Something keeps adding yandex to topSiteSearchShortcuts

[basinilya]

Hi.
I was playing with about:config and noticed this non-default setting:

Code: Select all

browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.improvesearch.topSiteSearchShortcuts.havePinned="yandex"

I tried to reset it, but after a few minutes the value re-appears. How to find who's setting it? Or maybe Firefox sets it?

There are no installed addons. There are 3 plugins: Cisco OpenH264, Google Widewine and Shockwave. There's no Yandex software according to appwiz.cpl.

[Grumpus]

Search in about:config for all the Yahoo settings
Also look at all the newtabpage settings.
Yandex is a yahoo thing.
Check in your preferences to make sure you are not allowing automatic installs and updates you don't want.
Specifically in /tools/options/Privacy & security but also in general and search

[dickvl]

Do you see the Yandex search engine listed on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page or when you type '@' in the location bar ?

You need to check search engines in "Options/Preferences -> Security".
You should be able to remove (Unpin) search engines visible on the Firefox Home page via the three-dot menu of this tile.

You can possibly set this pref to false on the about:config page to disable showing pinned search engines.
browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.improvesearch.topSiteSearchShortcuts = false

See also:
browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.improvesearch.topSiteSearchShortcuts.havePinned
browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.improvesearch.topSiteSearchShortcuts.searchEngines

[malliz]

Installed any Free programs lately?
https://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-yandex-ru-search/

[jscher2000]

Yandex is a built-in search engine in certain locales where Russian is spoken.

Could you check whether you have a "study" related to search or the new tab page? See: https://support.mozilla.org/kb/shield

[dickvl]

All search engines including Yandex are builtin in all Firefox locales depending in what area (region) you are.
It is merely the list.json file that determines what search engines get enabled (visibleDefaultEngines).
resource://search-extensions/
resource://search-extensions/list.json

Did you check these prefs ?
browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.improvesearch.topSiteSearchShortcuts

[basinilya]

Do you see the Yandex search engine listed on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page

yes, it says: enabled: true. There are other items with the suffix: @search.mozilla.org

or when you type '@' in the location bar ?

no. I only see @google

How can it be in visibleDefaultEngines and not available for selection?

[dickvl]

Only some selected search engines are available.
For other you can add a keyword that starts with '@' (@yd) by double-clicking in the keyword column in "Options -> Search" to have them appear as a choice in the drop-down list.