Java 8u91 Yahoo Default Search Engine

llitz123
Contributor III

It seems that the JavaAppletPlugin.pkg from inside the installer app is setting the default search engine to yahoo for users.
Is there an easy way to reset Firefox default search engine back to Google?
Thanks for any assistance.

10 REPLIES 10

thoule
Valued Contributor II

The search engine is saved in ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/xxxx.default/prefs.js (where xxxx is a random code).

The data is in prefs.js. You should be able to edit that file. You should also be able to create a user.js to override that setting.

You may also want to disable any extensions that may be setting it at launch.

Chris_Hafner
Valued Contributor II

I haven't dug into or even really tested this much. However, this dose not seem to be the case at my institution... Then again, we are using Firefox ESR so, I don't know if that makes any difference.

AVmcclint
Honored Contributor

I can confirm that the Java installer pkg does appear to have changed the default search engine in Firefox 46 to Yahoo on our Macs. For us it doesn't really matter - users can and do manually change it to what they want. However it is unsettling that Oracle is trying VERY HARD to cram unwanted software and configurations with Java. First it was the ask.com toolbar and now changing the search engine. At least it appears to only do it with Firefox (so far).

llitz123
Contributor III

We're using ESR as well. Users can decide, yet I was just looking for options. Options are good.
Thanks.

thoule
Valued Contributor II

@AVmcclint Oracle is getting paid to do those things! Yahoo is dying - how do they get people to use their search engine? Pay a company that has a hand on lots of machines to change it and hope nobody changes it back...

Chris_Hafner
Valued Contributor II

I haven't dug into or even really tested this much. However, this does not seem to be the case at my institution... Then again, we are using Firefox ESR so, I don't know if that makes any difference.

mm2270
Legendary Contributor III

Hey @Chris_Hafner just curious but did you just intentionally post a duplicate post above that is the same as the one from earlier today?
I'm asking because I've been seeing some extremely weird stuff around emails coming from JAMFNation lately. I see lots of duplicate email notices coming through, often hours later. But until now I have not actually seen one posted here, so just trying to understand if that was you or the forum that posted that above?

Chris_Hafner
Valued Contributor II

@mm2270 Actually, no I did not. Weird. Good catch.

Chris_Hafner
Valued Contributor II

I haven't seen any duplicates so far today personally. It does seem that every ~third post I submit get's blocked until I refresh the page and resubmit.

scottb
Honored Contributor

JAMF did some work on the back-end a few days back...

It seems OK here, but I don't know if that was specifically addressed or not.