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Cannot change search engine in prefs

Suddenly, over the last few days, Safari is using Yahoo as a default search engine.


I've gone to prefs, but in the drop down menu when I choose "GOOGLE" it will not stay, and goes back to Yahoo.


I download the app that searches for Malware but it found none.


I REALLY don't want to use CHROME as really like Safari, but I have got to find away to get back to GOOGLE as the default search engine.


Can anyone help?

iMac, macOS Sierra (10.12.1), 16g Ram

Posted on Jul 20, 2017 8:26 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 21, 2017 3:23 AM

1. Disable Extensions and test.


Safari > Preferences > Extensions

Select and disable all extensions and test.

Enable Extensions one by one and test.


Uninstall all extensions you haven’t installed knowingly.

To uninstall any extension, select it and click the “Uninstall” button.


2. Safari > Preferences > Search > Search engine:

Select your preferred search engine


or


Highlight the entry in the URL/Smart Search Field and press the “Delete” button on the keyboard.

Click the magnifying icon in the address bar and choose your preferred search engine.

User uploaded file


3. Visit the site you want it be the Home page.

Safari > Preferences > General > Homepage

Click the button “Set to Current Page” button.

Restart your Mac.


4. If this does’t help:

Use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac to remove adware.

https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/mac/

Download, install , open, and run it by clicking “Scan” button to remove adware.

Once done, quit Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.


5. Restart your Mac.

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 21, 2017 3:23 AM in response to Tom Hartman1

1. Disable Extensions and test.


Safari > Preferences > Extensions

Select and disable all extensions and test.

Enable Extensions one by one and test.


Uninstall all extensions you haven’t installed knowingly.

To uninstall any extension, select it and click the “Uninstall” button.


2. Safari > Preferences > Search > Search engine:

Select your preferred search engine


or


Highlight the entry in the URL/Smart Search Field and press the “Delete” button on the keyboard.

Click the magnifying icon in the address bar and choose your preferred search engine.

User uploaded file


3. Visit the site you want it be the Home page.

Safari > Preferences > General > Homepage

Click the button “Set to Current Page” button.

Restart your Mac.


4. If this does’t help:

Use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac to remove adware.

https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/mac/

Download, install , open, and run it by clicking “Scan” button to remove adware.

Once done, quit Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.


5. Restart your Mac.

Jul 21, 2017 7:11 AM in response to Tom Hartman1

If you've already scanned with Malwarebytes (I'm unsure if that's what you're talking about or not) and it found nothing, you may have been bitten by a Safari bug.


There appears to be a bug in recent versions of the system that can result in difficulty changing Safari's home page setting. In cases where adware has changed this setting, that can leave you stuck with an inappropriate home page, even after all the adware has been removed, with seemingly no way to fix it.


The following procedure appears to solve the problem:


* In Safari, choose Preferences from the Safari menu.

* In the window that opens, click the General icon (if necessary)

* Enter your desired home page in the "Homepage" field, but DO NOT press return!

* At the top of the window, click any of the other icons (eg, Tabs, AutoFill, etc).

* You may see a prompt asking for confirmation for changing the home page. If so, confirm.

* Switch back to the General page and check to make sure the home page has been changed.

Aug 20, 2017 9:25 PM in response to Tom Hartman1

Open the web browser ( could be safari or other ) and its preferences ( press command + comma on the keyboard ) .

In the search engine suppose its yahoo and you want to switch to google , take cursor on the end of the link in search engine box and press ( command + delete ) on the keyboard .

User uploaded file

Close the window , an pop -up window appears .

User uploaded file

Click on change Homepage .

Aug 20, 2017 5:59 PM in response to dominic23

Though the ability to change the search engine via the url search field is possible, deleting unwanted search engines was not successful. The plugin and extension test also is unsuccessful as many of us have found that we have a very outdated list of whats really going on inside Safari and found that some of which are disabled and or even gone. But Safari still works like a charm except for those bugs released with the recent OS update.

Cannot change search engine in prefs

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