InstallMac" in the description. If in doubt, uninstall all extensions. Do the equivalent for the Firefox and Chrome browsers, if you use either of those.
Your web browser(s) should now be working, and you should be able to reset the home page and search engine. If not, stop here and post your results.
Make sure you don't repeat the mistake that led you to install this software. Chances are you got it from an Internet cesspit such as "Softonic" or "CNET Download." Never visit either of those sites again. You might also have downloaded it from an ad in a page on some other site. The ad has a large green button labeled "Download" or "Download Now" in white letters. The button is designed to confuse people who intend to download something else on the same page. If youever download a file that isn't obviously what you expected, delete it immediately.
You may be wondering why you didn't get a warning from Gatekeeper about installing software from an unknown developer, as you should have. The reason is that the Genieo developer has a codesigning certificate issued by Apple, which causes Gatekeeper to give the installer a pass. Apple could revoke the certificate, but as of this writing, has not done so, even though it's aware of the problem. It must be said that this failure of oversight is inexcusable and has seriously compromised the value of Gatekeeper and the Developer ID program. You cannot rely on Gatekeeper alone to protect you from harmful software.
Finally, be forewarned that when Genieo is mentioned on this site, the developer sometimes shows up under the name "Genieo support." If that happens, don't believe anything he says, but feel free to tell him what you think of his scam. -
How do I substitute Google for Ask as my search engine?
Ask substituted itself today and I can't get rid of it. Nothing I found on the menu button has been any help. I really would appreciate anything that helps.
Hi, please read [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-bar-add-change-manage-search-engines-firefox this article] on how to set your preferred search engine.
If you are unable to set it, you probably have a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program), so please see [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/remove-toolbar-has-taken-over-your-firefox-search this article] for instructions on how to remove it.
Hope that will help. -
In the upper right corner of the Firefox screen, there is a box for a search engine search. I used to have google there, but recently it somehow changed to Amazon.com. How do I switch it back to google?
OK, might want to make that change in your profile to get faster answers to future questions. If you leave the "iOS6" that's now in your profile, helpers will have to ask the OS question every time you post, slowing your getting help you deserve. Note the level of detail I was able to cram in my Equipment profile (at the bottom of this post).
I don't have 10.7 on any of our Macs but I suspect a system update may have removed that iPhoto option. However, you can still get to your iPhoto files if 10.7 is anything like 10.8.
In System Preferences > Desktop and Screensaver > Screensaver tab, there is a "Source" dropdown menu direct under the preview pane. Click it and select "Choose Folder..":
That gives you a dialog box that should point to your "Pictures" folder. Within that is your iPhoto library. Select it and see if that gives you access to your images. -
when ever I type a search in to the address bar the search uses bing - I want Google back
If you can't select Google as the default search engine, it's because you installed the "Genieo" search-hijacking rootkit. The product is a fraud, and the developer knowingly distributes an uninstaller that doesn't work. I suggest the tedious procedure below to disable Genieo. This procedure may leave a few small files behind, but it will deactivate any version of the rootkit that I know of.
Back up all data. You must know how to restore from a backup even if the system becomes unbootable. If you don't know how to do that, or if you don't have any backups, stop here and ask for guidance.
Step 1
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
/etc/launchd.conf
Right-click or control-click the line and select
Services ▹ Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)
from the contextual menu.
If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens (command-V). You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.
A folder may open with a file selected, or the file may not exist, in which case you'll get a message that it can't be found. If it does exist, it's a configuration file created or replaced by the Genieo installer. Any software installer that does this should be considered ipso facto malware. Move the file to the Trash. You'll be prompted for your administrator password. Then restart, empty the Trash, and continue as below.
IMPORTANT: If the launchd.conf file exists, you must move it to the Trash and restart before continuing. Otherwise the system may become unbootable. In that case, restore from your backup and start over. That's how badly Genieo has sabotaged your system. If you're not sure you can complete this step, stop here and ask for guidance.
Some installations of Genieo don't include the launchd.conf file, perhaps because it has already been removed. The absence of that file doesn't mean that Genieo is not installed.
Step 2
Quit the Genieo application, if it's running. Force quit if necessary.
Move each of these items to the Trash in the same way as above:
/Applications/Genieo.app
/Applications/Uninstall Genieo.app
/Library/Frameworks/GenieoExtra.framework
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.engine.plist
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.plist
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client.plist
/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client
/usr/lib/libgenkit.dylib/usr/lib/libgenkitsa.dylib
/usr/lib/libimckit.dylib
/usr/lib/libimckitsa.dylib
There's no need to restart after each one. Again, some of these items may be absent, in which case you'll get a message that the file can't be found. Skip that item and go on to the next one.
Restart and empty the Trash. Don't try to empty the Trash until you have restarted.
Step 3
From the Safari menu bar, select
Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Extensions
Uninstall any extensions you don't know you need, including ones called "Genieo" or "Omnibar," and any that have the word "Spigot" or "InstallMac" in the description. If in doubt, uninstall all extensions. Do the equivalent for the Firefox and Chrome browsers, if you use either of those.
Your web browser(s) should now be working, and you should be able to reset the home page and search engine. If not, stop here and post your results.
Make sure you don't repeat the mistake that led you to install this undesirable software. Chances are you got it from one of the Internet's open sewers such as "Softonic" or "CNET Download." Never visit either of those sites again. You might also have downloaded it from an ad in a page on some other site. Typically the ad is a large green button labeled "Download Now" in white letters. The button is designed to mislead people who want to download something else on the same page. If you ever download a file that isn't obviously what you expected, delete it immediately.
You may be wondering why you didn't get a warning from Gatekeeper about installing software from an unknown developer, as you should have. The reason is that the Genieo developer has a codesigning certificate issued by Apple, which causes Gatekeeper to give the installer a pass. Apple could revoke the certificate, but as of this writing, has not done so, even though it's aware of the problem. It must be said that this failure of oversight is inexcusable and has seriously compromised the value of Gatekeeper and the Developer ID program. You cannot rely on Gatekeeper alone to protect you from harmful software.
Finally, be forewarned that when Genieo is mentioned on this site, the developer sometimes shows up under the name "Genieo support." If that happens, don't believe anything he says, but feel free to tell him what you think of his scam. -
Up-dated Firefox and now I have Bing as browser on Firefox start page. How do I get Google back
Updated from Firefox 22 to Firefox 23 and now I have Bing as my browser. I want Google as my browser. How to set Google as my browser on Firefox start page.
I'm back and I resolved the problem my-self. This is what you have to do... 1) Type in search "about:config" and click "ok" when the warning comes up; 2) in search type "browsers.search.selectedEngine" 3) now right click on "browers.search.selectedEngine" and choose from menu "new" and now choose "string" and just write "Google" and click "ok". That's it and your done. Now I have my faithful Google back and so will you. I was a little frightened at first because I know if I make a mistake that I would have to possibly re-install Firefox but all worked okay and was very easy to do. Just make sure that you re-check before you click "ok".
George
Humacao, Puerto Rico -
I suspect some toolbar has changed the search engine on my home page which is the standard Mozilla Firefox start Page. It used to be google but now is Ask. I want to change it back to Google.
You can open the <b>about:config</b> page via the location bar and do a search for <i>ask.com</i> via the Filter at the top of the about:config page.<br />
You can reset all <i>ask.com</i> related prefs that appear bold (user set) via the right-click context menu to their default values.
Start Firefox in <u>[[Safe Mode]]</u> to check if one of the extensions is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox (Tools) > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes).
*Don't make any changes on the Safe mode start window.
*https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+Mode
*https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes
*http://kb.mozillazine.org/Preferences_not_saved
*https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Preferences+are+not+saved -
How do i get google back as the search engine on the home page
I have upgraded my firefox browser. before i did google was the search engine in the center of the home page. Now there is only the firefox emblem above the search bar, and when I try a search frontier is the search engine. I would prefer google. How do I set google on the home page of firefox for the search box?
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/How%20to%20set%20the%20home%20page
thank you
Please mark "Solved" the answer that really solve the problem, to help others with a similar problem. -
Google used to be the default search engine in my FireFox setup. Now it's Yahoo. I would like to change it back to google. Can you tell me how to revert it back to google? If so, thanks.
== This happened ==
Every time Firefox opened
== Two or three days ago.If anyone is having this issue, I had to change more than just the keyword.url.
Here are the steps I took:
Open Firefox and type about:config
Then I changed:
browser.search.defaultenginename to google
browser.search.defaulturl to www.google.com
keyword.url right click {reset} or set = http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=
Then I restarted Firefox.
Consider this another complaint against Yahoo's unclear messaging. I do use Yahoo for some things and I thought perhaps they were going to improve interoperability between services, I guess Microsoft is rubbing off on them.
Mozilla - If my elderly parents encountered this problem, they would not be able to solve it without assistance. Please consider adding this to tools -> options. I love them, but I don't need the exercise in patience
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