Could you check the Customize dialog to see whether the missing search box is in there? This article has the general steps for that: Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars.

Or if the problem is that a custom toolbar is not being displayed, you can switch toolbars on and off using any of these methods:

• right-click a blank area of the tab bar
• right-click the "+" button on the tab bar
• "3-bar" menu button > Customize > "Show/Hide Toolbars"
• (menu bar) View > Toolbars

Can you find and restore the missing control?

Also, when I look at the extension's page on the Add-ons site (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/ad.../search-site/), it seems to integrate into the right-click context menu, in case that's useful to you.

Maybe I misunderstood your question. Just to confirm: Did you mean site search in the sense of "find a word in this page" or "find all pages on the site with this word"?

I assumed the second one, and along those same lines:

In case it helps, I use a bookmarklet for this. That is a snippet of JavaScript code you save to your Bookmarks Toolbar. It's pretty basic, but if you don't find another solution, you could try it.

First, make sure you are displaying the Bookmarks Toolbar. You can use any of the four methods listed above to show it.

Then select and copy the following code:

javascript:var kw=prompt('Enter keywords or 0 to cancel');if(kw){if(kw!='0'){var u='https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A'+window.location.hostname;if(kw.length>0)u+='+'+encodeURIComponent(kw); window.open(u,'_blank');}} void 0;

Next, right-click the bar where you would like to add the button and choose New Bookmark.

In the Name space you can type something like SiteSearch.

In the Location space, paste the code. Then click Add Bookmark.

When you click it, it display a small dialog to enter your query, then launches a Google search targeted to pages on the site in a new tab.

Belated thanks for your suggestions. I am working through your suggested options and will let you know the results.

I see the Search Site 4.2 extension in your System Details list list, so I assume that you are talking about a bar added by this extension.

You should see a green icon in the search bar when the Search Site extension is working on the Add-ons site.

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/search-site/
• https://addons.cdn.mozilla.net/img/uploads/previews/thumbs/54/54217.png?modified=1354042853

Also make sure that you still have the Google search bar on the Navigation Toolbar. If necessary the click "Restore Defaults" in the Customize palette ("3-bar" Firefox menu button > Customize)

You can check for problems caused by a corrupted localstore.rdf file.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Corrupt_localstore.rdf

Thank you for your responses and suggestions for solving these problems. Some of the simpler things that I tried simply didn't work. As for suggestions go into files, I frankly don't have that level of skill, nor access to folks that do. If anyone can provide more detailed step-by-step directions, I might be able to make progress. Any further help would still be appreciated.

I think I should add a post-script here, if it makes a difference. I have several security and firewall features that I am wondering may now suddenly be causing problems (but they didn't in the past): SecureIT, IBM Security Trusteer Rapport and Super AntiSpyware (the free version).

Coincidentally, there were two updates to the Search Site extension this month: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/search-site/

If your Add-ons page still shows version 4.2, Firefox may not be checking for extension updates automatically. You can trigger a check from the Add-ons page. Either:

• Ctrl+Shift+a
• "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Extensions. Then, above the list, find the "gear" button and use "Check for Updates".

Any improvement?

I tested this extension and it has two ways to search (see screen shot):

• Firefox's built-in search bar: it adds a new icon
• right-click context menu: search for selected text within the site

If you are not able to see Firefox's built-in search bar/search box, it could be overflowing off the main toolbar (look for >> toward the end). In that case, you could use the Customize feature to move it leftwards so it fits. Or if you prefer to have it below the address bar, you could drag it to the Bookmarks Toolbar (left end). However, I found it a bit too short when I tested that.

Related article: Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars