Closed Bug 187293 Opened 22 years ago Closed 19 years ago

default search engine choice is continuously replaced by AskJeeves/mozilla.org

Categories

(SeaMonkey :: Preferences, defect)

Product:
SeaMonkey
Component:
Preferences
Type:
defect
Priority:
Not set
Severity:
normal

Tracking

(Not tracked)

Status:
RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 300561

People

(Reporter: maxdelts, Assigned: neil)

References

Details

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.2.1) Gecko/20021130
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.2.1) Gecko/20021130

Choosing a different default search engine (google) does not have a lasting
effect.  Changes to one of the mozilla.org search engines.  

Reproducible: Sometimes

Steps to Reproduce:
1.Edit, Preferences
2.Navigator
3.Internet Search, then select the desired search engine.

Actual Results:  
Usually lasts only for the duration of the current session.

Expected Results:  
Retain the desired search engine.
I have a similar problem when I upgrade: though the default search engine is
still Google, the sidebar Search switch to bugzilla@mozilla.org.
*** Bug 195671 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
[Under Windows XP] I have a suspicion, which is not manifestly reproducible,
that it may depend on some aspect of where Navigator is launched from:

(a) from within Mozilla, e.g. by clicking the Navigator icon at the bottom of
the MailNews window
(b) from a desktop shortcut
(c) from a QuickLaunch icon (left-hand end of Windows Taskbar)
(d) from the Start menu "Internet" icon (when Mozilla is the default browser)
(e) by clicking on an HTML document (when Mozilla is associated with .htm, etc.)
(f) by clicking on a link within another application (e.g. MS Word)

and I guess also

(g) from the system tray using Mozilla QuickStart (which I don't).

I suspect (d)-(f) more than (a)-(c) (although it has happened with (b))...
Having done some further investigation, the problem does seem to happen very
often, perhaps always, with (d) to (f), and hardly ever, perhaps never, with (b)
and (c). Furthermore, if MailNews is started up first, and then Navigator by
means of (a), what happens seems to be determined by the method used to start
MailNews, with the same distinction between (b) and (c) versus (d) to (f).
StilL does it in V1.141RC3 for Windows. Seems to randomly show mozilla.org
instead of my default - Google. A Fix would be nice - a Google toolbar would be
nicer ;-)
I am seeing the following problem:  immediately after upgrade from 1.2.1 to 1.4
(Win XP), the default search engine pref says "Bugzilla@mozilla.org" but
actually uses Google (typing into location bar).

It seems to be remembering that it's set for Google, but I understand from other
comments that it might revert (but still use Google) so I'll keep an eye on it.

Maybe this should be reported into bug 205708, I dunno.
I see this bug also.  I'd often seen "Bugzilla @ mozilla .org" as the search
engine selection in the sidebar, despite often choosing Google in the
preferences, but I didn't pay it much attention, and I don't remember ever
getting Bugzilla results when I'd meant to search Google.

When I upgraded from 1.4a to 1.4 I began to suspect that it might be upgrading
that causes the change.

So before I installed 1.5a I looked at my preferences.  Google was the default.
 I then installed 1.5a and looked at my preferences again.  "Bugzilla @ mozilla
.org" was the default - or so it said, anyway.

I read Chris's comment #6 about it still using Google despite what it says. I
tried Ctrl+Shift+F.  Yes it does take me to Google despite what the prefernces
say.  And when I type "sausages" into the location bar, the bottom entry in the
drop down menu is "Search Google for sausages" despite the preferences implying
it should say "Search Bugzilla @ mozilla.org for sausages".

I'm using Windows 2000.
I am experiencing this same behavior with Mozilla 1.5 on Windows XP
Professional, but it seems (at least to me) to be related to how Mozilla is
*exited*, rather than how it is started.  Steps to reproduce:

1) Have Mail/News running.
2) Have a Mozilla window open.
3) Have Quick Launch running.
4) Select File->Exit from Mozilla (quits Mail and browser but not QL)
5) Right-click QL and select "Exit Mozilla".
6) Start Mozilla with the Desktop icon.
7) Not only is the sidebar reset to Bugzilla@mozilla.org, but so is the
preferences pane.
Seeing bugzilla as search engine in preferences while search actually uses
Google (or any other selected engine) is most probably caused by changing the
Mozilla application directory. The pref is "browser.search.defaultengine" and
saves the absolute path to the plugin...
(See bug 212207 comment #11 and 12 and bug 205708 comment #16.)

