I am trying to get rid of ask.com -- it comes up as a default page when a URL is not found, to tell me the URL is not found. Plenty of advice all over the Internet suggests editing about:config in a standard install of Firefox and changing the keyword.url value.
Well, I've tried pasting in http://www.google.com/search?q= and I've tried "Reset" on keyword.url, but neither one sticks. Whether or not I restart the browser, as soon as I type in an invalid URL, that cursed ask.com shows up again.
I can find no information on what to do if the keyword.url change doesn't persist. Where is that value coming from, and what can I do to change it permanently?
(Firefox 3.6.3 portable, Win 7 Home Premium 64)
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Most likely, your network is setup to forward there because your provider gets a cut. Most cable and DSL ISPs do this now. There isn't an easy way around it since they are faking the hit at the network level, essentially telling Firefox that the thing it looked for does exist.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I appreciate your help. I will complain to VerizonWireless and see what happens.
Cheers!
---Fox
If you're attached to a router would using OpenDNS help?
I'm not attached to a router but thank you for the suggestion.
Cheers!
---Fox
And, how about the "keyword.enabled" value?
Since, not mentioned in your post, I wonder, if you have tested your browser with this preference being switched to "false"? Just to see if this would make a difference, in your case.
both keyword.url and keyword.enabled reverted to their previous values (that is, to ask.com and "true"). Thanks. I wonder if that value is also changed by the ISP as John noted, or if there is a problem somewhere in committing the changes.
Cheers!
---Fox
There's an old post with instructions about what to look for in the browser (also in the Control Panel) regarding the ask.com nuisance. If you haven't already, it might be worth exploring. Check the November 24th, 2008, 11:51 am entry by Guest:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=627084&p=5069645#p506...
I have already seen that post, and many others with the same or similar information, and the problem is the changes to keyword.url (and keyword.enabled) don't stay changed.
Everything else worked fine... so I'm inclined to believe John's suggestion that something external such as my ISP is setting these values, against my wishes. I can't see any other reason why these two configurations would be affected but no others are (that I know of, at least).
Cheers!
---Fox
John was saying that the ISP might be sending the ask.com page back to you when you hit a non-existent site, not that it would be updating those settings.
Whatever is setting those values will be something on your PC. Most likely either a firefox addon or toolbar, or some piece of badware that gets auto-updates your firefox settings periodically.
I would suggest that you check carefully through your addons to make sure that you know what they all do, and that none of them are related to this, and run something like Spybot S&D or Malware Bytes Antimalware to check out your PC.
The keyword.url setting is why ask.com keeps coming up, so the question stands.
I did already run Spybot and a number of other anti-malware tools as well as CCleaner---although, why would anything on the local PC affect config settings in portable Firefox?---and already reviewed my add-ons before posting the question.
I've looked everywhere I know to look and done everything I know to do, so I'm asking, is there any way to find out where these settings are coming from to override my changes, or is there some reason the changes aren't being saved?
Cheers!
---Fox
If somehow the "prefs.js" file's property attribute was changed to "Read-only" it would cause the behavior you describe, i.e. changes not being saved. So, check that out.
And, while being in the "profile" folder (...\FirefoxPortable\Data\profile) see, if there's a "user.js" file, which shouldn't be there by default; though you could create one to your advantage.
Also, aside the above, check the "searchplugins" folder (...\FirefoxPortable\App\Firefox\searchplugins), if ask.com got in there?
I found out with mine it was that the AVG Internet Security had a 'Link Scanner', which prevented the 'keyword.url' from being reset to the original google settings. So I de-activated that component of AVG and it has stopped reverting back to Yahoo. It might be worth having a look at that or any other similar programmes.