The way the search bar works changed in Firefox 34. There were ways in earlier versions of Firefox to keep using the old bar, but now that you are stuck with the new bar, this is the deal:

What is your current default search engine?

OLD BAR: listed at top of drop-down + icon in the search bar NEW BAR: listed at top of drop-down

To use this search engine, enter your query and press Enter or click the arrow. No need to click anything on the drop-down.

What if you want to send your search to a different site and make that site your default search engine?

OLD BAR: click the new default site NEW BAR: right-click the new default site, Set As Default Search Engine

Then enter your query and press Enter or click the arrow.

What if you want to send your search to a different site WITHOUT making that site your default search engine (one-time search)?

OLD BAR: not possible NEW BAR: enter your query first, then click the button for the site

Hope that helps.

While there's no way to change the function of the bar, you can change its appearance if you find the icons hard to recognize/remember. You would use a custom style rule, and apply it to Firefox's interface by creating a userChrome.css file. A lot of jargon there. More info:

• Style builder: https://www.jeffersonscher.com/gm/search-bar-names.html
• How userChrome.css works: https://www.userchrome.org/

My default search engine is set and it doesn't make any difference what the default search engine is. Nor does it make any difference if I put the search query in the same place where I enter the URL or in the small dedicated search box with the drop down menu.

The issue is that: (a). the default search engine is already set before I enter a query. (b). I should only need to click once to receive the search results.

But what is happening is that when I enter the search query and click <enter> I am forwarded to the home page of the default search engine without any search results.

I then have to click <enter> a second time to get the search results.

This only happens the very first time that you use it or the first time that you use a new tab i.e. if I enter a second search query, everything works as it always used to. But the fact that I have to click <enter> twice the first time around is just wasting time.

Could you try to rule out extensions as a factor by testing in Firefox's Safe Mode? In Safe Mode, Firefox temporarily deactivates extensions, hardware acceleration, and some other advanced features to help you assess whether these are causing the problem.

If Firefox is not running: Hold down the Shift key when starting Firefox.

If Firefox is running: You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
• Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

and OK the restart.

Both scenarios: A small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Refresh).

Any improvement?

Do not currently use any extensions (double checked) or hardware acceleration. Always use applications and browsers de facto 'as they come' 'with no fancy bells or whistles'.

Restarted in Safe Mode. No difference. You still have to click twice to get results on the first search on a new tab.