Every browser like FireFox or IE does searches on a default search engine set some where in its configuration. Changing this default search engine is a little bit tricky, but not anymore. Deepak, my friend, installed a chat software from RediffBol which also changed the default search engine as Rediff Search but he now wants to change it back to Google [my fav].
This is how you can get it done:
in the address bar of FireFox, type: “about:config”
In the box marked filter, type: “keyword.url”
Double click the value field and modify that value, by pasting:
“http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=”
Then save that by pressing “Ok”.
Now, you can use your address bar just as google search bar. Go nuts, since now you can search by entering the search terms in the address bar and pressing enter. This way you never need to visit www.google.com again!!!
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Thank you so much! Megaupload changed mine to Yahoo, and I’ve only ever used google. This is really appreciated, 5 out of 5!
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:56 am
Thanks, this is quite helpful. “Kiwee toolbar” or some such crap F-ed mine up.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
For me, when I did this, a search via the title bar took me immediately to the first google result (abc.com for a Desperate Housewives search, for example). However, I deleted the “&gfns=1″ out of the string and now it gives me the normal google results page. thank you!
July 16th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Hi,
Its great for non professional surfers. Thanks
July 17th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Changing the keyword.URL field in Firefox might not work.
Firefox 3.5 was still defaulting to Yahoo as the search engine for the address bar.
I run REGEDIT and searched for “yahoo”: I found 4 entries like WS_FF_AB and WS_IE_AB all set to some yahoo pages.
I deleted them and now the default search depends on the keyword.URL field in about:config
also, check out
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Location_Bar_search
for different settings of the keyword.URL value.
July 27th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Thanks a lot!
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:26 pm
This is very helpful!.. thanks a lot.
November 17th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Thnx…. Gr8 one…