I would like to change search engines. Google Instant is a major problem

The ubuntu splash page is nothing to do with google. Do you mean change your search engine to something else in Firefox?

In Firefox, go to the Edit menu, and choose Preferences.
Select the General tab.

Under Startup, choose:

When Firefox starts: Show my home page
Home Page: http://start.ubuntu.com/10.04/Yahoo/

to use the Yahoo search engine instead.

If you want to return to using Google, change the home page back to:
http://start.ubuntu.com/10.04/Google/

Sorry for the confusion by not enough information.  I am communication challenged due to a brain injury.  I hope this will better explain.

1.  Desk top -- Click Firefox at the top.
2.  Firefox goes to the Ubuntu "Splash" page.
3.  The Splash page has Goggle
3.a.  One can click on the Google logo and go to the Google "home page" or --
3.b.  One can search from the Ubuntu Splash page
--- Here is the problem
4.  Google comes as a standard search engine.  -- that once was fine.
5.  However, Google has become a monster -- they have a new option -- or what is supposed to be an option as in one is supposed to be able to turn it off.  The new "option"  Google Instant.  -- one should be able to turn it off in Preferences -- but it does not turn off -- there are many many blogs out there that every person that detests this feature -- having the same problem as I am -- so I figure the only option -- get rid of Google until they fix it.
6.  Bottom line -- Google did not buy my computer for me -- I paid good money for it.  Therefore Google does not have a right to take over my computer, and "decided" what I get to view on the search engines -- or make "suggestions" as to what I am search for by that long long long drop down of options.
7.  Note something else -- Google new feature of Instant -- It froze up my computer the other day -- I broke the connection with Control/Alt/Delete function and rebooted -- but ended up right back on the frozen page.  I literally thought I was going to have to reinstall my Ubuntu OS to get rid of the Google problem
---- Google has become a bug that is not getting fixed.

Being this is way too long a message can you please edit and put in the appropriate information.

Thank you for your help and thank you for Ubuntu OS.

Janet Shelly,
52-664-680-3427 -- Playas de Tijuana Mexico

--- On Wed, 9/15/10, actionparsnip <email address hidden> wrote:

From: actionparsnip <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Question #125442]: I would like to change search engines. Google Instant is a major problem
To: <email address hidden>
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 12:28 AM

Your question #125442 on firefox in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+question/125442

    Status: Open => Needs information

actionparsnip requested for more information:
The ubuntu splash page is nothing to do with google. Do you mean change
your search engine to something else in Firefox?

--
To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
this email or enter your reply at the following page:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+question/125442

You received this question notification because you are a direct
subscriber of the question.

 open firefox -edit - privacy - location bar == then click the little arrow to show drop down list then select nothing . make firefox run like it use to .

Hello Greg,

I hope you are into suggestions -- because I found a better (for me at last) solution.  But first of all -- your suggestion makes no difference -- because I never changed the Foxfire option -- it is same as the day I loaded my Ubuntu Live CD.  You see I have this theory -- if it is not broken don't fix it... and add to that I am not technical so I don't want to risk messing things up on my computer.  So that said.

1.  When my computer boots and gets to the desk top -- at the top of my monitor screen one of the icons is Firefox.  -- so click on Firefox and
2.  I go to the Ubuntu "splash screen" which includes:  Google Search.
3.  If one clicks on the Google icon to the left of the search bar one goes to google home page.  (Note -- Google is the "built in" search engine).
4.  Google has made some changes that affect -- not only searching in a negative way -- Google overrides my Ubuntu commands at times... and if I "fight back" my computer freezes up.  -- One of Google's newest "option" is Google Instant -- which is an autocomplete function -- that although there is a selection in preferences to turn it off -- it does not turn off -- there are a whole lot of angry people out there that don't like this either -- and are reporting in forums their problem -- including this Google Instant -- can and does mess up ones OS.
--- Because it messed with my OS is why I reported in Launchpad the problem(s) I am having.  No Search Engine -- and No Browser should have the ability to mess up ones OS.  That is both scary and angering.
--- So I hope that Ubuntu will consider coming up with an option.  But until that is considered here is the temporary solution I found for the Google issue.
1.  http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en -- for searches
2.  http://www.google.com/imghp?complete=0&hl=en -- for image searches

The unacceptable part is this -- in order to not have to enter the above into ones search bar each time -- it is necessary to change ones "home page" -- which means I loose my Ubuntu Splash page.

