Please Refresh but do this 1st:

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/export-firefox-bookmarks-to-backup-or-transfer
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles

then

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/refresh-firefox-reset-add-ons-and-settings

TEST....... If no issues then Extensions which need to be added back in 1 at a time and tested ..... Or it is your Profile : Make a new one and test ...:

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles

If is your Profile :

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

Note: Any customization will revert back to default, you will also need to reinstall Extensions.

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

I setup following all instructions to the TEST.......

The issue is still there. No extensions are install, there are 3 plugins.

Of the 8 default search engines I removed all but google, amazon and wikipedia. I closed the search preference window where I made the changes.

I quit firefox I restarted firefox

All 8 original default search engines were back.

One more thing, I choose to use a separate search bar and not the url bar.

Can you try please to remove all but 1 search engine from in the Search Box and also from Options --> Search and restart Firefox please. Report the results.

You did not report back on this : as said to the TEST, Profile was below test.

Profile : Make a new one and test ...:

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles

If is your Profile :

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

I ran the profile utility after I quit Firefox: deleted the one profile there created new profile restarted Firefox using urlbar for search deleted all search engines but google restarted Firefox

all default search engines were back

cbarna said

I ran the profile utility after I quit Firefox: deleted the one profile there created new profile restarted Firefox using urlbar for search deleted all search engines but google restarted Firefox all default search engines were back

And what happens with your custom list now ?

step 1 I have started firefox with the 8 default search engines and am about to added the imdb search engine

step 2 I choose add

step 3 you can see the imdb icon at the lower right at the end of the search list

step 4 I have restarted firefox and start a search. the imdb search engine is not there--nothing but default search engines on the list.

Try to rename/remove search.json.mozlz4 (and possible search.json, search-metadata.json, search.sqlite) in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed to rebuild the search engines registry.

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

• Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Directory:
  Windows: Show Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

Firefox will rebuild the search.json.mozlz4 file from the builtin search engines.

Also make sure that the permissions and owner of all files in the profile folder are correct.

I did not find any files with "search" in their name inside of the profile directory.

I do not know what permissions the file/directories should have so I have attach a listing of the permissions found in the profile directory. let me know what I need to correct.

I got the following errors when I ran Firefox from a terminal window.

Chics-MacBook-Pro:MacOS cbarna$ ./firefox 2018-01-01 10:51:14.965 plugin-container[40070:5501012] *** CFMessagePort: bootstrap_register(): failed 1100 (0x44c) 'Permission denied', port = 0xae3f, name = 'com.apple.tsm.portname' See /usr/include/servers/bootstrap_defs.h for the error codes. 2018-01-01 10:51:17.366 plugin-container[40072:5501120] *** CFMessagePort: bootstrap_register(): failed 1100 (0x44c) 'Permission denied', port = 0x15407, name = 'com.apple.tsm.portname' See /usr/include/servers/bootstrap_defs.h for the error codes.

1. 1. 1. !!! [Parent][MessageChannel] Error: (msgtype=0x150083,name=PBrowser::Msg_Destroy) Closed channel: cannot send/recv

1. 1. 1. !!! [Child][MessageChannel] Error: (msgtype=0x150001,name=PBrowser::Msg_AsyncMessage) Closed channel: cannot send/recv

The seems fixed in Version 57.0.4 (64-bit)

Thanks