We're calling on all EU-based Mozillians with iOS or iPadOS devices to help us monitor Apple’s new browser choice screens. Join the effort to hold Big Tech to account!

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

firefox stop the yahoo bull shit

  • 26 replies
  • 10 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by James

more options

firefox stop the yahoo bull shit

firefox stop the yahoo bull shit

Chosen solution

Hi asimpson,

I understand that there is some frustration with the search engine in the browser. Please provide a little more detail on what is happening and we would be happy to help you out.

Please also see the forum rules and guidelines on how to get help: Forum Rules and Guidelines

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (20)

more options

Chosen Solution

Hi asimpson,

I understand that there is some frustration with the search engine in the browser. Please provide a little more detail on what is happening and we would be happy to help you out.

Please also see the forum rules and guidelines on how to get help: Forum Rules and Guidelines

more options

Every time I restart my computer, Firefox install yahoo extension with yahoo search being the default; also yahoo will be my search homepage. After every reboot i have to change all my search preference and delete the yahoo extension. I will not do it tomorrow I will just stop using Firefox.

more options

this sounds like a problem possibly caused by adware on your pc and surely nothing that is condoned by firefox.

  1. please go to the firefox menu ≡ > addons > extensions & remove any suspicious entries (toolbars, things that you have not installed intentionally, don't know what purpose they serve, etc).
  2. also go to the windows control panel / programs and remove all toolbars or potentially unwanted software from there.
  3. finally, run a full scan of your system with different security tools like the free version of malwarebytes & adwcleaner, which are specialised in adware and browser hijackers.

Remove a toolbar that has taken over your Firefox search or home page Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware

more options

NOPE!

I had new computer I setup Monday the 18th 2016 , SAME issue!

Same problem on both one is windows 10, the other is Window 7.

more options

Hi asimpson, it sounds as though your computer is infected with some other program that causes this, since Firefox (the official version from Mozilla) does not come with any Yahoo extensions.

Here's my suggested procedure for tracking down and cleaning up bad add-ons, hijackers, and ad injectors. I know it seems long, but it's not that bad.

(1) Open the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program. After the list loads, click the "Installed on" column heading to group the infections, I mean, additions, by date. This can help in smoking out undisclosed bundle items that snuck in with some software you agreed to install. Take out as much trash as possible here. The culprit might not use Yahoo in its name.

(2) Open Firefox's Add-ons page using either:

  • Ctrl+Shift+a
  • "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons
  • in the Windows "Run" dialog, type or paste
    firefox.exe "about:addons"

In the left column, click Plugins. Set nonessential and unrecognized plugins to "Never Activate".

In the left column, click Extensions. Then, if in doubt, disable (or Remove, if possible) unrecognized and unwanted extensions. All extensions are optional. The culprit might not use Yahoo in its name.

Often a link will appear above at least one disabled extension to restart Firefox. You can complete your work on the tab and click one of the links as the last step.

Any improvement?

(3) You can search for remaining issues with the scanning/cleaning tools listed in our support article: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware. These on-demand scanners are free and take considerable time to run. If they finish quickly and especially if they require payment, you may have a serious infection. I suggest the specialized forums listed in the article in that case.

Can you get rid of it?

more options

It is a YAHOO program you wrote!

more options

which computer?

more options

jscher2000

good info but happened on two computers, one being brand new.

more options

I have fought this all week one two computers, I am over it.

more options

asimpson said

It is a YAHOO program you wrote!

Mozilla did not write a Yahoo program. When you first install Firefox in North America:

  • The home page is a built-in page named about:home (if you copy/paste about:home to the address bar and press Enter, you might recognize it) -- or Firefox can import your home page address from Internet Explorer
  • Firefox does not include any Yahoo extensions

Who installed your Firefox? Did they possibly download the special Yahoo edition from Yahoo's site instead of installing the standard edition from Mozilla's site?

more options
more options

The old computer didn't have this problem till early last week, but it didn't to seem as bad.

more options

The reason I said it was wrote by Firefox is because it says yahoo brought to you by mozilla....

more options

If you use a utility program like Ccleaner to clean browser settings at Windows startup, make sure it doesn't touch your Firefox data in case it is forcing your search settings back to default. But that still wouldn't explain where a Yahoo extension came from.

Do you use the Firefox Sync service? If you use Sync, perhaps that might explain how the search setting and extension keep getting changed. I suggest turning that off.

Of course, that also doesn't explain where the extension came from in the first place. A software bundle is still the most reasonable guess.

more options

I have set up hundreds of computer for work... I am familiar with Firefox habits as I set the up on each machine.

more options

No I don't use Firefox sync, I do use CCleaner on the old machine, but haven't used it in over a month maybe more.

more options

asimpson said

Every time I restart my computer, Firefox install yahoo extension with yahoo search being the default; also yahoo will be my search homepage. After every reboot i have to change all my search preference and delete the yahoo extension. I will not do it tomorrow I will just stop using Firefox.

The en-US locale of Firefox comes with Yahoo as the default Search Engine as Google is no longer the global default Search Engine in desktop Firefox. Other labguages of Firefox has different default Search Engines.

The desktop Firefox for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux from mozilla.org or www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/ does not come with any Yahoo extensions.

https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2014/11/19/promoting-choice-and-innovation-on-the-web/

If you are using the default homepage of about:home then you can change the Search Engine it is using. Or change the Homepage. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/change-your-default-search-settings-firefox https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/add-or-remove-search-engine-firefox

There is https://downloads.yahoo.com/firefox/ which is one way to get extra Yahoo stuff and not just the Yahoo Search Engine.

Modified by James

more options

I restarted my computer, It didn't happen this time. When it happens tomorrow i will take a screen shot, it is thou it set everything to default after PC restart. I will let you know more tomorrow when i get back on line.

more options

James I do set all the search. I do know where to go in about:home. These thing doesn't matter, it still changes them on its on.

more options

If this seems to be a "time of day" problem, you might also check the Windows Task Scheduler to see whether there are any unknown things set to run in there.

  1. 1
  2. 2