I have also found that by doing Private Browsing I have less in intrusive advertising.  -- I am probably not any safer as far as privacy goes but it feels better.

So although I have been told in prior messages that Google has nothing to do with Ubuntu -- Oh yes it does -- the search function is built right into the Ubuntu splash page.  -- I wish Ubuntu would come up with their own search engine.

Sincerely,

Janet Shelly
<email address hidden>

--- On Wed, 9/15/10, greg <email address hidden> wrote:

From: greg <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Question #125442]: I would like to change search engines. Google Instant is a major problem
To: <email address hidden>
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 10:18 PM

Your question #125442 on firefox in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+question/125442

    Status: Open => Answered

greg proposed the following answer:
 open firefox -edit - privacy - location bar  == then click the little
arrow to show drop down list then select nothing .  make firefox run
like it use to .

--
If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
know that it is solved:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+question/125442/+confirm?answer_id=3

If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
following page to enter your feedback:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+question/125442

You received this question notification because you are a direct
subscriber of the question.

 i have no problems like you are talking about . but i have been with firefox for years .
 open firefox -edit -preference - then privacy tab . on the first line click the little arrow to show the drop down list, select the use custom settings . the first 4 lines should be unchecked .the next three,
 set as you want .the last line set at remember nothing .
  now click the content tab the first 3 should be checked .
 it you want still don`t want to use google you could go to the upper right at the small window where it says google click the little arrow to show the drop down list then use manage search engine and set it how you want . easy to not use google is remove it from the list .

 this page can help fix google instant
http://www.google.com/instant/

Hello Greg,

Thank you so much for continuing to try to help me.  --  I am doing a copy paste of what you suggest:
greg proposed the following answer:
 this page can help fix google instant
http://www.google.com/instant/

In response to your suggestion above -- That was the first thing I did -- went right to that link -- followed the instructions exactly -- the result -- nothing -- there is no way to turn off or disable -- Google Instant.  -- The main instruction is to go to Search Settings -- which is very clear one is supposed to be able to turn off the Google Instant feature -- BUT -- it does not work.  -- so I did the next.

1.  I went to Google Help -- Contact Us -- and reported the problem.  I received a rather brisk response back from Google -- but no help.
2.  So I began doing searches -- to see if I could find a solution -- what those searches produced -- forums, support communities; help communities and blogs that every person was stating the same thing -- no one can turn off or disable the Google Instant
3.  What else I have in common with these people -- our computers are freezing when we try to do searches.  -- and it is a major ordeal to get the computers unfrozen.  -- Google just "takes over".
4.  The professional websites addressing this issue -- have began advising we contact our OS website for support.  -- That is rather a difficult thing to accept because our OS did not create Google.  -- yet there is no help from any other source.
5.  The only solution I have found is one of the community forums -- was the suggestion to put this URL:  http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en
--- However it is not an acceptable long term solution -- because in order for this to work -- it has to become ones home page.  This means I loose the:
--- Welcome to Ubuntu -- home:about -- splash page.  -- Unacceptable to loose this page because the Welcome page -- has the links I need -- for Ubuntu Community;  Ubuntu Support; Ubuntu Forum -- etc.

So my wish list has become -- to have Ubuntu design a search engine.  After all, Google began very small -- but look what it has become.

Thank you for your time -- I sincerely appreciate.

Janet
<email address hidden>

--- On Fri, 9/17/10, greg <email address hidden> wrote:

From: greg <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Question #125442]: I would like to change search engines. Google Instant is a major problem
To: <email address hidden>
Date: Friday, September 17, 2010, 2:34 AM

Your question #125442 on firefox in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+question/125442

greg proposed the following answer:
 this page can help fix google instant
http://www.google.com/instant/

--
If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
know that it is solved:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+question/125442/+confirm?answer_id=6

If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
following page to enter your feedback:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+question/125442

You received this question notification because you are a direct
subscriber of the question.

 go to applications - software center - internet and select another browser and see it you still get the freezen up .

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.