The ask.com toolbar even after being uninstalled can remain stuck as Firefox’s URL search. I found this problem on a Vista machine . To remove it follow these steps.
- from the Control Panel/IE
- Uninstall the Ask.com toolbar using the Add/Remove Programs
- Remove it form the Internet Options /General Tab / Change search Defaults
- From Firefox
- On the address bar type about:config (you will get a warning, be carefull this is the regedit equivalent on Firefox)
- Change the setting – keyword.URL; – from ask.com to http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&q=
- Change the setting – browser.search.defaulturl – from ask.com to http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&q=
- change the settings – extension.snipit.chromeURL – from ask.com to http://www.google.com/search?&q={searchTerms}
- restart Firefox
#1 by Bjorn - May 7th, 2009 at 12:42
This is good info. Even better, rather than manually typing in the replacement values, you can right click on the keyword.URL and other settings and choose “Reset”
#2 by bas - December 1st, 2009 at 20:13
tried all of those above couldn’t find extension. snipet.chrome though , uninstalled in control panel , reset browser, deleted ask.com from program files and all instructions from how to.com anything else to get rid of this menace
#3 by Elizabeth - June 18th, 2009 at 13:10
Thanks, great info. Sorted now.
#4 by Simon - August 6th, 2009 at 16:05
“On the address bar type about:config” where should I write anithing or where can I find this?
and then – wher ca I change these settings in 2nd, 3rd and 4th point?
and sorry for my bad english :(
Simon
#5 by Simon - August 6th, 2009 at 19:46
hey, I found everything :)
thanks for advice
#6 by Stu - August 7th, 2009 at 12:04
Even :config is getting hijacked by ask.com
Lame
#7 by Toby1 - November 18th, 2009 at 22:47
Excellent accurate and effective – thanks very much
#8 by jason walters - December 14th, 2009 at 19:27
couldnt find the one that said crome….typed “ask” into the filter and changed the startup.url one that said ask to google url…this worked. ask.com I wish someone would torch thier mainframe
#9 by jt snow - December 18th, 2009 at 20:21
Very Awesome, this issue was annoying and i couldn’ t see where the redirects were coming from since i saw no add -ons and no programs , toolbars to uninstall.
#10 by JuJubee - January 8th, 2010 at 03:40
THANK YOU!!! I’ve been working on this for over two hours now and, with your help, finally removed the evil ask.com!!!
#11 by WildRumpus - February 14th, 2010 at 15:52
ME2!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
#12 by sircapp - March 12th, 2010 at 11:00
ME 2 – Its been annoying the hell out of me for days until I found your instructions.
Bloody beauty !!
#13 by Ken - March 12th, 2010 at 21:22
I cannot remove the Ask toolbar. I removed it thru add/remove but it’s stopping me with error code: error 1316.A network error occurred while attempting to read file C:\windows\installer\asktoolbar.msi
Cannot reinstall because it tells me it is already installed.
Any help?
Thanks
#14 by Jennah - May 2nd, 2010 at 12:38
oh my godd!! i gave up on removing the ask toolbar 2 years ago! i did everything i could and it didnt work! the system said i had removed it, but it was still there!
And this actually worked!!! im soo happy right now! cause i hated the ask search engine sooo much
thankss!
#15 by stephen king - May 28th, 2010 at 00:33
help! how do you unistall from goggle? i don’t even know how ask got installed. I’M NOT THAT GREAT @ THIS, BUT WOULD YOU AGREE THIS HASSLE IS UNETHICAL (A PAIN IN THE ***)
#16 by STEPHEN KING - May 28th, 2010 at 00:42
I’D LIKE TO UNISTALL ASK FROM GOOGLE, HELP.
#17 by Alex Petre - August 11th, 2010 at 07:46
thanks it works .