When you do a search from where

1. search bar
2. location bar
3. default home page -- 'about:home

Remove the Yahoo Toolbar

1. "Ctrl+Shift+A" (Add-ons Manager)
2. Select Puzzle piece on left-side for Extensions List
3. Find "Yahoo Toolbar" and click on "Uninstall" button, and restart Firefox. (if you really need to keep the Yahoo toolbar, you can hide the toolbar instead with customize, and still change all the search defaults as below)

Then to fix the default search engine used at the Location Bar, change the value of keyword.URL in about:config to one of the values shown in Location Bar search at MozillaZine.

• Google Search (Google search results page)
  http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=

1. type in about:config into the location bar (in a new tab)
2. if the warning message nonsense comes up uncheck the box before dismissing the dialog message
3. filter on keyword
4. right-click on keyword.URL and choose "modify" then paste in the Google search engine string of your choice.
5. filter on defaulturl
6. right-click on browser.search.defaulturl (if it exists)and again choose "modify" then paste in the Google search engine string of your choice.
7. filter on ytff
8. right-click on yahoo.ytff.search.popup_src (if it exists) and again choose "modify" then paste in the Google search engine string of your choice, if adventurous might see if "reset" would remove and see if gone in next session (well not for those keeping the extension).

--used in https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/850287

Avoiding the problems: Many software installations contain additional baggage known as crapware. The Yahoo Toolbar is packaged with Java picture

More information on ask.com, Yahoo Toolbars which involve extensions, not just changes to the home page.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Problematic_extensions
• Uninstalling toolbars - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
  http://kb.mozillazine.org/Uninstalling_toolbars

Please mark "Solved" one answer that will best help others with a similar problem -- hope this was it.

You can make Firefox 6.0.2 look like Firefox 3.6.*, see numbered items 1-10 in the following topic Fix Firefox 4.0 toolbar user interface, problems (Make Firefox 4.0 thru 8.0, look like 3.6). Whether or not you make changes, you should be aware of what has changed and what you have to do to use changed or missing features.

• http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/firefox/firefox-problems.htm#fx4interface

I have tried this numerous times but as soon as I shut Firefox Yahoo re-appears. I will not use it out of principle now, they are bullies. I am close to removing Firefox & using Chrome just to get away from Yahoo search crap.

I tried this & got rid of yahoo (yay) but I put in the search text http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q= and now it goes to google search without searching for the text I have typed in the location bar. Can someone please paste the text to use? Thanks!

http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=

put that instead for the keyord.url option, should work out fine now

keyword.URL in your about:config is case sensitive. Refer to the Location Bar external search link for 3 different values that were supplied for Firefox.
 

• Keyword.URL - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
  http://kb.mozillazine.org/Keyword.URL
   
• Location Bar search (external - search engine) - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
  http://kb.mozillazine.org/Location_Bar_Search#Location_Bar_search_.28external_-_search_engine.29

You could could make up your own modified keyword.URL or use a different search engine.
 

Have tried this numerous times and still have yahoo controling my firefox start page

Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of the extensions or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox (Tools) > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes).

• Don't make any changes on the Safe mode start window.
• https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+Mode

Thanks dmcritchie. Your solution appears to be working for me. Much appreciated! Dave