HI, when you speak of the Top Browser Bar not accepting searches, have you set it to do searches ? https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-web-address-bar

What about the dedicated Search Bar to the right of the Address Bar does it Search ?

Just to get a complete picture, what happens if you enter something other than a web address and try to submit it:

• Nothing happens, Firefox just sits there
• Firefox says the website couldn't be found or the web address is invalid
• Some site shows up with random "helpful" links related to your search
• Something else...

Yes I removed the search bar as I found it redundant to have two separate bars on the page.

I then updated the main browser bar to google.com and it still will not search.

Based on the link you sent it states the following, which I have done, however the terms I enter do not become a search to the default search engine (google):

To search the web using the exact terms you entered in the address bar, just press Return. The terms you’ve entered will become a search to your default search engine.

• Firefox says the website couldn't be found or the web address is invalid whenever I type anything in it that is not a URL.

Could you check this setting:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful or accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste keyw and pause while the list is filtered

(3) If the keyword.enabled preference is bolded and "modified" or "user set" to false, double-click it to restore the default value of true

Edit: In one thread, a user reported this preference was locked by the IT department and couldn't be set back to true. Usually Firefox will indicate a Locked status in that case instead of Modified.

It wont let me toggle or double click to change the default value to true. screenshot attached.

Hi darkhorsegl, before I get you in trouble with your boss, I just want to mention that if your computer is managed by an IT department, you may not want to do what I'm about to describe.

Could you check for custom script files in your Firefox program folder? In particular, in these locations (varies for 32-bit / 64-bit):

• C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\defaults\pref
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\defaults\pref

Caution: Do not double-click script files! The default action for a script file it to execute as a Windows system script. (Typically this would just not work, but why risk it.)

Make sure Windows is showing hidden files: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/14201/windows-show-hidden-files

A file named channel-prefs.js is normal. Any other file in this folder is suspicious may override and lock Firefox settings. You can remove any such files to a neutral location for further analysis at your leisure.

If the file returns, presumably another process on your system is restoring it for some reason.

Good call on the check with IT, they may have something blocking which would be recently new if so. When I look at the file folder for 64 bit it simply shows:

pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0); pref("general.config.filename", "mozilla.cfg");

That's telling you there is a file named mozilla.cfg that has the real rules in it. This article has more info on where to locate that:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Locking_preferences

See also:

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/customizing-firefox-using-autoconfig