How to remove Ask search

User Help for Mozilla Firefox
luvdogz
Guest

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by luvdogz »

I found to remove the ask toolbar, went into Tools, Options, General, Addons - Manage add ons. Found Ask Toolbar and selected disable. Restarted Firefox and the tabs buttons worked.
Fubar007
Guest

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by Fubar007 »

Go to the about:config(type in address bar) and hit button "I will be careful" and type in Ask.com or Ask, look for Ask.com, right click on that line, and hit reset.
Harvey4
Guest

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by Harvey4 »

Guest wrote:Many thanks UNOwen - now sorted.

And now I also know how I got the dratted Ask toolbar - it came in unannounced with a Firefox update. I think that somebody at Firefox ought to tell Ask their fortune - I'll certainly not have anything to do with them.


Many Thanks, it was a great help.
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Daifne
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Posts: 123071
Joined: July 31st, 2005, 9:17 pm
Location: Where the Waters Meet, Wisconsin

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by Daifne »

To repeat, Ask.com and it's addons are NOT included with any version of Firefox. It came from the installation of another program. I've seen it with Foxit Reader, Adobe products and other things. If you did not deselect the option to install it, then you got stuck with it.
PeterN3
Guest

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by PeterN3 »

I tried updating the config file, but this did not work for me. I finally came across a method to remove a different toolbar that finally removed the Ask search. Here are the steps:
1. Close all windows of Firefox browser open on the desktop.
2. Next, open the Start menu and select Run.
3. In the Open field, type firefox.exe -ProfileManager and press the OK button.
4. Select the existing corrupt profile and select the Delete Profile button to remove it.
5. Next, select the Create Profile button, and follow the screen instructions to create the new profile according to your requirements.
Guest
Guest

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by Guest »

You click "tools" in the upper left of the screen and click add-ons, then find the ask.com and click uninstall then restart Firefox.
majesty555
Guest

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by majesty555 »

go to tools then options.from there you can personalise your start page(homepage)to any site.i did it but ask.com went to windows explorer and i removed it also.i had to worry if it could be spyware or keylogger because it shifted to another browser.
hacf
Guest

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by hacf »

Firefox

1. Open a new tab or window.
2. Type “about:config” and hit enter, this brings up the all powerful settings of Firefox.
3. Agree to the warning that you could mess things up
4. Find keyword.url, you probably should not change anything else
5. Double click and change keyword.url string to something else like http://www.google.com/search?q=
6. Note that you cannot just put in the web site domain, you must put in the parameters before your search query. So find your favorite search engine, do a search and grab all the text up to your actual search results. So that a search for “test” in Google returns this, http://www.google.com/search?q=test, but all you need to input into the keyword.url field is http://www.google.com/search?q=

Finally, yes I know you can also manage default pages via the default settings under Tools > Options and also Manage Search Engines for the default search area, but those do not remove the default search if something is typed in wrong in the URL line. I mistype a lot or use the URL field to get the No. 1 listing automatically. I believe this is in the only way to stop ask.com and other search engines from becoming your default URL search choice
User avatar
Breeze
Posts: 258
Joined: October 31st, 2005, 6:06 pm

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by Breeze »

hacf, Thank you.

I upgraded to FF 6. This is the 2nd time I've had to change the about:config because Ask search was in the string. You can't tell me that FF folks didn't do this. Well, you can tell me that but I'm quite doubtful...LOL
Oma1942
Posts: 531
Joined: November 14th, 2004, 8:35 pm

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by Oma1942 »

Firefox DOES NOT include any Ask Toolbar or any other unwanted addons. Go through the links provided below which software does. :wink:

See the lists here of the software that DO: http://www.calendarofupdates.com/update ... t_id=44516 and

http://www.calendarofupdates.com/update ... t_id=44514

Go through your own downloaded/installed programs and you'll likely find the culprit(s) comparing the ones in the links provided above.
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Breeze
Posts: 258
Joined: October 31st, 2005, 6:06 pm

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by Breeze »

I'm not talking about Ask toolbar. I'm talking about hacf's comment.
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Grumpus
Posts: 13239
Joined: October 19th, 2007, 4:23 am
Location: ... Da' Swamp

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by Grumpus »

A recent problem with the Ask search software package , at least for Linux, is it does not seem to be the standard xml package but a runable binary..
When reinstalling 3.6.17 I found the Ask search engine is actually a form of executable binary, so there is more going on than the standard search engine, could be the latest "search engine" package includes the toolbar. removing the package prior to installation may be one of the few ways to block it.
Ubuntu supplies it with the Ubufox package.
Doesn't matter what you say, it's wrong for a toaster to walk around the house and talk to you
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xed
Posts: 669
Joined: February 11th, 2007, 12:04 pm

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by xed »

Ask.com has recently been included with Avira AntiVir Personal version as a prerequisite to using their new webguard module. You can opt out, but they don't make it intuitive as how to do it. You have to turn down using their webguard on three consecutive reboots or having not done so, you have to modify the installation via Control Panel > add/remove programs and uninstall the webguard portion of the antivirus program.

Once done, you aren't bothered to install the ask toolbar anymore, but it is counter-intuitive as to how to manage getting rid of it.
"Doin' right ain't got no end." Cap'n Red Legs
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Daifne
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Joined: July 31st, 2005, 9:17 pm
Location: Where the Waters Meet, Wisconsin

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by Daifne »

Breeze wrote:I'm not talking about Ask toolbar. I'm talking about hacf's comment.


hacf is telling people how to remove the Ask garbage from Firefox. He's not saying anything about where it came from. It is NOT included with Firefox, but it is included with many free programs. It's inclusion is one of the reasons I no longer use Foxit Reader. These programs usually have an opt out page in their installer, but, in some cases, unchecking the box will not have the desired effect. The only thing that I know of that is sort of directly related to Firefox which includes it's installation is a certain set of themes from a specific them author. I also removed his otherwise nice themes because of this (and gave him some very bad reviews as well as reporting it in Bugzilla).

Ask digs into the browser very deeply, which is why you need to change certain entries in About:config. Basically, Ask.com acts very much like malware, which I consider it to be.
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Breeze
Posts: 258
Joined: October 31st, 2005, 6:06 pm

Re: How to remove Ask search

Post by Breeze »

Daifne wrote:
Breeze wrote:I'm not talking about Ask toolbar. I'm talking about hacf's comment.


hacf is telling people how to remove the Ask garbage from Firefox. He's not saying anything about where it came from. It is NOT included with Firefox, but it is included with many free programs. It's inclusion is one of the reasons I no longer use Foxit Reader. These programs usually have an opt out page in their installer, but, in some cases, unchecking the box will not have the desired effect. The only thing that I know of that is sort of directly related to Firefox which includes it's installation is a certain set of themes from a specific them author. I also removed his otherwise nice themes because of this (and gave him some very bad reviews as well as reporting it in Bugzilla).

Ask digs into the browser very deeply, which is why you need to change certain entries in About:config. Basically, Ask.com acts very much like malware, which I consider it to be.



Daifne, you are right. I remember when I reinstalled Foxit it had the Ask Toolbar.
I saw no way to opt out of it. And it's been on my computer for a few months now.
That is one thing.
Now answer me this- the other day after I updated FF to version 6- BAM! Ask is in the url search at the top of the page. You can't tell me FF didn't do that.
I mean why is it after I update is when Ask gets in the url box and I have to go into About:config and change it? I mean who is changing it? Certainly not me. I hate Ask.
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