This bug, as originally reported, might be different, however.

Please also make sure that you do not see bug 206464.
With 1.6 the reversion from Google is now to AskJeeves instead of Bugzilla, so
presumably it's whatever's at the top of the list.
yeah, i noticed this...
Assignee: bugs → neil.parkwaycc.co.uk
*** Bug 213828 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Same problem on my Mac under Linux. And I've noticed that I now also get
AskJeeves here.

Could someone with sufficient permissions update the hardware / OS to all / all,
and the summary to mention AskJeeves?
OS: Windows XP → All
Hardware: PC → All
Summary: default search engine choice is continuously replaced by mozilla.org → default search engine choice is continuously replaced by AskJeeves/mozilla.org
Greg, timeless, Vincent:
Please check if comment #9 might be the case when this happens!
Using the same profile from a different app directory will cause what you see
because of the absolute path to the search engine plugin in the prefs!
OK, you're right. I never change the Mozilla directory, but internal directories
do change (they depend on the version) and this is probably the problem. For
instance, the current value is:

engine:///home/lefevre/mozilla/lib/mozilla-1.7a/searchplugins/google.src

and now I get Google as expected, and I suppose that when I compile version 1.7b
or 1.8a, the path will be wrong and I'll get AskJeeves (until I update it for
the new version).
I can't tell exactly what you mean by "Please check if comment #9 might be the
case when this happens!" What do you mean by the "Mozilla application
directory"? I am not reinstalling Mozilla, nor changing any settings, between
invocations that revert to AskJeeves and those that stay with Google.

Here is an interesting thing that may help. I just launched Mozilla (using
method (a) of comment #3) and got the reversion to AskJeeves; about:config
immediately showed for browser.search.defaultengine

engine://C%3A%5CProgram%20Files%5Cmozilla.org%5CMozilla%5Csearchplugins%5Cgoogle.src

I then changed the engine back to Google (by selecting it in the sidebar) and a
new about:config then showed

engine://C%3A%5CPROGRA%7E1%5Cmozilla.org%5CMozilla%5Csearchplugins%5Cgoogle.src

I guess these are the same path but written in different ways? I am using
vanilla 1.6 under Windows XP.
(In reply to comment #16)
> I am not reinstalling Mozilla

That's what I wanted to know.

> Here is an interesting thing that may help.

It surely does help! Very nice catch!
You're not changing the Mozilla directory, but the name of the directory
changes, so the problem is basically the same and it's identified.

>
engine://C%3A%5CProgram%20Files%5Cmozilla.org%5CMozilla%5Csearchplugins%5Cgoogle.src

> engine://C%3A%5CPROGRA%7E1%5Cmozilla.org%5CMozilla%5Csearchplugins%5Cgoogle.src
> 
> I guess these are the same path but written in different ways?

Exactly. The first one translates to
engine://C:\Program Files\mozilla.org..., the second to
engine://C:\PROGRA~1\mozilla.org... which is a different notation for
compatibility from back when file and folder names could only have 8+3 letters.

Based on this finding your problem might be fixed easily, however the real fix
would be not to use absolute paths; that one would also fix the case using
several installations, which often happens with developers.
That's not as simple as it sounds - the mac has its own set of search plugins so
that you need to know whether you're using a mozilla or a mac plugin.
*** Bug 239496 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 165935 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 208894 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Product: Browser → Seamonkey
I am consistently getting this bug, and I can reproduce it by the following.
Under Win2000 When I start Mozilla 1.7.3 from a standard shortcut it starts with
my preference search (Google). When I start Mozilla from a shortcut that was
created by dragging from the URL box to the desktop, it always changes the
search to Ask Jeeves, both in Preferences and in the Sidebar. However if I close
out and start up again with the standard shortcut, it is still on Google.
Depends on: 271639
AskJeeves is the default search engine on every new Mozilla installation that I
encounter/install. How about just removing it altogether? I mean, Firefox does
fine without it and we don't hear anyone complaining. I find it utterly useless.

Prog.
Same problem noted in bug 300561.  That has a patch

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 300561 ***
Status: NEW → RESOLVED
Closed: 19 years ago
Resolution: --- → DUPLICATE
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